User Reviews

I'm not Chinese but this story appeals me greatly. This is not a story about a Chinese man beating a western man. It's a story about David and Goliath. About the oppressed rising against the oppressor. It criticizes the imperialism ruling over the under-developed country through brutal force, and the bourgeoisie enslaving and exploiting the working class by the name of law and order.

Ip Man is a righteous man preaching to the world of the deaf. His virtue is an obstacle to the comfort and luxury the world offers. His generosity is ignored by the ignorant. The ignorant only learns through physical defeat. They know their life is spared only when they see the sharp blade stop in front of their eyes.

The character of Twister is not realistic. He's a boxing world champion. To be a world champion, one has to go through tremendous physical and mental struggle. I haven't met any world champions, but I don't think there are many champions who are so full of conceit and self-importance. In my opinion, one can't attain the champion title without overcoming oneself. When one overcomes oneself, one learns to respect others. That's why so many people rooted for Rocky Balboa.

But Twister is more than a character. It's a metaphor. The vice of the imperialism, capitalism, and chauvinism all integrated into one. That's why it's so powerful. Chinese martial art masters can easily defeat tens and twenties of other Chinese men. But this western bully is so different. He's a giant – the real Goliath mocking the David. He possesses powerful punch, strong muscle and agility. Money and fame feed his ego and the law and order can be bent in his favor. But we all know how the story ends.

It'd be nice if we can always come face-to-face with our opponents. Then, the righteous will eventually rule over the world. Unfortunately the world is governed by the privileged few who hide behind the system and employ puppets do their work. They neither bleed nor sweat. They rule and manipulate the mass with man-made virtue, money. And the virtuous lives in poverty since one's virtue can't be monetized.

That's why Ip Man is dear to us. He lives in poverty but his mind is lofty. He's humble but not servile. He's gentle but stands firm behind his principles. He fights without hatred or anger and accepts the victory without arrogance. IP MAN may not belong to the proletariat, but he is a true working class hero that many of us yearn for.

Ip Man 2 picks up where the first film leaves off. He escapes Foshan and lands up in Hong Kong with his family. He opens a school but as a foreigner cannot attract students. A young guy named Wong starts a fight with Ip Man and gets beaten and brings back his friends who also are easily defeated. They become his first students and his popularity grows as does his reputation. Other schools resent his success and fights break out with his rivals.

Ip Man is undefeated until a match with fellow teacher named Hung, ending their duel in a draw. The corrupt local police demand bribes from him to keep the school open, but he refuses and is harassed until he moves to a different location.

The British show up with a superior attitude toward the Asian culture and a white boxer, Taylor Milos, challenges the best martial artists. He knocks them all out and kills Hung. The populous is outraged and so Ip Man agrees to prove the worthiness of the Chinese by fighting the racist Milos. The contest is competitive and the ending is decent.

Picking up immediately after the events of the first film, we follow Ip Man now to the British colony of Hong Kong in the late 1940s and early 1950s. As he did at the cotton mill in Foshan, Ip Man opens his own academy to teach Wing Chun- this time on the rooftop of a news editor's (Pierre Ngo) apartment. Without the reputation he had previously in Foshan, business is bad until he meets Wong Leung (Huang Xiaoming), an impetuous young man quite like Fan Siu-Wong's bandit Kam in the original.

Leung demands that Ip Man defeat him before he becomes Ip Man's pupil and the subsequent duel is the first of many thrilling kungfu sequences in the movie. Indeed, just watching the precision, power and speed of Donnie Yen's moves as Ip Man is reason enough to rejoice his return to the most iconic film character of his career. But as one soon finds out, this is no less than an appetiser for the later awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping sequences to come.

The next ups the ante as Ip Man goes fist to fist, kick to kick, with not just ten, but multiples of that, number of Master Hung's (Sammo Hung) disciples to rescue Leung whose brashness and arrogance has gotten him in trouble. Set around an old-style fish market, this confrontation is testament not just to Ip Man, sorry I meant, Donnie Yen's lightning-quick moves but also to the actor's agility and versatility as he handily uses a wooden crate and subsequently two knives to fend off his opponents. I apologise if I gush, but Donnie Yen is just that awesome on screen.

