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rattler1234 t1_j1xgtx3 wrote

Ip Man was easily one of my favorite film series. Donnie Yen perfectly encompasses “reserved yet deadly”.

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redisforever t1_j1yd14l wrote

Ip Man 1 and 2 feel like they don't belong in the same universe, the tone is so different, and after 2 they get progressively goofier. It's also very clearly propaganda about how amazing China is over every other country.

However, the series works, because of Donnie Yen. Not just the action scenes, but he's a damn good actor. It's hard to make the audience care about someone who's basically a perfect person with no flaws but he's just so damn good.

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rattler1234 t1_j1z7lsr wrote

I would consider the first film one of those near perfect ones. I watched the others because of Donnie Yens performance. Certainly didn’t enjoy them as much but they are leagues above many other films these days.

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redisforever t1_j1z8gn8 wrote

2 is goofy but satisfying. A lot of arcs from the first film finish there, and the characters are very fun. The story is kinda silly but satisfying. The final fight with Ip Man and the British boxer is a fantastic payoff. The movie is packed with amazing action in general. The fight at the market, the duels with the other masters, Sammo Hung fighting the British boxer the first time. Excellent stuff.

Very radically different from the tone of the first film but I enjoy it a lot. It's the one I go back to more.

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rattler1234 t1_j1z94ae wrote

I’ll preface this will saying I know nothing about fighting. I also don’t know anything about the history of martial arts meeting western boxing for the first time. It was only hard for me to accept that Ip Man was essentially God mode in film 1 but had trouble competing with 1 person in film 2. Perhaps actual fighters could explain why he could kick the shit out of 50 guys in one scene and get nearly KO’d by 1 other in another scene.

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infinite884 t1_j1zgs4n wrote

big IP man movie fan, didn't care for the fourth one. The only good thing about that movie is the ending and end credit scene with his son

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redisforever t1_j1zy5lj wrote

I haven't seen that one yet and honestly don't care enough to. Hey, maybe they'll finally go to space in Ip Man 5

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Badwolf_131 t1_j1xhx4n wrote

And if memory serves, Jackie Chan is quoted as saying Donnie has the fastest hands in martial arts. The man is near or at 60 and he looks half his age. Fucking astounding.

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cthd33 t1_j1xsrb9 wrote

I think it was Michelle Yeoh who said that, but perhaps Jackie may have have also said it.

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