A balance of dramatic flair and history, we return to the early days of Ip Man, legendary teacher of Bruce Lee.
Reprising his role for the third time, Dennis To takes us to 1949 when Ip Man was not a teacher of Wing Chun but a police captain. Despite his strict adherence to what is right, Ip Man is no match for the corruptive force of the incoming opium trade. He stands among the few who have enough courage to confront the Japanese con man. This inevitably leads to Ip Man quitting the force and being framed for the murder of a well known and respected mobster.
“This my second time playing the role of Ip Man. But this time, Ip Man is also the
“Black Knight,” which made me look forward to making the film even more. After I got
the script, I pondered over and over again. This time I was able to bring to the role of Ip
Man not only a higher level of Wing Chun skill, but also a deeper level of interpretation.“- Dennis To
Before watching Ip Man: Kung Fu Master, I was not even aware there were other Ip Man movies that did not star Donnie Yen. It was near impossible not to keep comparing To to Yen. The end result is that both of these men are incredibly talented and more suited to portray Ip Man. IT just comes down to the cinematography style.
Both movies were directed by two different people and they still maintained the same style and pattern: bits of history between massive martial arts scene. In Ip Man: Kung Fu Master , all of the martial scenes were at a more cranked up cinematic level but did not diminish the spectacular martial arts skills in fascinating moments. The fight underneath the dangling casket is a fun one to talk about but the most visually memorable one is the axe gang. Ip Man is surrounded by a gang wielding axes within a building as he tries to make his way up to the boss. Somehow this scene that should be ridiculously comedic is just satisfying as you watch Ip Man just pick them off with minimal visible strain. I wonder if there was any grain of historical truth in that scene but that is only a fleeting thought. I did not come for history, I came to Ip Man whoop some hiney wing chun style.
The movie delivers just that. It does not deviate from the same story of what we have seen from other Ip Man movies. Once again, it’s a story of one talented man fighting against all odds to protect what is right. It is ultimately China versus Japan, as the Japanese antagonist is the one responsible for bringing opium and corrupting with money. It is also a fight within the community as they struggle to protect themselves or to stand up for China. There is also the struggle of Ip Man juggling his priorities of community and being a father. A struggle that he never seems to stop having. The climax of the movie leads to another boxed match within the neighborhood so be prepared for complete and utter patriotism.
Nothing extraordinary was taken from the movie other than more awe at the stunt work and martial arts skill. Ip Man: Kung Fu Master is another satisfying way to see Ip Man’s early days and that conflict can be solved simply by the martial arts mastery.
Magnet Releasing will release IP MAN: KUNG FU MASTER in theaters and on demand: December 11th, 2020
Starring Dennis To, Yuan Li Ruoxin, Tong Xiaohu, Yue Dongfeng, Chang Qinyuan, Zhao Xioguang, Ren Yu and Michael Wong
