Ip Man 2, le retour du grand maître

I don't think I have seen the film that this is a sequel to, so early on I was a little lost with the flashback montage in the credit sequence and I felt a little unsure of some of the characters. Within about 5 or 10 minutes though this really doesn't matter because mostly the film is happy with very basic motivations and plotting, in favour of frequent fight sequences. The overall plot sees Ip Man coming to Hong Kong to continue the spread of his teaching but coming up against resistance from other schools in the area and the interference of a corrupt British chief. Although we also have money problems, a pregnant wife and relationships from the first film, that is pretty much all you need to know.

This is undeniably a disappointment – not so much because I wanted lots of dialogue and character development, but more because the moments of the film where we do have them tend not to work particularly well because they are just lip-service and not done well. How much of a problem this is though is minimised by just how much action there is and also how good it is. Whether it is an intense fight in a fish market against a gang of others, or the one-on-one boxing match of the finale, all of the fight sequences are exciting and very well choreographed. Although it has pace, the editing is not so frantic and rapid that it masks the action and it is impressive to see all the moves and skills of the performers. Donnie Yen is impressive in all of them.

Where Yen is less effective is in the acting side; the film doesn't give him much to work with and he also plays it very quiet and still, respectful perhaps but he is a lot less of a presence when he is not fighting. Fortunately others are more lively in terms of performances and the film benefits from plenty of nice characters and light comedy from the other masters and the students. Sammo is solid in all regards and he gets some good action too.

Yip Man 2 may carry characters and story from the first film, but very quickly it gets down to the action and pretty much delivers action sequence after action sequence, all of them engaging and intense. The lack of character and development is a weakness, but the strengths do more than carry it through this.

Much cornier and more emotionally broad than the first, this sequel doesn't care much about story or character logic. Luckily, the fight scenes are still the saving factor; Ip Man fighting all the masters on the wobbly table is outstanding and the main reason to watch this thing.

I somehow doubted that IP MAN 2 would compare to the general excellence of the first film, but to my surprise and delight it does! It's a cracking little action movie that tells an involving, true-life story that doesn't just repeat the same kind of stuff we saw in the first film. This time around, Ip Man must test his mettle against a series of Hong Kong martial arts masters before taking his talent to the world stage.

The film displays exactly the same kind of sumptuous production values as the original, with Wilson Yip's expert direction combining with Sammo Hung's beautiful fight choreography to startling effect. Hung himself appears as a rival master and his various bouts with Yen are awe-inspiring, and there's a mid-way set-piece in a fish market that has to be seen to be believed – one of the greatest large-scale fight scenes ever put on film. By the time we reach the events of the last reel, involving a nasty British boxer, I was fully behind the film and loving every action-packed minute. It goes without saying that Yen gives a seemingly effortless performance and that the film provides real heart as well as top-notch action. Outstanding!

Ip Man 2 contains top-notch action sequences from the beginning to the end. It is a befitting sequel that is almost on par with the first movie.

However, it is unfortunate that some of the action scenes rely too much on wire-works. The battle between the masters for example, was inventive but a bit on the fantastical side. Looking back at the first movie, all of the best action sequences were much more grounded in realistic portrayal, as the Wing Chun style looks good in this manner.

It was good to see some cool style vs style fights though, as we get to see Animal Style, Baguazhang and Hung Gar vs. Wing Chun. A friend and I were wondering though if it'd be more accurate to present Preying Mantis, Taiji and Choy Li Fut in the mix as these styles are well established in Hong Kong.

In terms of plot, Ip Man 2 transitions nicely from the first movie, where we get to follow Ip Man as he establishes and propagates Wing Chun in Hong Kong after escaping Communist persecution in 1949. A fact that was obscured by making the character look like he's escaping the Japanese Army instead. No doubt this is a marketing ploy to make sure the movie would not upset the powers-that-be in China.

And like the first movie, Ip Man 2 takes liberty with many facts and plot to condense the essence of Ip Man's characters and what he stood for. It is interesting to note that little is mentioned about his sibling and extended family who helped him in some capacity during this difficult period of time. One of his first pupils was loosely based on a real-life counterpart, the late Master Wong Shung Leung. In Ip Man's old life, he'd often send Wong to successfully answer challenges.

Sammo Hung has delivered yet another amazing feat with choreographing this movie, despite his declining health during production.

