Ip Man (film series)

Last updated

Ip Man
Ip Man series logo.png
Series logo
Directed by Wilson Yip (1-3, 5)
Yuen Woo-ping (4)
Written byEdmond Wong (1-5)
Chan Tai-lee (1, 3-5)
Jil Leung (3)
Dana Fukazawa (5)
Jil Leung Lai Yin (5)
Based on Ip Man
Produced by Raymond Wong (1-5)
Donnie Yen (4-5)
Wilson Yip (5)
StarringDonnie Yen (1-3, 5)
CinematographyO Sing-Pui (1)
Poon Hang-sang (2)
Kenny Tse (3)
Cheng Siu-Keung (5)
Edited by Cheung Ka-fai (1-3, 5)
Music by Kenji Kawai (1-3, 5)
Day Tai (4)
Production
companies
Dreams Salon Entertainment Culture (3)
Pegasus Motion Pictures (3)
Starbright Communications (3)
Super Hero Films (3)
Orange Sky Golden Harvest (4)
Mandarin Motion Pictures (4-5)
Enlight Pictures (4)
Young Enlight Productions (4)
Tin Tin Film Production (5)
Distributed by Mandarin Films (1-2)
Pegasus Motion Pictures (3)
Universal Studios (4)
Well Go USA (5)
Release date
2008–present
Running time
534 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguagesChinese (dialect: Cantonese
Mandarin)
English
BudgetUS$140.6 million
Box officeUS$426.2 million

Ip Man is a series of Hong Kong martial arts films loosely based on the life events of the Wing Chun master of the same name. The progenitor of the series was Ip Man (2008), which was followed by three sequels: Ip Man 2 (2010), Ip Man 3 (2015), and Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019), as well as the spin-off Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018). All four main films were directed by Wilson Yip, written by Edmond Wong, produced by Raymond Wong, and starred Donnie Yen as the titular character. Mandarin Films released the first two films in Hong Kong, which earned more than $37 million with a budget of around $24.6 million. As of 2023, the four main films and the spin-off have grossed $426.2 million worldwide combined.

Contents

Donnie Yen has mentioned that each film has a unique theme: the first Ip Man film is about "survival", Ip Man 2 focuses on "making a living and adaptation", and Ip Man 3 focuses on "life" itself. [1] The fourth film was originally announced to be the last film in the main series and conclude with the death of Ip Man; [2] however a fifth film was announced in May 2023. [3]

Films

Ip Man (2008)

Ip Man was directed by Wilson Yip and written by Edmond Wong. [4] It was Raymond Wong's idea to develop a biographical film about Wing Chun master Ip Man. Principal photography began in Shanghai in March 2008 and ended in August. The film was released in Hong Kong on 18 December 2008 by Mandarin Films, and earned around US$21.8 million against the US$11.7 million budget. [5] Donnie Yen portrayed the role of Ip Man in the film, set in the 1930s, focuses on events in Ip's life in the city of Foshan during the Sino-Japanese War. [4]

Ip Man 2 (2010)

The sequel is set in 1949, when Ip Man moved to Hong Kong and attempts to promote Wing Chun in the region. [6] It was intended to focus on the relationship between Ip Man and his most famed disciple Bruce Lee. [7] The film was directed by Yip and written by Edmond Wong, while Raymond Wong produced the film and was released in Hong Kong on 29 April 2010 by Mandarin Films. The film grossed more than $50 million against the budget of $12.9 million. [8] [9]

Ip Man 3 (2015)

Principal photography began in Shanghai on 25 March 2015, which Yip is again directing the film based on the script by Wong. [10] Donnie Yen is again portraying the role of Ip Man, along with him Mike Tyson is also playing a role of a street fighter. [10] Bruce Lee's character was initially supposed to be featured in CGI, because the producers could not find an actor who could portray Lee convincingly, [10] but Danny Chan was eventually cast in the role. [11]

Principal photography for Ip Man 3 began on 25 March 2015, and the film was released in Hong Kong on 24 December 2015.

Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019)

On 30 September 2016, Yen announced via Facebook that he and Wilson Yip would continue the franchise with Ip Man 4. [12] The film was released on 20 December 2019, and portrays Ip Man traveling to San Francisco to secure a spot for his son at a local school. Meanwhile, he crosses paths with his student, Bruce Lee, who had set up a Wing Chun school there. The film ends with Ip Man’s death from cancer in 1972. [3] The film was originally announced to be the last film in the main series. [2]

Future films

Master Z sequel

In April 2019, it was reported that Max Zhang is set to reprise his role in a sequel to Master Z: Ip Man Legacy. The budget of the sequel was reported to be $13 million, significantly less than the first film's budget of $28 million. [13] [14]

Ip Man 5

On 18 May 2023, a new Ip Man film titled Ip Man 5 was announced by Mandarin Motion Pictures at the Cannes Film Festival. Donnie Yen also unveiled the poster for the film on his Instagram. [3]

Recurring cast and characters

List indicators

This section includes characters who have appeared in a film in the series.

CharacterFilm
Ip Man Ip Man 2 Ip Man 3 Master Z: Ip Man Legacy Ip Man 4: The Finale
Ip Man Donnie Yen Donnie Yen A Donnie Yen
Cheung Wing-sing Lynn Hung Lynn Hung
Ip Chun Li Chak
Chow Ching-chuen Simon Yam
Chow Kwong-yiuCalvin Cheng
Kam Shan-chau Louis Fan
Fatso Kent Cheng Kent Cheng
Liang Gen Ngo Ka-nin Ngo Ka-nin
Law-Chun-tin Lo Mang Lo Mang
Bruce Lee Jiang Dai-Yan Danny Chan Danny Chan
Cheung Tin Chi Max Zhang
Cheung FongCan CuiHenry Zhang
Ma King-sang Patrick Tam
Ip Ching Wang Yan ShiHe Ye

Reception

Box office

FilmHong Kong release dateBox office gross ( US$ )Budget (US$)Ref
Hong KongChinaUnited States and CanadaOther territoriesWorldwide
Ip Man December 19, 2008$3,300,847$13,728,640—$5,084,936$22,114,423$11.7 million [15] [16]
Ip Man 2 April 29, 2010$5,559,550$33,973,412 [17] [18] $205,675$9,983,317$49,721,954$12.9 million [19] [20]
Ip Man 3 December 16, 2015$7,842,871$124,101,198$2,679,437$22,221,247$156,844,753$36 million [21]
Master Z: Ip Man Legacy December 20, 2018$1,976,450$19,490,366$209,454$156,379$21,832,649$28 million [22]
Ip Man 4: The Finale December 20, 2019$3,725,263$165,290,606$3,956,031$2,685,469$175,657,369$52 million [23]
Total$22,404,981$356,584,222$7,050,597$40,131,348$426,171,148$140.6 million

Critical response

Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
Ip Man85% (27 reviews) [24] 59% (9 reviews) [25]
Ip Man 296% (28 reviews) [26] 67% (13 reviews) [27]
Ip Man 376% (51 reviews) [28] 57% (14 reviews) [29]
Master Z: Ip Man Legacy89% (37 reviews) [30] 72% (14 reviews) [31]
Ip Man 4: The Finale87% (31 reviews) [32] 62% (11 reviews) [33]

Home media

Ip Man Trilogy, a Blu-ray compilation that features the first three films in the series, was released by Well Go USA in November 2016. The Blu-ray also includes special features such as deleted scenes, "behind-the-scenes" featurette and interviews with Donnie Yen and Mike Tyson. [34]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wing Chun</span> Chinese martial art

Wing Chun (Cantonese) or Yongchun (Mandarin) is a concept-based martial art, a form of Southern Chinese kung fu, and a close-quarters system of self-defense. It is a martial arts style characterized by its focus on close-quarters hand-to-hand combat, rapid-fire punches, and straightforward efficiency. It has a philosophy that emphasizes capturing and sticking to an opponent's centerline. This is accomplished using simultaneous attack and defense, tactile sensitivity, and using an opponent's force against them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ip Man</span> Chinese martial artist (1893–1972)

