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Ip Man

  • 2008
  • R
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
239K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,107
361
Donnie Yen in Ip Man (2008)
Plenty of martial arts action in this trailer for the period drama
Play trailer1:50
2 Videos
99+ Photos
DocudramaKung FuMartial ArtsPeriod DramaActionBiographyDramaWar

During the Japanese invasion of China, a wealthy martial artist is forced to leave his home when his city is occupied. With little means of providing for themselves, Ip Man and the remaining... Read allDuring the Japanese invasion of China, a wealthy martial artist is forced to leave his home when his city is occupied. With little means of providing for themselves, Ip Man and the remaining members of the city must find a way to survive.During the Japanese invasion of China, a wealthy martial artist is forced to leave his home when his city is occupied. With little means of providing for themselves, Ip Man and the remaining members of the city must find a way to survive.

  • Director
    • Wilson Yip
  • Writers
    • Edmond Wong
    • Tai-Lee Chan
  • Stars
    • Donnie Yen
    • Simon Yam
    • Louis Fan
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.0/10
    239K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,107
    361
    • Director
      • Wilson Yip
    • Writers
      • Edmond Wong
      • Tai-Lee Chan
    • Stars
      • Donnie Yen
      • Simon Yam
      • Louis Fan
    • 264User reviews
    • 116Critic reviews
    • 59Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 12 wins & 19 nominations total

    Videos2

    Ip Man
    Trailer 1:50
    Ip Man
    Ip Man
    Trailer 1:48
    Ip Man
    Ip Man
    Trailer 1:48
    Ip Man

    Photos115

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    Top cast31

    Edit
    Donnie Yen
    Donnie Yen
    • Ip Man
    Simon Yam
    Simon Yam
    • Quan
    Louis Fan
    Louis Fan
    • Jin
    • (as Fan Sui Wong)
    Ka-Tung Lam
    Ka-Tung Lam
    • Li
    • (as Lam Ka Tung)
    Lynn Xiong
    Lynn Xiong
    • Cheung
    • (as Xiong Dai Lin)
    Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
    Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
    • Miura
    Xing Yu
    Xing Yu
    • Lin
    You-Nam Wong
    • Yuan
    • (as Wong You Nam)
    Yu-Hang To
    Yu-Hang To
    • Wei
    • (as To Yue Hong)
    Calvin Ka-Sing Cheng
    • Yao
    • (as Calvin Cheng)
    Zhihui Chen
    • Master Liu
    • (as Chen Zhi Hui)
    Tenma Shibuya
    Tenma Shibuya
    • Colonel Sato
    • (as Shibuya Tenma)
    Li Chak
    • Zhun
    • (as Li Ze)
    Deqiang Shi
    • Southern Master
    Zhong Zhou
    • Southern Master
    Bo Zhang
    Bo Zhang
    • Jin's Underling
    • (as Zhang Bo)
    King Kong Lee
    King Kong Lee
    • Jin's Underling
    • (as Jin Gang)
    Lu Kai
    • Jin's Underling
    • Director
      • Wilson Yip
    • Writers
      • Edmond Wong
      • Tai-Lee Chan
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews264

    8.0239.3K
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    Featured reviews

    9guylon-1

    Donnie Yuen finally gets the spotlight he always deserves

    Ip Man has quenched our thirst of a real good martial art movie where we don't just watch man kicking asses but where we can appreciate the man's moral and virtues.

    The movie flows well, from the view of the kungfu street of Fo Shan, to the introduction of Ip Man, and so on. Scene by scene are there in a well done play, and when someone had to display martial art act, they don't just throw bunch of minions out from nowhere to have him beating them all over. I think the scenario is well written.

    Fight choreography is great. Different approach from what we usually see, people doing flashy flying kicks and sorts; since it is about wing chun, feet hardly ever leave the ground but it doesn't decrease the beauty and flashiness of the fights.

    People may complain about bits that might not fit the real condition of those era. Well, I think producers have to make sure they made entertaining movies, not documentaries.

    Last words, Donnie Yuen has always been a good martial art actor, he just never get the spotlight. And finally as Ip Man he gets to stand on where he deserves.
    8DouglasQuaid

    Powerhouse performance by Donnie Yen

    Donnie Yen is a long time favorite of mine, although this is mainly due to his martial arts skills and screen presence rather than his acting skills. In Ip Man (or Ye Wen, as they were shouting in the seats next to mine) he delivers a truly solid performance on the acting side, carrying the burden of a nation on his shoulders with gravitas, at least that's what he conveyed to the audience at the cinema. They were actually applauding at times. Then again, moviegoers might be more absorbed over here on a regular basis. I digress.

    I'm not going to delve deeper into plot details. The basic stuff is already outlined above, and I also feel the historical accuracy of certain events depicted can be debated. That's a bit of a moot point, though, since most people will watch this for the action scenes. Nobody will be disappointed. Donnie kicks twelve kinds of ass in this movie, and it is all accompanied by some of the meanest sound design I've ever heard. Every one of his rapid punches can be felt as he pummels the poor bastards in his way with the Ip Man-style of martial arts (imdb won't let me spell out the name for some reason). The final bout is epic,but for me it was one scene about halfway through that got my heart beating faster. It involves Donnie, ten Japanese karate practitioners and some of the most furious fighting I've ever seen on screen. You can really sense the anger of his character in this scene. Great stuff.

    The film moves forward at a brisk pace and contains a surprisingly large amount of fight scenes. It totally lacks the vintage over-the-top-aesthetics of Donnie Yen's films of the 80's and 90's, but for some people that's a good thing. I personally think this is his finest performance to date.

