Ip Man 2

b>Directed by: Wilson Yip

Starring: Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Simon Yam,

Synopsis:

Following the events of the previous film: Ip Man and his family manage to escape from occupied Fo Shan and set up home in Hong Kong. The sequel details the tempestuous times of establishing his martial arts academy, being challenged by the local masters and taking part in a historic boxing match with a western boxer called “Twister”.

Review:

After the immense success of Ip Man, a sequel was inevitable, and with it the expectation of something more expansive and epic. Ip Man 2 certainly delivers there.

The film begins quite quietly as Ip Man opens his academy and struggles to garner any interest, until a cocky potential student arrives and challenges him. Man defeats him with ease, so he returns with three of his friends. When they all get beat, they beg Ip Man to be their Sifu.

Ip Man also discovers what became of his friend and saviour, Zhou Qing Quan (Simon Yam). During the prologue we see him wounded by a shot to the head during the escape from Fo Shan. This is a bit of a discrepancy as the previous film ended with him healthy and driving the truck! Nevertheless, Yam is now an almost feral man-child, not able to recognise his family or friends.

When his student is abducted after beating a rival from another school, Ip Man goes to try and sort things out. When words are ineffective, Man and his student are forced to defend themselves against a small army. This is an excellent set-piece – I personally love seeing one man fighting of hordes – the action is well choreographed and the camera work fluid.

The arrival of Master Hong (Sammo Hung) puts an end to the fracas, but provides Ip Man with an equally difficult situation. In order to be officially recognised as a martial arts teacher, Ip Man must participate in a challenge with the established masters. This entails holding his own on top of a round table, as each master takes their turn in trying to knock him off. This is another masterful scene, showcasing different styles of kung fu against Ip Man’s Wing Chun. There is also a touch of humour as the masters playfully prod each other to test Ip Man’s abilities. The scene climaxes in an excellent bout between Ip Man and Master Hong, who prove to be equally matched.

After this scene, things sink down a bit. Ip Man refuses to pay the $100 monthly fee (protection money) which leads to him unable to pay the rent on his academy, forcing him to teach his class in a local playground. The film is dead intent on showing the desperate times Master Ip had to endure, just as the first film showed his riches-to-rags journey during the Japanese occupation of Fo Shan.

Master Hong, meanwhile, is working with representatives of the colonial police to set up an exhibition match between their champion, a western boxer called Twister, and a representative of the local martial schools. The British lieutenant in charge is a nasty thug who sees the match as a chance to prove the Colonial’s superiority over the local populace.

There are in fact a lot of similarities in the way the second half plays out to the classic Rocky IV – all that is missing is the training montages.

The first fight is a brutal affair between Master Hong and Twister. While Master Hong’s speed and techniques prove superior in the short term, Twister’s recovery rate and stamina are much better and eventually Master Hong is too exhausted to block the huge gloved fists.

Now comes Ip Man’s ‘bout. Again, the choreography is excellent, and helps to tell the story – Ip Man makes the same mistake as Master Hung, and tries to meet power with power. It’s only after a particularly devastating round that he is able to realise a different strategy. Darren Shahlavi is great as the formidable Twister, and holds his own against both Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung. Seagal fans might recognise him from his role as Costel in Born To Raise Hell.

The film ends with a special meeting between master and future famous student – the kid playing Bruce Lee does an excellent impression, and the scene plays out differently to how you’d expect.

Verdict

For fans of the original, this is a no-brainer. Wilson Yip delivers another martial arts epic, Donnie Yen truly embodies the role of Master Yip and Sammo Hung provides the searing fight scenes. Ip Man 2 Not to be missed.

9 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)

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