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In the 1930s, [[Foshan]] is a hub of [[Nanquan|Southern Chinese martial arts]], where various schools actively recruit disciples and compete against each other. Although the [[Wing Chun]] master Ip Man is the most skilled martial artist in Foshan, he is unassuming and maintains an almost invisible profile. As an independent wealthy man, he feels no need to accept any disciples and instead spends his days training, meeting with friends, and spending time with his family. However, his wife is often resentful of the time he spends training and discussing martial arts with friends and colleagues. Though not a professional martial artist, Ip is respected in Foshan due to the abilities he displays in friendly, closed-door competitions with local masters. Ip's reputation is further enhanced when he defeats an aggressive, rude, highly skilled [[Northern Chinese martial arts#Northern styles|Northern Chinese martial arts]] master, Jin Shanzhao, thus upholding the regional pride of fellow Southern stylists and others in Foshan.
In the 1930s, [[Foshan]] is a hub of [[Nanquan|Southern Chinese martial arts]], where various schools actively recruit disciples and compete against each other. Although the [[Wing Chun]] master Ip Man is the most skilled martial artist in Foshan, he is unassuming and maintains an almost invisible profile. As an independent wealthy man, he feels no need to accept any disciples and instead spends his days training, meeting with friends, and spending time with his family. However, his wife is often resentful of the time he spends training and discussing martial arts with friends and colleagues. Though not a professional martial artist, Ip is respected in Foshan due to the abilities he displays in friendly, closed-door competitions with local masters. Ip's reputation is further enhanced when he defeats an aggressive, rude, highly skilled [[Northern Chinese martial arts#Northern styles|Northern Chinese martial arts]] master, Jin Shanzhao, thus upholding the regional pride of fellow Southern stylists and others in Foshan.


The [[Second Sino-Japanese War|Japanese invasion]] in 1937 adversely affects the life of everyone in Foshan. Ip's house is claimed by the Japanese army and used as their Foshan military headquarters. Ip and his family lose their wealth and are forced to move into a decrepit apartment. Desperate to support his family, Ip finds work at a coal mine. The Japanese General Miura, who is a [[Karate]] master, establishes an arena where Chinese martial artists compete with his military trainees. There, he observes the fighting styles of the Chinese fighters, and his fascination leads him to want to test his own abilities. Miura challenges three fighters at once, one of whom is Li, a friend of Ip Man and disciple of Chinese Master Liu. He effortlessly defeats them, however, Li refuses to concede defeat, forcing the general to ultimately kill him. Zhao, a former police officer and Ip's acquaintance, is now working as a translator for the Japanese army. He offers the martial artists working at the coal mine the chance to earn a bag of rice for every match they win. Ip at first declines to participate in the matches. However, when his friend Li takes part in a match and does not return, Ip agrees to fight so he can find his friend. Ip watches fellow Foshan martial arts Master Liu defeat one karateka, but then insist on fighting three and lose. When Liu attempts to collect the winning bag of rice from the first match, Miura's aide, Colonel Sato, shoots and kills him. Miura grabs Sato by his neck and threatens to personally execute him if he shoots in the dojo again.
The [[Second Sino-Japanese War|Japanese invasion]] in 1937 adversely affects the life of everyone in Foshan. Ip's house is claimed by the Japanese army and used as their Foshan military headquarters. Ip and his family lose their wealth and are forced to move into a decrepit apartment. Desperate to support his family, Ip finds work at a coal mine. The Japanese General Miura, who is a [[Karate]] master, establishes an arena where Chinese martial artists compete with his military trainees. There, he observes the fighting styles of the Chinese fighters, and his fascination leads him to want to test his own abilities. Miura challenges three fighters at once, one of whom is Lin, a friend of Ip Man and disciple of Chinese Master Liu. He effortlessly defeats them, however, Lin refuses to concede defeat, forcing the general to ultimately kill him. Zhao, a former police officer and Ip's acquaintance, is now working as a translator for the Japanese army. He offers the martial artists working at the coal mine the chance to earn a bag of rice for every match they win. Ip at first declines to participate in the matches. However, when his friend Lin takes part in a match and does not return, Ip agrees to fight so he can find his friend. Ip watches fellow Foshan martial arts Master Liu defeat one karateka, but then insist on fighting three and lose. When Liu attempts to collect the winning bag of rice from the first match, Miura's aide, Colonel Sato, shoots and kills him. Miura grabs Sato by his neck and threatens to personally execute him if he shoots in the dojo again.