    Highly recommended for fans of martial arts cinema!
    7dvc5159

    The best martial-arts movie since "Enter the Dragon". Donnie Yen is on top form and may be the next Bruce Lee of our generation...

    Forget "Flashpoint". "Ip Man" shows Donnie Yen at his brutal best. Telling the story of Yip Man, the man believed to have popularized the martial art of Wing Chun, before and mostly during the Sino-Japanese war.

    Yen caught my attention after seeing him in "SPL". Then in "Flashpoint", I was stunned by his moves, and thought he was the next Jet Li. Well, after this I think he may very well be the next Bruce Lee. I mean it! Not only injecting humanity and superb characterization, Yen also demonstrates his brutality when it comes to fighting. And boy, it does not get more brutal than this! Seriously, Yen's fists move like machine gun bullets. And he makes sure that his opponents are down for the count... at their expense, and our enjoyment. Definitely Yen at his bruising best.

    Other actors worth mentioning, Simon Yam and Hiroyuki Ikeuchi as Ip Man's business partner/friend and the Japanese General respectively. The former portrays Ip Man's comrade with heart, while the latter performs with steely resolve and honor. This is a film that is not just made with action, but a good story as well.

    The fight scenes here are arguably Yen's best so far, and the best in over a decade. People are getting beaten, martial arts duels are taking place, and blood is spilled. This is not an action movie, it's a kung fu movie. And it shows. Legendary kung fu star Sammo Hung brilliantly choreographs the fight scenes to perfection, and it looks like he's not going to slow down any time soon. The direction by Wilson Yip is slick and gripping as always, and he also gives the film a nice sepia tone to give feeling to the film.

    In short, great. This is a must-see for kung fu film fans to get their adrenal glands pumping. It's one of the best kung fu films of the decade. See it if you have the chance.

    Overall: 7/10
    9lion_paw73

    Wow, this is a instant classic!!

    Oh man what a great movie, Just seen it and im stunned. This moves up to my number 5 top list of greatest Martial Arts movies ever. Ip Man was a great man in Chinese history and i can see why. This movie is so well directed and Donnie Yen suits great as a young Ip Man. Its so dramatic at times, you start sniffing your nose and gets sad and angry at the same time. Awesome movie which will be a true classic instantly. I Bought the two disc HK Special Edition and i will see the extras later today cause i will go to sleep now, if i can sleep. Cant wait for part 2. See this film in theaters or on DVD as soon as you can, you will not be disappointed. Kung Fu cinema is back and what a comeback. WOW!!
    9ChungMo

    One of the best martial art films of this decade

    Excellent direction, photography and set design enliven this account of Wing Chun instructor Yip Man's life before he moved to Hong Kong. Every Wing Chun instructor today tries to make a lineage connection to Yip Man to legitimize their teaching so he is a very important figure in Kung Fu. Donnie Yen portrays the master with intense reserve and is possibly the best acting in his career. It surprised me for sure.

    The story line of this film is invented as historical accounts show Yip Man to have been a police officer in the time frame this film covers, not staying at home and only practicing kung fu as depicted here. Also the film claims that he refused to teach anybody but that is also not true. He left for Hong Kong a few years after WW2 not in the middle of it as this film presents. The plot with the Japanese army seems invented although they did ask him to teach the troops which he refused.

    However the film muddies up the historical record, that is not to say it isn't a great film. Sammo Hung's choreography is exceptional and a throwback to his great kung fu films of the early 1980's. The martial arts are done with great respect to traditional styles although some wire work is used to assist the actors with the difficult acrobatic moves. No flying across the room in this film.

    Although the ending is a little abrupt, this is one kung fu film that can be recommended to people who don't like these films. Highly recommended.

    More like this

    Ip Man 2
    7.5
    Ip Man 2
    Ip Man 3
    7.0
    Ip Man 3
    Ip Man 4: The Finale
    7.0
    Ip Man 4: The Finale
    Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior
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    Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior
    Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy
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    The Legend Is Born: Ip Man
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    Ip Man 5
    Ip Man 5
    Kung Fu Hustle
    7.7
    Kung Fu Hustle
    Ip Man: The Awakening
    4.7
    Ip Man: The Awakening
    Fearless
    7.6
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    The Raid: Redemption
    7.6
    The Raid: Redemption
    The Raid 2
    7.9
    The Raid 2

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      As mentioned in the film, Ip Man's fighting style is Wing Chun. It is said to be created by two women, Ng Mui and Yim Wing Chun. According to legend, a warlord wanted to marry Yim Wing Chun, but she refused and instead challenged him to a duel. She came across Ng Mui, a Buddhist nun whom she asked for help. Together they created the art of Wing Chun, which the nun named after Yim Wing Chun. Wing Chun won the fight.
    • Goofs
      In the bedroom, when Yip Man is reading, there is a modern lamp made of matte metal.
    • Quotes

      Miura: [after witnessing Ip Man single-handedly defeat ten Japanese fighters at once] What's your name?

      Ip Man: I'm just a Chinese man.

    • Connections
      Edited into Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 12, 2008 (China)
    • Countries of origin
      • Hong Kong
      • China
    • Languages
      • Cantonese
      • Mandarin
      • Japanese
      • Chinese
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Yip Man
    • Filming locations
      • Foshan, Guangdong, China(Town)
    • Production companies
      • Golden Harvest Company
      • Beijing ShengShi HuaRei Film Investment & Management Co.
      • China Film Co-Production Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $11,715,578 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $22,108,789
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 46 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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