Kudos too to action director Sammo Hung- this sequence would not be as thrilling were it not for the expert choreography and direction of Sammo whose camera direction perfectly mirrors the fluidity of Donnie Yen's action and ensures that the audience is never lost in the thick of the action. But perhaps the greatest praise for Sammo Hung should be reserved for his exhilarating one-on-one with Donnie Yen atop a round dining table surrounded by upturned stools.

Enlightening Ip Man's ignorance, Master Hung informs him that any martial arts pugilist who wants to open an academy in Hong Kong must first accept a challenge from all the wushu masters. So Ip Man appropriately shows up to prove his worth, going up against none other than Sammo Hung himself. If you were blown away by the finale between Yen and Hung in "SPL", let's just say that it is nothing compared to what you see here.

You've got to hand it to the 59-year old martial arts veteran as he leaps up across the sea of upturned stools onto the ring and proceeds to engage in a fast, furious and ferocious battle with Donnie Yen. The subsequent 10-min showdown between two equally-matched kungfu masters is, I would argue, worth the price of admission alone, and will definitely go down as one of the classic fighting sequences ever on film. Yes, if Yen's 'battle of ten' was the highlight of the original, then this Donnie Yen-Sammo Hung fight is that equivalent in this sequel.

Besides this match against Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung also goes mano-a-mano against a Western boxing champion, Twister (Darren Shahlavi), nicknamed the "King of Boxing", as the film shifts to portray the insolence of the Westerners towards the Chinese in the second half. At once, the parallel between the first film and the second becomes clear- in the first, Ip Man was fighting for the dignity of the Chinese people against the oppression of the Japanese; in this film, he will also eventually fight for the dignity of the Chinese people against the contempt of the West.

Admittedly, the similarities in the original and this sequel are a tad disappointing, since one would expect that Edmond Wong (producer Raymond Wong's son) would be bold enough to take the film in a different direction. What's also a letdown is the portrayal of the Westerners who receive scant characterization other than that they are a conniving, bullying lot. In fact, what nuance the original had in portraying the Japanese as more than just cardboard baddies is sadly lost this time round, resulting in a stereotyped portrayal of the Whites in the film as "evil gwai-los".

Thankfully, director Wilson Yip's polished execution and Sammo Hung's outstanding action direction delivers a spectacularly rousing showdown between Ip Man and Twister- in fact more so than the finale between Ip Man and General Miura in the original. Manipulative though it may be, the film's climax ultimately is stirring enough to leave you misty-eyed over Ip Man's indomitable spirit and humility, exemplifying once again that the spirit behind the martial arts is just as important, if not more important, than its form.

In the same way, Yen continues to embody the character of Ip Man so thoroughly that it's hard to imagine another actor in the role. We already know how good a martial arts actor Yen is, but Yen tops his career-best performance in the original with even more daring stunts and perhaps just as significantly, injecting more gravitas and pathos into the dramatic scenes here. It is firmly to Yen's credit that his scenes with pregnant wife (Xiong Dai Lin) and son are, though limited, simple yet powerfully effective in portraying Ip Man's commitment to his family.

And with Yen's winning performance, "Ip Man 2" again captures perfectly both the spirit of the master Ip Man as well as the art of Wing Chun. Like the original, it is not just thrilling and exciting, it is also moving and affecting. And together with its predecessor, it belongs right up there with the classic martial arts flicks of yesteryears.

It's a Chinese Rocky 4 and I'm sticking to my assessment. Rocky in this case is Ip Man (Donnie Yen) while Drago is Twister (Darren Shahlavi). Ip Man is the principled underdog with a purpose. Twister is the chiseled Adonis with no mercy. Twister killed Ip Man's friend, Master Hung (Sammo Hung), in the ring and Ip Man avenged him.

Yes, there were some differences, but when you boil it down to the bare bones they were more similar than they were different. They came from two different nations who were at odds with one another, Ip Man was significantly smaller than Twister, and it was a war by proxy.

As for the differences of note; they were in a British occupied Hong Kong. Ip Man had fled China which was still reeling from the Japanese invasion. It seems like all Ip Man does is prove Chinese martial arts to foreigners. The British were very hostile to the Chinese and one particular Brit was downright criminal. But before Ip Man had to deal with westerners, he first had to deal with his own people. He had to prove himself and be accepted by the Chinese schools in Hong Kong before he would be given the chance to fight Twister.