As a result of the shooting, Ip deduces that Li was beaten and killed by the Japanese after an earlier fight. Barely able to contain his rage, Ip demands a match with ten karateka at once. Despite having not practiced Wing Chun since the Japanese occupied Foshan (to conserve energy and thus food for his family), he mercilessly defeats all of them with a brutal and effective barrage of blows, showing none of the restraint he exhibited in earlier matches. His skill arouses the interest of General Miura, who wants to learn more about Ip and watch him fight again.
As a result of the shooting, Ip deduces that Lin was beaten and killed by the Japanese after an earlier fight. Barely able to contain his rage, Ip demands a match with ten karateka at once. Despite having not practiced Wing Chun since the Japanese occupied Foshan (to conserve energy and thus food for his family), he mercilessly defeats all of them with a brutal and effective barrage of blows, showing none of the restraint he exhibited in earlier matches. His skill arouses the interest of General Miura, who wants to learn more about Ip and watch him fight again.


Ip later visits his friend Chow Ching-chuen, who owns and runs a cotton mill in Foshan. Chow's son tells Ip that a bandit gang led by Jin Shanzhao is harassing the workers and trying to extort money from them. Ip finally consents to teach others and trains the workers in Wing Chun for self-defense.
Ip later visits his friend Chow Ching-chuen, who owns and runs a cotton mill in Foshan. Chow's son tells Ip that a bandit gang led by Jin Shanzhao is harassing the workers and trying to extort money from them. Ip finally consents to teach others and trains the workers in Wing Chun for self-defense.

Revision as of 18:13, 30 October 2019

Ip Man
In a black background, the top of the poster states, "The celebrated Kung Fu master of Bruce Lee." Below is a portrait of Donnie Yen with his head staring down, while his hands are forming a martial arts pose. The words "Ip Man" are coloured in red in both Cantonese and English dialect. The pronunciation of the name (eep ‧ mun) is shown in brackets below the English title.
Original Hong Kong Poster
Directed byWilson Yip
Written byEdmond Wong
Chan Tai-lee
Produced byRaymond Wong
StarringDonnie Yen
Simon Yam
Lynn Hung
Gordon Lam
Fan Siu-wong
Xing Yu
Chen Zhihui
Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
Tenma Shibuya
CinematographyO Sing-Pui
Edited byCheung Ka-fai
Music byKenji Kawai
Distributed byMandarin Films
Release date
  • 18 December 2008 (2008-12-18)
Running time
108 minutes
Countries
LanguageCantonese
BudgetUS$11,715,578[2]
Box officeUS$21,888,598

Ip Man is a 2008 biographical martial arts film based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun and teacher of Bruce Lee. The film focuses on events in Ip's life that supposedly took place in the city of Foshan during the Sino-Japanese War. The film was directed by Wilson Yip, and stars Donnie Yen as Ip Man, with martial arts choreography by Sammo Hung. The supporting cast includes Simon Yam, Lynn Hung, Lam Ka-tung, Xing Yu, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi and Tenma Shibuya. It is a co-production between China and Hong Kong.

The idea of an Ip Man biopic originated in 1998 when Jeffrey Lau and Corey Yuen discussed the idea of making a film based on Bruce Lee's martial arts teacher. However, the studio producing that proposed film closed, and the project was abandoned. Producer Raymond Wong decided to develop his own Ip Man film with full consent from Ip's sons, and had filmmakers head to Foshan to research Ip's life. Ip Chun, Ip Man's eldest son, along with martial arts master Leo Au-yeung and several other Wing Chun practitioners served as technical consultants for the film. Principal photography for Ip Man began in March 2008 and ended in August; filming took place in Shanghai, which was used to architecturally recreate Foshan during the late 1930s and World War II.

During filming, conflicts arose between the producers of Ip Man and filmmaker Wong Kar-wai over the film's working title. Wong, who had been developing his own Ip Man biopic, clashed with the producers after learning that their film would be titled Grandmaster Ip Man (Chinese: 一代宗師葉問), which was too similar to the title of the other film. The producers of Ip Man agreed to change the film title, despite Wong's film being in development hell. Wong's film, titled The Grandmaster, was released on 10 January 2013.

Ip Man is the first film in the Ip Man film series. It premiered in Beijing on 10 December 2008, and was released theatrically in Hong Kong on 19 December 2008, receiving widespread acclaim from critics and audiences. Before the film's release, Raymond Wong announced that there would be a sequel; a second installment titled Ip Man 2, was released in April 2010, and a third installment titled Ip Man 3 was released in 2015, with a fourth installment scheduled to be released in 2019.[3] Ip Man grossed over US$21 million worldwide, despite not being released in North America and most of Europe. Following its success, the film was nominated for 12 Hong Kong Film Awards, winning awards for Best Film and Best Action Choreography.