My biggest disappointment has to do with the blatant stereotype and one-dimensional characterization of the British colonists and the Twister character. It's a lazy writing that may excite a certain segment in the Chinese market, but in my eyes this serves only to bring down the movie to B-grade martial art flicks of bygone era. There's no denying the populist appeal of this method considering the main target market.

All in all, this has been a fun movie to watch, and I hope the prequel will be as fun, if not more mature in its storytelling.

Edmond Wong's screenplay, like the first film, focused more on drama and had moments where questions such as integrity and the living of one's life according to ideals get raised, whether it is, for the sake of the greater good, worthwhile to forgo those ideals in order to make a living, and allow those who work for you, to make something out for themselves too. In essence, which of the lesser evils are you willing to compromise on. There's also time taken to devote to the corruption of Caucasian police officers, as well as how the Chinese used to fight their own, before learning to unite in the face of stronger, external opponents out to humiliate and insult long held values because of ignorance and prejudice.

The second half of the film, with what we've seen in the trailers involving yet another East versus West matchup that have been covered in contemporary martial arts films and biopics like Fearless and True Legend, was quite the worry for me, in that it would be another opportunity for meaningless bashing and the championing of nationalistic messages. It's that sense of deja-vu that you fear arising from a similar situation from its predecessor, but thankfully, we get a fight that's quite compelling to watch, with Ip Man now being properly challenged by an opponent who's skilled with plenty of power and dexterity, with that lack of honour in dishing out a fair fight. Darren Shahlavi who portrays Twister the boxer, gets top marks for making you all riled up with his constant air of superiority.

Action choreography continues to be designed by Sammo Hung, and personally three action sequences stand out. I didn't enjoy the fish market brawl, as I didn't take to Ip Man fighting with an unruly horde, except that there's a moment of truth there when he shows by example his philosophy of "running away" (not that he's a coward) which continues from where he left off from an answer to Wong Leung. Two scenes which stood out involves Shahlavi's battle with the Chinese grandmasters, and frankly, despite being a "boxing" match, it was really imaginative of Sammo to deliver something that's quite different from the usual action sequences in Chinese films involving battling a Caucasian in a ring.

But the number one action sequence, albeit a little bit short, would be that which you've been teased by the trailer, with Ip Man versus Sammo's Hung Jan Nam mano a mano atop a flimsy table, in what would be Wing Chung versus Hung Ga Kuen. Naturally, not to offend real life practitioners means the result of the fight would be understood, but to see Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung match up against one another, is an action film fan's dream come true again, from SPL, especially after Ip Man dispenses with the side show phonies. If I had a complaint, these two really went all out with the speed of execution, that you just want to beg the camera to stay put from afar in slow motion to allow us all to gaze.

And because of the enigmatic presence of Sammo, somehow I feel that Ip Man the character got diluted screen time because ample time has to be set aside to prevent Sammo's Master Hung from being just the supporting character, but one that's properly fleshed out. He's there to be the contrast as the older martial arts practitioner who's well respected by his peers, and providing that glimpse of how Ip Man could progress, and whether to want to compromise ideals for those dependent on him for livelihood. Sammo being Sammo also chews up the screen with his charisma, and you can hear gasps of reverence reverberate around the cinema hall when he first appears on screen, his persona just screaming that he's one bad mo-fo not to be messed around with.

So Ip Man's thunder did get stolen a little, and the air of invincibility of Ip Man also got shattered in this film, as Wing Chun gets practiced and delivered by others, and we see him drawing or even beaten, which is something rare and unseen thus far. Of course this makes his character even more believable that he's no Superman, and that it provides an opportunity for us to cheer him on in continuing to combat and stand for his ideals. Yen continues to deliver Ip Man in a relatively low key style, preferring smiles and the occasional smoke to wanting to show off that he's one of the best martial artists out there.

Simon Yam, Calvin Cheng, Fan Siu-Wong and even Lynn Hung who plays Ip Man's Wife from the first film were all sadly underutilized, and the introduction of Kent Cheng was something like a direct replacement of Lam Ka-Tung's character from Ip Man 1 (which means the deleted scene in the earlier film could be considered canon if you wish), being the default translator between the Chinese and the British, and more often than not is seen siding with the Westerners in order to keep his cop job. Huang Xiaoming brings a youthful energy as Wong Leung, and I suppose his inclusion is to capture the Mainland market where he's got a huge following.

Same same, but different, is my verdict of Ip Man 2, being just as enjoyable but lacking a certain inexplicable x-factor that could have made the second outing surpass the first.