We didn't learn anything new about Ip Man that we already didn't know about him from the first installment. Honestly, I don't think they should've made a sequel because it only calls into question the veracity of the first movie. Again Ip Man shows off his honor, nobility, and his fighting prowess.

Donnie Yen returns in this rushed sequel to the far superior Yip Man. While the first film offered startling and far more brutal martial arts action than previous entries, there is nothing new or original in the second installment. The film is basically two halves of different stories mashed together. Yip Man's struggle to continue teaching Wing Chun while resisting the local martial arts schools as they attempt to extort money from him. Sammo Hung (the lead antagonist in the first half) shows some decidedly corrupt and criminal behavior but ends the film as a hallowed saint. Midway the story falls back on the previous films theme - Chinese Nationalism. The evil Japanese are now replaced by colonialist British administering post-war Hong Kong. The white characters are all portrayed as cartoon villains, right down to the dastardly laughs and blatant derision for the Chinese. The film fails to mention that the real Yip Man moved to British Hong Kong to avoid oppression and death from his fellow mainland Chinese. Yip Man and Master Hong suddenly bury their feud in the face of British Boxer "Twister" who in a page ripped from Rocky 4 later kills Master Hong in the ring after insulting Chinese martial arts. Towards the end there arises a hatred of westerners that was not present or even indicated for most of the film. Returning characters are little used such as Simon Yam, and Lynn Hung is just there to nag Yip about money. New younger characters look as if they've just stepped out a boy band video. The fights throughout are competent but nothing new and use more wire work than before, with men in their 50s/60s doing acrobatics while fighting. Luckily talk of a 3rd film is now looking unlikely.

Donnie Yen once more reprises the role of 'Yip Man'. Starting off were the first film ended, Yip Man and his family move to Hong Kong, and there he starts a Wing Chun school. However, HK's Kung Fu elite have other ideas.

I cannot quite put my finger on it, but this film lacked certain elements from the original, the Wing Chun is still breathtaking as ever, but the storyline seems to be the same...Fight to live. Donnie Yen is fantastic as he teaches his students the disciplines of Wing Chun, but it is a shame that we, the audience, do not witness Yip Man actually give students a lesson.

The end I felt was over done, I understand certain attitudes towards the British, but the boxing match was very dull in my opinion.

What a movie! It was long time ago since I watched movie that triggered so many different emotions in me. I honor the director for daring to shoot the movie which shows the real face of foreign colonizers and their disrespect for the local culture. After flood of very bad and shallow movies which Hollywood machinery had spit out in the last decade, Chinese movies are real refreshment which break the western pattern- sex with pretty girls, bad jokes and "spreading of democracy" by any means necessary. That is why I respect Chines culture the most.

Anyway, Donnie Yen is the perfect guy for this job. His moves are fluent and perfect, but it is his facial expression that impress me the most- I am peaceful, I do not want any troubles, just let me be, otherwise...

The story of this movie is almost perfect, no matter what other people here say. Certain characters are little pushed to the extremes, but that is exactly what gives this movie a charm. Nevertheless, I find the story told in the first movie little more original.

After watching Yip Man 2 I was really sorry that it had to end. You cotton with the characters in some way and I can not wait for the part three. It would be the trilogy better than Godfather, I dare to say! This is the movie you have to watch and, after that, I am sure that you will want to watch it again. But, de gustibus non est disputandum! At the end, who can satisfy everyones appetite!?

Life is never easy when you're a martial arts master: there's always someone on your case, insisting that you prove your skills. Take Ip Man for example

Having been wounded by the Japanese, Wing Chun expert Ip Man (Donnie Yen) escapes to Hong Kong where he sets up a school to teach his style of kung fu. The first potential pupil to show up is Wong Leung, who says he will only pay for lessons if Ip Man can defeat him, which he does; ashamed, Leung runs away. Leung returns later with several of his friends who team up to try and beat Ip Man, but to no avail. They realise that Ip man is a true master and beg for him to become their sifu.