Plot

In the 1930s, Foshan is a hub of Southern Chinese martial arts, where various schools actively recruit disciples and compete against each other. Although the Wing Chun master Ip Man is the most skilled martial artist in Foshan, he is unassuming and maintains an almost invisible profile. As an independent wealthy man, he feels no need to accept any disciples and instead spends his days training, meeting with friends, and spending time with his family. However, his wife is often resentful of the time he spends training and discussing martial arts with friends and colleagues. Though not a professional martial artist, Ip is respected in Foshan due to the abilities he displays in friendly, closed-door competitions with local masters. Ip's reputation is further enhanced when he defeats an aggressive, rude, highly skilled Northern Chinese martial arts master, Jin Shanzhao, thus upholding the regional pride of fellow Southern stylists and others in Foshan.

The Japanese invasion in 1937 adversely affects the life of everyone in Foshan. Ip's house is claimed by the Japanese army and used as their Foshan military headquarters. Ip and his family lose their wealth and are forced to move into a decrepit apartment. Desperate to support his family, Ip finds work at a coal mine. The Japanese General Miura, who is a Karate master, establishes an arena where Chinese martial artists compete with his military trainees. There, he observes the fighting styles of the Chinese fighters, and his fascination leads him to want to test his own abilities. Miura challenges three fighters at once, one of whom is Lin, a friend of Ip Man and disciple of Chinese Master Liu. He effortlessly defeats them, however, Lin refuses to concede defeat, forcing the general to ultimately kill him. Zhao, a former police officer and Ip's acquaintance, is now working as a translator for the Japanese army. He offers the martial artists working at the coal mine the chance to earn a bag of rice for every match they win. Ip at first declines to participate in the matches. However, when his friend Lin takes part in a match and does not return, Ip agrees to fight so he can find his friend. Ip watches fellow Foshan martial arts Master Liu defeat one karateka, but then insist on fighting three and lose. When Liu attempts to collect the winning bag of rice from the first match, Miura's aide, Colonel Sato, shoots and kills him. Miura grabs Sato by his neck and threatens to personally execute him if he shoots in the dojo again.

As a result of the shooting, Ip deduces that Lin was beaten and killed by the Japanese after an earlier fight. Barely able to contain his rage, Ip demands a match with ten karateka at once. Despite having not practiced Wing Chun since the Japanese occupied Foshan (to conserve energy and thus food for his family), he mercilessly defeats all of them with a brutal and effective barrage of blows, showing none of the restraint he exhibited in earlier matches. His skill arouses the interest of General Miura, who wants to learn more about Ip and watch him fight again.

Ip later visits his friend Chow Ching-chuen, who owns and runs a cotton mill in Foshan. Chow's son tells Ip that a bandit gang led by Jin Shanzhao is harassing the workers and trying to extort money from them. Ip finally consents to teach others and trains the workers in Wing Chun for self-defense.

When Ip refuses to return to the arena, Miura grows impatient and sends the sadistic Colonel Sato along with several soldiers to find him. Sato sees Ip's wife and moves towards her. Ip defends his wife and incapacitates the three soldiers. They flee their apartment and take a room with Li Zhao's family. When the bandits return to the cotton mill, the workers fight back using the techniques that Ip taught them. Ip himself arrives midway through the battle. He defeats many of the robbers and personally beats Jin Shanzhao, embarrassing him a second time. Ip warns him not to harass the workers again.

Jin Shanzhao and his men inform the Japanese soldiers of Ip's connection to the cotton mill. The Japanese charge into the cotton mill and takes Ip. Ip tells Chow to take his wife and son away for protection. Miura tells Ip that his life will be spared if he agrees to instruct the Japanese soldiers in martial arts. Ip refuses and challenges Miura to a match, which Miura accepts, both because of his love for martial arts and because refusing the challenge would be a humiliation to the Japanese. The match between Ip and Miura is held in public in Foshan's square. Sato tells Ip that his life will be spared if he lets the general win. At first, the two fighters seem equally matched, but Ip's impeccable defense, relentless and direct blows allow him to eventually overwhelm Miura, inflicting a severe beating on him.

Ip is cheered by the Chinese crowd and sees his wife and child returning with Chow. Enraged at the general's defeat, Sato shoots Ip in the chest, igniting the Chinese crowd who overwhelm the Japanese soldiers. During the scuffle, Li Zhao kills Sato with Sato's own gun. Ip is taken away amidst the chaos. The epilogue reveals that he survived and escaped with his family to Hong Kong with the help of Chow Ching-chuen. There, Ip establishes a Wing Chun school, where his students come to learn martial arts from him, including Bruce Lee.

