I went to see this on Saturday, August 31st, 2013, in Fairfield, CA, at the EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX for the 10:20 p.m. show in auditorium 15, 4th row ( counting from the front ), 5th column ( counting from the left ). The price of admission was $11.50. I ate at the Hometown Buffet Restaurant across the street before I went to see this movie ( I spent $15--something for dinner and tip ).
Quickie Review: Before the beginning of the Japanese Occupation of China during World War II, a highly-skilled martial artist from Southern China is tested to see if he is deserving of the Martial Arts Grandmaster title when the current Grandmaster prepares to step down. Based on the life of the legendary Wing Chun Kung Fu Master, Ip Man, mentor of the late, great Jeet Kune Do Founder, Bruce Lee.
The audience liked it.
I didn't. Although it was kept to a minimum, wire-work was obviously employed in certain scenes. It was because of this that my enjoyment of the movie was spoiled. Go see this if you like watching a martial arts dance movie.
But there are other things in this movie that spoiled it for me: Before I go down the list of things that are wrong about this movie, allow me to say that the fight scenes are done more with fancy style and less with practical substance---And it is all just a well-choreographed "dance". In the first fight, where Ip Man ( Tony Leung ), was surrounded by armed bad guys, he would have been easily defeated had all of them rushed him at once! In a situation such as that where you find yourself surrounded by bad guys, Adrenaline kicks-in while you're deliberating between Fight or Flight and your Fine Motor Skills ( needed to execute fancy moves ) all go flying out the window. In other words, a good composure in such an instance is impossible unless you can anticipate your enemies' every move BECAUSE YOU'RE A PSYCHIC and/or YOU CAN SEE ALL AROUND YOU ( and you can move very fast, have powerful punches and kicks, and you don't get tired very easily )!!! A real fight doesn't drag on for a long time; it's usually over in a few seconds---And, even then, whether you are the winner or the loser, more than likely, you'll come out of the "few-seconds-fight" gasping for breath--and good luck to you if you're out-of-shape and/or are a chain-smoker! The bad guy that he kicked in the right knee and who eventually got kicked to the ground didn't react to his knee injury in the right way when he fell. In the first fight scene, why didn't the bad guys realize soon enough that the reason why their collective asses were being handed to them by the hat-wearing Ip Man was because their vision was being impaired by the pouring rain? Before he fought Gong Er ( Zhang Ziyi ), Ip Man said that if ANYTHING got broken, she'd win the fight---How stupid of a pre-fight condition is that?!?!?! Never mind that a bunch of bad guys that he fought with earlier probably ended-up with broken bones ( but "won" anyway ...? )! I guess Wing Chun Kung Fu doesn't have any Joint Locks and Submission Holds in its arsenal. A Cardinal Rule in Close-Quarters Fighting is to Never Turn Your Back On Your Enemy!!! Turning your back on your enemy as you deliver alternating back-fist strikes will only get your arms and/or shoulders put out of commission by a fighter such as myself before your butt gets kicked to the ground! Zhang Ziyi was probably channeling Kristen Stewart while acting in this movie, what with her expressionless eyes! A disclaimer at the end says that the characters are fictional, making this movie which is "based on the life of Ip Man" just a fancy work of fiction.
The one thing that I liked in this movie was Ip Man's use of Open-Palm Strikes, which are practical to use against multiple attackers because the bones in the fists are kept safe from breaking.
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I once observed from far away an old Chinese man doing Tai Chi. As I watched him, I noticed that even from such a distance I Could Feel His Chi! I mentioned this to a Vietnamese-Chinese co-worker, Dang. He told me that that was good because it meant I had good Chi. But I answered Dang by telling him that the old Tai Chi Master knew how to manipulate his energy and that I was only sensitive to it; meaning, if the old Tai Chi Master and I got into a fight I WOULD STRONGLY FEEL EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HIS PUNCHES AND KICKS---Ouch!!!
I do know how to manipulate my Chi: I can move it anywhere on my body but I cannot project my Chi consciously at somebody else. And before I saw that old Tai Chi Master, I could never feel anybody else's Chi.
At one other time, I mentioned to "John", a Chinese co-worker from mainland China, that I was using Ginseng. He told me to stop using it because my Chi was very strong. I asked him how he could tell. He just smiled at me and walked away. Damn! those mainland Chinese sure are so secretive!
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The next time that I eat at Hometown Buffet Restaurant, I will be sure to sneak-in some burrito-size tortillas because they only have taco-size ones--and they would always run-out of them before I could get a chance to make myself a big, fat burrito.
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