Thursday, June 30, 2011

Ip Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster (2010)

Director: Wilson Yip. Cast: Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Simon Yam. 108 min. Rated R. Hong Kong. Action.

Despite the better Tomatometer score compared to the original, this is a disappointment. The formulas of the original have been repeated verbatim, but the strong-willed wife is now a whiner, the old villains are now the hero's lame buddies, and the new villains are now British instead of Japanese, recently graduated from the Actors-That-Suck school of drama. They even repeat the Bruce Lee mentorship fact at the end! The only element that keeps this going, is Donnie Yen as Ip Man, repeating his wise and reassuring presence, making the climactic Western boxing vs. Chinese Kung-Fu match still an exhilarating experience.

Mo says:

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