Cast

  • Donnie Yen as Ip Man, a sole practitioner of the martial art Wing Chun.[4]
  • Lynn Hung as Cheung Wing-sing, Ip Man's wife.[4]
  • Hiroyuki Ikeuchi as Miura (三浦; Sānpǔ), a Japanese general and a Karate expert.[4]
  • Tenma Shibuya as Sato (佐藤; Zuoteng), a Japanese Colonel.
  • Gordon Lam as Li Chiu (simplified Chinese: 李钊; traditional Chinese: 李釗; pinyin: Lǐ Zhào), a police inspector and Ip Man's acquaintance.[4]
  • Fan Siu-wong as Kam Shan-chu (金山找; Jīn Shānzhǎo), an aggressive northern martial artist who comes to Foshan to challenge other masters.[4]
  • Simon Yam as Chow Ching-chuen (周清泉; Zhōu Qīngquán), a businessman and Ip Man's close friend.[4]
  • Xing Yu as Master Lam (武痴林; Wǔchī Lín), the first son of a restaurant owner in Foshan, he is a martial artist and Ip Man's friend.[4]
  • Wong You-nam as Yuan, the second son of a restaurant owner in Foshan who causes a lot of trouble.[4]
  • Calvin Cheng as Chow Kong-yiu, the son of the cotton mill owner, who is interested in learning kung fu.[4]
  • Chen Zhihui as Master Liu (廖师傅; 廖師傅; Liào Shīfù), a martial arts master.[4]

Production

"We wanted to do this movie because Ip Man was a man who inspired the world and society as a whole. He was a man who believed in certain morals and principles, and we want to use this movie as a platform to convey those values to the audience. For me, that was the most important part of making this movie."

—Director Wilson Yip on making Ip Man.[5]

The idea of an Ip Man biopic originated in 1998 when Jeffrey Lau and Corey Yuen discussed the idea of making a film based on Bruce Lee's martial arts master. However, Paragon Films Ltd, the studio producing the proposed film, closed and the project was abandoned.[6] Producer Raymond Wong decided to develop his own Ip Man film with full consent from Ip's sons, and had filmmakers head to Foshan to research Ip's life. Ip Chun, Ip Man's eldest son, along with martial arts master Leo Au-yeung and several other Wing Chun practitioners served as technical consultants for the film. Principal photography for Ip Man began in March 2008 and ended in August; filming took place in Shanghai, which was used to architecturally recreate Foshan. During filming, conflicts arose between the producers of Ip Man and filmmaker Wong Kar-wai over the film's working title. Wong, who had been developing his own Ip Man biopic, clashed with the producers after learning that their film would be titled Grandmaster Ip Man (Chinese: 一代宗師葉問), which was too similar to the title of Wong's film, The Grandmaster.

Ip Man is the first film based on the life of Ip Man. It also marks the fourth film collaboration between director Wilson Yip[4] and actor Donnie Yen.[4] The two also reunite with co-star Simon Yam after 2005's SPL: Sha Po Lang. The screenplay for Ip Man was written by Edmond Wong,[4] the son of film producer Raymond Wong.[4] Wong was the screenwriter of Yip and Yen's second collaboration, 2006's Dragon Tiger Gate. Ip Man's eldest son, Ip Chun, his student Leo Au-yeung,[7] and Changquan gold medalist To Yu-hang served as technical consultants for the film, providing advice on the film's story and martial arts choreography. The music for the film was provided by veteran Japanese composer Kenji Kawai, who also served as a composer on the 2006 film, Dragon Tiger Gate which featured Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen as director and actor respectively.[8]

Pre-production

The film was originally conceived in 1998 when Jeffrey Lau and Corey Yuen first thought of the idea of making a film based on Ip Man's life. Donnie Yen signed onto the project, hoping to star as Ip, with Stephen Chow co-starring as Bruce Lee. Yen had signed the contract and received part of the acting fee. However, the studio producing the film closed, and the project was abandoned.[6]

In December 2007, plans to make a new Ip Man film were announced with the filmmakers researching Ip's life in Foshan. Producer Raymond Wong stated that the film would take on a similar look and feel to SPL: Sha Po Lang.[9] On 26 February 2008, a press conference for the film was held in Foshan, where it was announced that Wilson Yip would be directing the film, while Yen would appear in the leading role as Ip. Lynn Hung, Lam Ka-tung, Simon Yam were announced to be appearing in supporting roles, while Sammo Hung would serve as the film's martial arts choreographer.[10] Casting director Zhang Yan Bin spent three months casting actors in various roles for the film. He had completed casting during principal photography in March 2008.[11]

Filming

Principal photography for Ip Man began in March 2008, and was completed by the end of August. A majority of the film focuses on events surrounding Ip Man that took place in Foshan in the 1930s and 1940s during the Sino-Japanese War. Since the buildings in modern-day Foshan are architecturally different from the ones of the film's period, the filmmakers decided to shoot the film in Shanghai.[10][12]

