The story is somewhat based in reality, but how much I don't know. Then out of nowhere the story takes a incredibly dark turn because of World War 2. You had fun silly fights and then some guy is being shot in the street. Everyone is sad and should be as the Japanese invade. You can tell from the movie all is not forgiven from the Chinese stand point. I know they had to follow Ip Man's life, but I could have enjoyed the movie if it was just a more simple story about gangs are cops. It doesn't take that road. It takes a road you won't see coming.
You get kind of sad for Ip Man because before the Japanese took over he was rich and his life ruled, than it all came crashing down around him. There are some bits that are just way, too dumb, Cough *kite* cough. The hold takes such a drastic change.
If your like me you didn't come for a thoughtful story you came for action, don't worry it it delivers. None of the Bourne identity crap, where you see the bad guy getting kick through his own eyes. You get top level fighting. Seeing someone get punched a lot is just a good Saturday rental away.
Ip Man takes on multiple gang member, martial arts masters, and finally a bunch of karate Japanese army jerks, The last one I'm talking about is amazing, he beats the crap out of multiple karate enlighned Japane army jerks and doesn't even seem phased.
The ending boss fights it worth it and like the previos fight mentioned, makes karate look like crap in comparison th Chinese martial arts.Ip Man 2 takes places a little after the first with Ip in Hink Kong and moderately safer. Things get tense when he tries to open his martial arts schol again. He has to recsue his first student from another school's students. They don't seem to care about murdering Ip Man and try to kill him multiple times, which he easily beats of because he's a master.
Problem the other masters won't accept him till he beats them on a table and doesn't fall off as a candle burns. Masters fighting on top of a simple eooden table becomes a extreme sport. Seeing Sammo Hung get his fat butt up there and play such a evil bad guy made me laugh.
Out of nowhere some hilarious overacting by a British figher who becomes the main boss becomes priceless. The fights great, but you can't compare it to the first boss fight with the stakes so much higher.Both movies look great on blu-ray, I recommend watching sub-titled the dub just wasn't working for me. Donnie Yen who played Ip Man is great in both films with a calm demeanor on how a real martial arts master would act. He bottles himslef and explodes in his fights.
These two are top notch matrial arts movies
IP Man 1 $16.99
IP Man 2 2 $13. 99
Fights are beautiful. Action
THE LEGEND IS BORN – IP MAN, has just been bought by Funimation for North American release
THE LEGEND IS BORN – IP MAN features a fight between martial arts legends Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao and an appearance by 86-year-old Ip Chun, Ip Man’s real life son, as one of the wing chun master’s mentors and who acted as an advisor to the film.