Ip Man, also known as Yip Man, was a Chinese martial artist. He became a teacher of the martial art of Wing Chun when he was 20. He had several students who later became martial arts masters in their own right, the most famous among them being Bruce Lee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donnie Yen</span> Hong Kong actor and martial artist (born 1963)

Donnie Yen Chi-tan is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and action director. He is the recipient of various accolades, including three Golden Horse Awards and five Hong Kong Film Awards. He is best known for portraying Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man in the Ip Man film series, starring in Ip Man (2008), Ip Man 2 (2010), Ip Man 3 (2015), and Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019). He also served as co-producer for the spin-off Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018).

<i>Seven Swords</i> 2005 Hong Kong film

Seven Swords is a 2005 wuxia film produced and directed by Tsui Hark, starring Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Charlie Yeung, Sun Honglei, Lu Yi and Kim So-yeon. An international co-production between Hong Kong, China, South Korea and the Netherlands, the story is loosely adapted from Liang Yusheng's novel Qijian Xia Tianshan and is completely unrelated to the novel except for some characters' names. Seven Swords was used as the opening film to the 2005 Venice Film Festival and as a homage to Akira Kurosawa's 1954 film Seven Samurai.

<i>SPL: Sha Po Lang</i> 2005 Hong Kong action film

SPL: Sha Po Lang is a 2005 Hong Kong action film directed by Wilson Yip, who also writer with Szeto Kam-Yuen and Jack Ng. The film stars Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Simon Yam, and Wu Jing. The film was released theatrically in Hong Kong on 18 November 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilson Yip</span> Hong Kong actor, filmmaker and screenwriter

Wilson Yip Wai-Shun is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker and screenwriter. His films include Bio Zombie, The White Dragon, SPL: Sha Po Lang, Dragon Tiger Gate, Flash Point and the Ip Man series.

<i>Flash Point</i> (film) 2007 film by Wilson Yip

Flash Point is a 2007 Hong Kong action film directed by Wilson Yip, written by Szeto Kam-Yuen, and Nicholl Tang. The film stars Donnie Yen, who also produced with Liu Li-juan, Shan Dong-bing, Nansun Shi and Zhang Zhao. The film co-stars Louis Koo, Collin Chou, Lui Leung-wai, Fan Bingbing and Xing Yu. Yen plays Ma Jun, a police sergeant who plants his partner Wilson as a mole in a pursuit against a triad led by three Vietnamese brothers.

<i>Ip Man</i> (film) 2008 Hong Kong film directed by Wilson Yip

Ip Man is a 2008 Hong Kong biographical martial arts film based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun and teacher of martial artist legend 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 the titual character, with martial arts choreography by Sammo Hung. The film co-stars Simon Yam, Lynn Hung, Lam Ka-tung, Xing Yu, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, and Tenma Shibuya. The film was a co-production between China and Hong Kong, and was the last film to be distributed by Mandarin Films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Fan (actor)</span> Hong Kong actor and martial artist

Louis Fan Siu-wong is a Hong Kong actor and martial artist. He is best known worldwide for his starring role as Ricky in Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (1991) and as Jin Shanzhao in Ip Man (2008) and Ip Man 2 (2010), as well as roles in numerous television series produced by TVB.

<i>Ip Man 2</i> 2010 Hong Kong film

Ip Man 2 is a 2010 Hong Kong biographical martial arts film loosely based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun. A sequel to the 2008 film Ip Man, Ip Man 2 was directed by Wilson Yip and stars Donnie Yen, who reprises the leading role. Continuing after the events of the earlier film, the sequel centres on Ip's early life in British Hong Kong. He attempts to propagate his discipline of Wing Chun, but faces rivalry from other practitioners, including the local master of Hung Ga martial arts, Hung Chun-nam, and later the British boxing champion Taylor "The Twister" Miller.