Filming first took place in a storeroom in the industrial district of Shanghai. Having difficulties scouting a cotton factory suitable for shooting, set designers decided to recreate one in the style of the 1930s. They spent weeks transforming an abandoned storeroom into the Zhen Hua Cotton Mill Factory, a 1930s cotton mill factory founded by Ip's friend Chow Ching-chuen (played in the film by Simon Yam) during the Sino-Japanese War. It was where Ip Man first taught Wing Chun openly to the public.[13]

Production designer Kenneth Mak included Western elements in his design, since Foshan, in earlier years, was a unique place where Chinese and Western cultures converged. Pillars were made to resemble English lampposts, and Western lighting, chairs and tableware were also used. To convey the culture and feel of the time, the buildings were made to look obsolete and worn out. Apart from historical references, Mak also created a glass house which was used in a scene in the film.[13]

Stunts and choreography

"...his biggest achievement lies in playing a true historical figure, unlike fictitious characters he had been doing in the past...he'd have to try his best to understand the thoughts of Yip Man, to be him, and to fit in within the past."

—Director Wilson Yip on Donnie Yen being cast as Ip Man.[10]

The martial arts choreography was designed by Sammo Hung and veteran fight and stunt coordinator Tony Leung Siu-hung. Hung had previously collaborated with Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen as an actor in the 2005 film SPL: Sha Po Lang.[14] He was hired as the choreographer mainly because of his experience on the 1978 film Warriors Two and 1982's The Prodigal Son, both of which involved Wing Chun.[5] When asked how he would work with Yen to direct the action scenes, Hung replied matter-of-factly, "With my mouth."[10]

Yen described the role as the most emotionally and mentally difficult in his career.[5] He spent months preparing for the role by going on a strict diet which consisted of eating one meal a day, training in Wing Chun, and learning more about Ip Man through his two sons. This was all in the hopes of portraying an erudite and cultured Ip Man, as well as bringing out the special traits of Wing Chun.[15] Yen even went as far as to stay in character after filming, wearing his costume and changing his voice and movement patterns.[5] While rehearsing a fight scene, Yen was reportedly injured when an axe wielder accidentally slashed the side of his left eye.[16] Yen also had a masseur on set as he could not raise his right shoulder due to an injury.[12]

Japanese actor Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, who holds a black belt in Judo, found it "difficult" working under Hung's command. In one scene, he suffered a mild concussion after receiving four consecutive blows.[17] Hung later praised Yen and Ikeuchi's performances in the film, even though Ikeuchi was not trained in Chinese martial arts and was not given a lot of complex moves.[12]

Film title controversy

Ip Man's original title was controversial. It was disputed when film director Wong Kar-wai announced plans to make his own Ip Man film with Tony Leung Chiu-wai while filming 2046. Wong had planned his own Ip Man biopic titled The Great Master (一代宗师), with Leung playing the role of Ip. Wong's film, however, had been in development hell, having been announced several years earlier. Producer Raymond Wong wanted to name his film Grandmaster Yip Man, which bore a resemblance to the title Wong Kar-wai wanted to use for his film.[18]

To settle the dispute, Raymond Wong publicly retracted the film title, stating "Actually, all along, we have called our film Ip Man, but our mainland investors said that Yip Man was a great master of his times, so we changed our title to Grandmaster Yip Man out of respect for him."[19] In a more recent interview, Raymond Wong revealed that The Great Master is currently in development.[20] Wong Kar-wai's Ip Man film, titled The Grandmaster, was released on 8 January 2013 in China.

Release

Ip Man premiered in Beijing, China on 10 December 2008, only two days prior to its release in China.[21][22] The film was later released in Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand on 18 December 2008, one day prior to its release date in Hong Kong.[23] The film was released in the United Kingdom on 2 October 2009.[24] In 2010, Mandarin Films sold North American distribution rights for the film to distributor Well Go USA.[25]

Reception

Prior to its theatrical release in China, Ip Man held a test screening in Beijing on 4 December 2008. The film was highly praised, based on survey sheets returned by the audience. Donnie Yen's portrayal of Ip Man was repeatedly hailed as the year's best performance. High praise was also given to the film's co-stars, Fan Siu-wong, Lam Ka-tung, and Lynn Hung.[26] Ip Man also received positive reactions from film critics. Salon's Andrew O'Hehir deemed Ip Man a "well-paced and satisfying piece of Chinese-nationalist pulp," referring to the film's heavy anti-Japanese sentiment.[27]