Word soon spreads and Ip Man's class grows steadily larger, but when Leung is kidnapped and held to ransom by the students of a rival school, the Wing Chun master must once again prove his worth, by freeing Leung and beating the rival students. This brings him to the attention of master Hung Chun-Nam (Sammo Hung), who runs the local guild of martial arts schools. Ip Man is told he can only continue to teach Wing Chun if he takes a test against the other masters. Yet again, Ip Man has no choice but to show what he's made of, beating several masters and matching Hung in a one-on-one.

Ip Man is accepted by the guild but is told that he must pay a monthly fee of $100; he refuses to accept their terms, but continues to teach, which causes more friction that results in a massive street brawl.

Ip Man goes to smooth out matters with Hung, and earns the guild master's respect. Hung makes a peace offering in the form of tickets to a western boxing match being organised by Superintendent Wallace, a corrupt British officer in the Hong Kong police force. At the match, star boxer 'Twister' Miller (Darren Shahlavi) insults the Chinese fighters who are demonstrating their skills, saying that kung fu is no match for boxing. Hung enters the ring to defend his culture and accepts a challenge from Twister. Sadly, Hung is killed during the match. During a press conference to try and placate the Chinese, Twister once again boasts that he can beat any of their fighters. Guess who accepts the challenge

This sequel to the hugely popular Ip Man (2008) once again blends fact with fiction to tell the exploits of the Chinese national hero who would later go on to train superstar Bruce Lee. Taken with a pinch of salt, it proves to be hugely entertaining stuff, with Yen exercising both his acting and his fighting muscles to the fullest. The fish market fight against the rival students is a little far fetched, and the martial arts scenes rely a little too much on wire-work for me to find them fully satisfying, but with Sammo Hung as action director, and super fast moves and incredible athleticism from star Yen, there's still plenty to make the jaw drop.

Sammo Hung also shows that he's still got what it takes in front of the camera, with his fights against Ip Man and Twister being a lot of fun, but it is the Wing Chun master's fight against the Ivan Drago-style bad guy in the final act that inevitably proves to be the highlight-a brutal smack-down guaranteed to please all but the most fussy of martial arts fans.

7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

I have studied wing chun for a couple years, I started a little before the first movie came out. I loved the first movie, though it was a bit flashy and dolled up for film. It was still mostly realistic. Aside from the fact that the movie replaces the threat of Communist take over with Japanese take-over, it really was a great kung-fu movie. I've watched it several times since. But Ip Man 2 was for the most part a comic book fantasy with no realism or character to it, including comic book villains to boot. Most of the fights including that crazy knife fight were just so unrealistic. I did like the table fight between the different schools and Yip Mann, minus the flying wire parts, but the rest of the fights were too ridiculous. When the boxer is wailing on these guys that aren't wearing gloves and can kick, that is just so ridiculous. If you can kick and grab and the other guy can't, it doesn't matter how strong he is, the fight is over. Try wearing gloves and actually grabbing and throwing your opponent, you will find that it's impossible, but 'twister' managed to do it with ease. I would fight Mike Tyson if I could kick and didn't have to wear gloves, that would make the fight 10x easier. You see it in UFC all the time, constant kicks to the legs will bring down the toughest opponent, and there's no way a boxer could block that. The fight directors didn't think about that apparently, they would rather have a kung-fu fighter keep punching a boxers gloves for 30 minutes, than to actually have him use skillful fighting. I'm glad Yen stopped before the third, I don't want to know how far they would go with that story. It might look more like Crouching Tiger than Ip Man.

I must say..we reached it...Ip man and Ip man 2 really take Kung fu movies to a whole another level. Donnie Yen who reprises his role as Ip Man is perfect. His acting is very good and he has perfect moves.

The fight scenes are awesome...while Ip Man has more drama than fighting, this one has much more fighting and less drama. Sammo Hung is awesome although he has problems with his heart. The fight scene between Hung and Yen is perfect, it's really enyoable..though I liked the last fight scene better...

For those who thought Ip Man was awesome...well after this movie you'll want to run out and start fighting random people(hehe)...I actually cried when I saw Donnie's speed in last fight...

This movie is worth to watch. Seriously..whatever you have to spend just do it. I'll give it 10/10 because of all the fightings scenes..even the story is OK, and the actors are great.