<i>The Legend Is Born: Ip Man</i> 2010 film directed by Herman Yau

The Legend Is Born: Ip Man is a 2010 Hong Kong biographical martial arts film based on the early life of the Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man, directed by Herman Yau and starring Dennis To in the title role. The film was followed by a sequel in 2013, Ip Man: The Final Fight. Though not made in collaboration with Wilson Yip's Ip Man or Ip Man 2, The Legend is Born features several actors who appeared in Yip's films, including Sammo Hung, Louis Fan, and Chen Zhihui. The film also features a special appearance by Ip Chun, the son of Ip Man. Released as Ip Man Zero in German and Dutch-speaking areas.

<i>Ip Man: The Final Fight</i> 2013 Hong Kong film

Ip Man: The Final Fight is a 2013 Hong Kong biographical martial arts film directed by Herman Yau, starring Anthony Wong, Anita Yuen, Jordan Chan, Eric Tsang and Gillian Chung. It is based on the life of the Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man. This film is the sequel of The Legend Is Born: Ip Man but has no connection to the earlier Ip Man films, such as Wilson Yip's Ip Man and Ip Man 2, and Wong Kar-wai's The Grandmaster.

<i>Iceman</i> (2014 film) 2014 Hong Kong film

Iceman is a 2014 Hong Kong-Chinese 3D martial arts action-comedy film directed by Law Wing-cheung and starring Donnie Yen, who also serves as the film's action director. The film is a remake of the 1989 film The Iceman Cometh which was directed by Clarence Fok and starred Yuen Biao. The film was released in Hong Kong and China on April 25, 2014. There is a 2018 sequel called Iceman:The Time Traveler

<i>Kung Fu Jungle</i> 2014 Hong Kong film

Kung Fu Jungle, also known as Kung Fu Killer and Last of the Best, is a 2014 Hong Kong-Chinese action thriller film directed by Teddy Chan and starring Donnie Yen, Wang Baoqiang, Charlie Yeung and Michelle Bai. The film premiered at the 58th BFI London Film Festival on 12 October 2014 and was later released theatrically on 30 October 2014 in Hong Kong and 31 October 2014 in China.

<i>SPL II: A Time for Consequences</i> 2015 Hong Kong film

SPL II: A Time for Consequences is a 2015 Hong Kong-Chinese crime action film directed by Cheang Pou-soi. The film was produced by Wilson Yip, Paco Wong, and Alex Dong. The film stars Tony Jaa, Wu Jing, Simon Yam, Zhang Jin, with a special appearance by Louis Koo. The film was released on 18 June 2015 in both 3D and non-3D formats.

<i>Chasing the Dragon</i> (film) 2017 film by Wong Jing and Jason Kwan

Chasing the Dragon, previously known as King of Drug Dealers, is a Hong Kong-Chinese action crime drama film directed by Wong Jing and Jason Kwan. The film stars Donnie Yen as Crippled Ho, based on real life gangster Ng Sik-ho and Andy Lau reprising his role as Lee Rock from the film series of the same name. The film is about an illegal immigrant from China who sneaks into British-colonized Hong Kong in 1963 and transforms himself into a ruthless and emerging drug lord. The film is a remake of the 1991 film To Be Number One.

<i>Ip Man 3</i> 2015 film by Wilson Yip

Ip Man 3 is a 2015 Hong Kong biographical martial arts film directed by Wilson Yip, produced by Raymond Wong and written by Edmond Wong with action choreography by Yuen Woo-ping. It is the third film in the Ip Man film series based on the life of the Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man and features Donnie Yen reprising the title role. Ip Man's pupil Bruce Lee is portrayed by Danny Chan and Ip Man's fellow Wing Chun expert and rival Cheung Tin-chi (張天志), also known as Sum Nung, is portrayed by Zhang Jin. The film also features Mike Tyson. Principal photography commenced in March 2015 and ended in June of that year.

<i>Ip Man 4: The Finale</i> 2019 film by Wilson Yip

Ip Man 4: The Finale is a 2019 Hong Kong-Chinese biographical martial arts film directed by Wilson Yip, who also produced with Raymond Wong, and Donnie Yen, who also stars as the title character. It is the fourth film in the Ip Man film series, which is loosely based on the life of the Wing Chun grandmaster of the same name.