Derek Elley of Variety Magazine wrote in his review, "Yen, who's taking on real star charisma in middle age, is aces as Ip, with a simple dignity that exactly mirrors the movie's own and a gracefulness in combat that's very different from his trademark whiplash style."[28] Malaysian film critic Lim Chang Moh of The Malay Mail awarded the film three stars out of four, writing that the film was "nicely balanced with great martial arts action and an engaging narrative."[29] Lim later placed the film at number six in his list of "Top Ten Movies of 2008."[30] Jen Ogilvie of Fortean Times wrote, "what carries Ip Man is its dramatic charge: it is the story's entanglement in the real horrors of Japanese occupation that pulls the viewer in and builds tension into the fight scenes."[31]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 85% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "At once beholden to the established conventions of the genre and delightfully subversive of them, Ip Man is one of the most exciting — and refreshingly character-driven — martial arts films in years."[32] At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 59 out of 100 based on 9 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[33]

Fact and fiction

The film was never meant to be a true biographical film to Ip Man's life, but to broadly touch on the elements from his life. Most of the central turns of the plot are there only for the purpose of making a movie more exciting, including the scenes depicting duels between Ip Man and the Japanese, including Consul General Miura Yoshiaki (三浦義秋), as well as Ip Man encountering hardship during the Second Sino-Japanese War.[34]

Ip Man's eldest son, Ip Chun, would have preferred the film to be shot on location in Foshan and noted the mansion was grander than the original one.[35]

Box office

Ip Man grossed ¥14,948,157 (US$2,188,982) on its opening weekend in China.[36] The film's revenues increased largely by 86.1%, grossing ¥27,812,224 (US$4,073,201) to retain second place at the box office.[37] The film experienced a small decrease in revenue in its third weekend, dropping 10.5% to ¥24,889,189 ($3,645,112), though remaining in second place.[38] Ip Man continued to decrease in revenue, grossing ¥19,956,454 (US$2,922,695) in its fourth week while staying in second place.[39] After six weeks of theatrical release, Ip Man grossed a total of ¥93,740,529 (US$13,728,640).[40] The film currently remains as China's 13th highest-grossing film of 2008.[41]

During its opening weekend in Hong Kong, Ip Man came in first place at the box office, grossing HK$4.5 million (US$579,715).[42] In its second week, Ip Man moved to second place, while grossing HK$6,156,765 (US$789,303) with a 36.2% increase in revenue.[43] The film continued to decrease in revenue in its third week, grossing HK$3,494,366 ($447,981), while staying in second place at the box office.[44] Ip Man moved to third place in its fourth week, grossing HK$2,075,250 ($266,055).[45] After seven weeks of theatrical release in Hong Kong, Ip Man had grossed HK$25,581,958.69 (US$3,300,847) domestically.[46] The film ranks as the 8th highest-grossing film of 2008.[47] In total, the film had grossed $21,888,598 worldwide, despite not being released in North America and most of Europe.[48]

Home media

Ip Man was released on DVD and Blu-ray disc formats on 13 February 2009. Releases include single-disc[49] and two-disc special-edition formats.[50] Features for the special edition include deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, a theatrical trailer, interviews with director Wilson Yip and actor Donnie Yen and featurettes on both Ip Man and Wing Chun martial arts. Ip Man was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States on 27 July 2010.[51] A 3-disc Deluxe Collector's Edition was released in China, but only contains Mandarin-dubbed soundtracks and no English subtitles.[52]

Accolades

List of Accolades
Award / Film Festival Category Recipient(s) Result
Beijing College Student Film Festival Best Actor Donnie Yen Won
Favorite Director Wilson Yip Won
2009 Fantasia Festival[53] Technical Achievement Won
Best Asian Film Wilson Yip
2nd Place
Most Energetic Film Wilson Yip
2nd Place
46th Golden Horse Film Awards[54] Best Action Choreography Sammo Hung, Tony Leung Siu-hung Won
28th Hong Kong Film Awards[55] Best Film Won
Best Director Wilson Yip Nominated
Best Actor Donnie Yen Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Lam Ka-tung Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Fan Siu-wong Nominated
Best Cinematography O Sing-pui Nominated
Best Film Editing Cheung Ka-fai Nominated
Best Art Direction Kenneth Mak Nominated
Best Action Choreography Sammo Hung, Tony Leung Siu-hung Won
Best Sound Design Kinson Tsang Nominated
Best Visual Effects Henri Wong Nominated
Best Original Score Kenji Kawai Nominated
Huabiao Film Awards Outstanding Abroad Actor Donnie Yen Won
Outstanding Co-production Film Won
Shanghai Film Critics Awards Film of Merit Won
Sitges - Catalan International Film Festival Orient Express Award Wilson Yip Won
2nd Iron Elephant Awards[56] Best Picture Won
Best Action Choreography Sammo Hung, Tony Leung Siu-hung Won
Best Actor Donnie Yen Won

Sequels

Main articles: Ip Man 2 and Ip Man 3

Ip Man is the first film in a trilogy. Donnie Yen reprised the lead role in the sequel Ip Man 2, the second feature film based on the life of Ip Man. The film focuses on Ip's movements in Hong Kong as he attempts to propagate his discipline of Wing Chun martial arts; at the end it also briefly introduces a young Bruce Lee prior to becoming one of Ip's most famed disciples. Ip Man 2 was released theatrically in Hong Kong in late April 2010. Lynn Hung and Fan Siu-wong reprise their supporting roles, while martial arts choreographer Sammo Hung appears as a master of Hung Ga martial arts.

Yen expressed his lack of interest in making a third film, feeling that, "Ip Man 2 will incontrovertibly become a classic, bettering the first."[57] Yen later stated that after Ip Man 2, he would no longer be involved in a film based on Ip's life.[58] While both Donnie Yen and Raymond Wong were not keen on making a third Ip Man film, director Wilson Yip expressed interest in making one that would focus on the relationship between Ip and Bruce Lee. While Ip Man 2 very briefly shows Lee as a child, Yip hoped to find a suitable actor to portray Lee as an adult for the third installment.[59]

In January 2014, Variety reported that Ip Man 3 would begin shooting in 2015 with Donnie Yen reprising his role as Ip Man and Wilson Yip returning to direct. The film was initially scheduled for a late 2015 release,[60][61] but eventually it was released in early 2016.

Ip Man 4 is scheduled to be released in 2019. Yen will again play the lead role, with Yip as director and Kwok-Kwan Chan as Bruce Lee.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Ip Man (2008)". British Film Institute. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  2. ^ "Ip Man (2008) Movie". movies.shut.net. Archived from the original on 30 April 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  3. ^ a b Ip Man 4, retrieved 16 December 2018
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "The Cast". Mandarin Films Distribution Co. Ltd. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d Cheang, Michael (16 December 2008). "Donnie Yen takes on the role of his life". The Star (Malaysia). Retrieved 2 December 2009.
  6. ^ a b "Kaleidoscope -> Chinese Kungfu". kaleidoscope.cultural-china.com. Retrieved 26 August 2011. 10 years back, Jeff Lau teamed up with Corey Yuen to bring the story of Yip Man on the screen, with Donnie Yen as Yip Man and Stephen Chow as Bruce Lee. Donnie Yen had signed the contract and received part of the acting fee. However, the studio folded resulting in the project being abandoned.
  7. ^ Au Yeung, Leo. "YIP MAN MOVIE". chinesekungfu.co.uk. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  8. ^ "Release 2008". kenjikawai.com. 16 December 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ "Legend of Yip Man Cast Announced - Wu-Jing.org". Wu-Jing.org. Archived from the original on 25 May 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2010. 《叶问传》 Legend of Yip Man, produced by Mandarin Films, will begin production in late February 2008. Wilson Yip is directing, with the main production behind SPL being involved as well. Apart from Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung will also be joining the cast. And for maximum impact, they'll be performing their own stunts in this action oriented feature. Ngai Sing and a few martial artists are also being considered. Raymond Wong says that they are gathering information on the life of Yip Man, and have even been to Hall of Yip Man in Foshan as part of the research. The movie has full support from Yip Man's son, who's agreed to be the consultant. Raymond Wong says that the film will take on a similar look and feel as SPL.
  10. ^ a b c d "Yip Man is No More A Legend; Production Begins in March - Wu-Jing.org". Archived from the original on 30 December 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  11. ^ "Who Plays What in Yip Man - Wu-Jing.org". 23 March 2008. Archived from the original on 9 June 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  12. ^ a b c "It's a Wrap For Ip Man - Wu-Jing.org". Archived from the original on 13 May 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  13. ^ a b "ipman » 拍攝過程 About the Shooting". ipman-movie.com. Archived from the original on 12 April 2009. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  14. ^ "Martial Arts Director Sammo Hung Has a Cameo in Ip Man". Archived from the original on 11 January 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  15. ^ "Grandmaster Yip Man Plot Revealed at Shanghai Press Conference - Wu-Jing.org". 14 July 2008. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  16. ^ "Donnie Yen Got A Slash Near His Eye on the Set of 'Yip Man' - Wu-Jing.org". 26 March 2008. Archived from the original on 12 July 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2010. When at a promotional event on March 25, Donnie Yen was wearing sunglasses. It turns out that there was a gash on the area around Donnie Yen's left eye, "When rehearsing an action scene in 'Yip Man' whereby I fight against a group of people, an axe wielder accidentally slashed the side near my left eye. Blood was gushing out."
  17. ^ "Hiroyuki Ikeuchi Challenges Donnie Yen in Ip Man - Wu-Jing.org". 14 July 2008. Archived from the original on 17 July 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  18. ^ "Mandarin Film Plans Yip Man Film - Wu-Jing.org". 16 October 2007. Archived from the original on 9 March 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  19. ^ "Y Ip Man Stripped Of Grandmaster Status? - Wu-Jing.org". wu-jing.org. 12 June 2008. Archived from the original on 23 February 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