<i>Enter the Fat Dragon</i> (2020 film) 2018 film directed by Wong Jing

Enter the Fat Dragon is a 2020 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film directed by Kenji Tanigaki and Aman Chang from a screenplay by and co-starring Wong Jing, who also acted producer with Connie Wong and lead actor Donnie Yen. The film co-stars Teresa Mo and Niki Chow. The film was a Chinese New Year streaming release on OTT platforms in China, and achieved strong streaming numbers across IQiyi, Tencent and Youku. It is also the highest grossing film in Malaysia and one of the top 10 highest grossing film in Singapore in 2020.

<i>Master Z: Ip Man Legacy</i> 2018 film by Yuen Woo-ping

Master Z: Ip Man Legacy is a 2018 Chinese martial arts film directed by Yuen Woo-ping and produced by Raymond Wong and Donnie Yen. It is a spin-off of the Ip Man film series, and takes place after the 2015 film Ip Man 3. This film stars Max Zhang, Dave Bautista, Michelle Yeoh, Tony Jaa, and Liu Yan, and was released on 21 December 2018.

References

  1. ↑ "Donnie Yen and Mike Tyson exchange blows". The New Straits Times. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 Alladin, Unus (23 September 2019). "Donnie Yen confirms 'Ip Man 4' will be final instalment of series". South China Morning Post . Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Francisco, Eric (18 May 2023). "'Ip Man 5'? Donnie Yen Announces Sequel to Movie Where His Character Definitely Died". Inverse. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  4. 1 2 Elley, Derek (20 January 2009). "Review: 'Ip Man'". Variety . Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  5. ↑ "Ip Man (2008)". boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  6. ↑ "News: IP MAN Sequel Gets The Green Light!". Twitchfilm. 26 November 2008. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  7. ↑ "Ip Man 2 May Still Focus on... Ip Man – Wu-Jing.org". wu-jing.org. 6 March 2009. Archived from the original on 25 February 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ↑ "Ip Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster". boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  9. ↑ "Three Yip Man Biopics to Commence Filming Soon – Wu-Jing.org". wu-jing.org. 27 July 2009. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. 1 2 3 Karen Chu (25 March 2015). "Former Boxing Champ Mike Tyson Signs Up for Hong Kong Action Flick 'Ip Man 3'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  11. ↑ Tsui, Clarence (17 December 2015). "'Ip Man 3': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  12. ↑ Chew Hui Min (30 September 2016). "Donnie Yen will make Ip Man 4, despite hinting previously he was retiring from gongfu films". The Straits Times . Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  13. ↑ Vo, David (27 April 2019). "MAX ZHANG To Return For MASTER Z Sequel". MAActionCinema. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  14. ↑ Bona, JJ (26 April 2019). "Max Zhang to return for 'Master Z: Ip Man Legacy' Part II". City on Fire. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  15. ↑ "Ip Man". The Numbers . Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  16. ↑ "Ip Man". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  17. ↑ "Ip Man 2". Maoyan (in Chinese). Tianjin Maoyan Weiying Culture Media . Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  18. ↑ "Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) – China". World Bank . 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  19. ↑ "Ip Man 2". The Numbers . Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  20. ↑ "Ip Man 2". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  21. ↑ "Ip Man 3". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  22. ↑ "Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy (2018)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  23. ↑ "Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  24. ↑ "Ip Man". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  25. ↑ "Ip Man". Metacritic . Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  26. ↑ "Ip Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  27. ↑ "Ip Man 2". Metacritic . Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  28. ↑ "Ip Man 3". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  29. ↑ "Ip Man 3". Metacritic . Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  30. ↑ "Master Z: Ip Man Legacy". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  31. ↑ "Master Z: Ip Man Legacy". Metacritic . Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  32. ↑ "Ip Man 4: The Finale". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  33. ↑ "Ip Man 4: The Finale". Metacritic . Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  34. ↑ Gopaul, Sarah (13 November 2016). "Review: New on DVD for 8 November (Includes first-hand account)". Digital Journal. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
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