  20. ^ "Ip Man 2 May Still Focus on... Ip Man - Wu-Jing.org". wu-jing.org. 12 June 2008. Archived from the original on 25 February 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
  21. ^ "Man' is coming!". china.org.cn. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  22. ^ "Ip Man". in.com. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  23. ^ "GSCMOVIES.COM.MY". Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
  24. ^ "24Framespersecond.net – IP MAN gets U.K theatrical release". 27 August 2009. Archived from the original on 26 June 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2010. We were expecting Donnie Yen's Ip Man – the biopic of the life of Bruce Lee's martial arts teacher – to be heading straight to DVD in the U.K, but it seems they have other ideas. Ip Man (released by Showbox Entertainment) will be opening the film first, in selected UK cinemas on October 2nd.
  25. ^ Pollard, Mark (24 March 2010). "Well Go USA acquires 'Ip Man' films « Kung Fu Cinema". Kung Fu Cinema. Archived from the original on 26 March 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  26. ^ "Positive Responses at Ip Man Test Screening - Wu-Jing.org". Wu-Jing.org. 5 December 2008. Archived from the original on 28 April 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2010. Test screening for Ip Man was held in Beijing on Dec 4. Based on the survey sheets returned by the audience, it's an unanimous recommendation. Donnie Yen's portrayal of Yip Man was billed as the year's best performance. Donnie Yen has acquitted himself well as a great master, besting his two other works this year. High marks were also given to Fan Siu-wong, Lam Ka-tung, and Lynn Hung. The first half of the film is filled with more laidback, humorous moments, amply showing Ip Man's kungfu. The second half is thoughtful, stirring and nationalistic, amply showing Ip Man's grandmaster spirit. As a traditional kungfu film, Ip Man's martial arts scenes were awarded 8 to 9 out of 10 by 85% of the audience, while full marks were given by the rest.
  27. ^ O'Hehir, Andrew (25 June 2009). "Exit the dragon - Beyond the Multiplex - Salon.com". Salon.com. Salon Media Group. Archived from the original on 7 May 2010.
  28. ^ Elley, Derek (20 January 2009). "Ip Man Review – Read Variety's Analysis Of The Movie Ip Man". Variety. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  29. ^ Lim, Chang Moh (25 December 2008). "@ The Movies With Lim Chang Moh". Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  30. ^ Lim, Chang Moh (31 December 2008). "@ The Movies With Lim Chang Moh". Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  31. ^ Ogilve, Jen (September 2009). "Ip Man". Fortean Times. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
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  34. ^ "Ip Man (2008) review". Film4. 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  35. ^ "Donnie Yen Has Had Enough of Ip Man - Wu-Jing.org". Guangzhou Daily. 8 March 2010. Archived from the original on 11 March 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2010. Yip Chun says, "No matter how well-received Ip Man was, there were areas that could have been better. For example, the film was obviously set in Foshan, yet it was not shot on location on the actual place. Neither was the mansion like the original. Hence, we have The Legend is Born: Ip Man shot in Foshan, showing Foshan as it is meant to be."
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  49. ^ "YESASIA: Ip Man (DVD) (Hong Kong Version) DVD – Donnie Yen, Gordon Lam, Universe Laser (HK) – Hong Kong Movies & Videos – Free Shipping – North America Site". YesAsia.com. YESASIA.COM LTD. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  50. ^ "YESASIA: Ip Man (DVD) (2-Disc Special Edition) (Hong Kong Version) DVD – Donnie Yen, Gordon Lam, Universe Laser (HK) – Hong Kong Movies & Videos – Free Shipping". YesAsia.com. YESASIA.COM LTD. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  51. ^ Riviello, Alex (27 April 2010). "DONNIE YEN'S IP MAN COMES TO THE USA". CHUD.com. Infinity. Archived from the original on 29 April 2010. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
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  53. ^ Brown, Tom. "Fantasia Audience Award Winners Announced". twitchfilm.com. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  54. ^ "46th Golden Horse Awards". lovehkfilm.com. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
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  56. ^ 第二届铁象大赏 甄子丹章子怡雨中领奖(图) (in Chinese). xinmin.cn. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
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  59. ^ "Will Jay Chou Play Bruce Lee in Ip Man 3?". theblackboxoffice.com. Archived from the original on 11 February 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
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Wikiquote has quotations related to Ip Man (film).
Awards
Preceded by Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Film
2009 		Succeeded by
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