Ip Man 2
Encyclopedia
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
, the film was directed by Wilson Yip
, and stars Donnie Yen
, who reprises the leading role. Continuing after the events of the earlier film, the sequel centers on Ip's movements in Hong Kong
, which is under British colonial rule
. He attempts to propagate his discipline of Wing Chun, but faces rivalry from other practitioners, including the local master of Hung Ga martial arts.
Producer Raymond Wong first announced a sequel before Ip Man theatrical release in December 2008. For Ip Man 2, the filmmakers intended to focus on the relationship between Ip and his most famed disciple, Bruce Lee
. However, they were unable to finalize film rights
with Lee's descendants and decided to briefly portray Lee as a child. Principal photography
for Ip Man 2 began in August 2009 and concluded in November; filming took place inside a studio located in Shanghai
. For the sequel, Yip aimed to create a more dramatic martial arts film in terms of story and characterization; Wong's son, screenwriter Edmond Wong, wanted the film to portray how Chinese people were treated by the British, as well as the Western perceptions towards Chinese martial arts.
Ip Man 2 premiered in Beijing
on 21 April 2010, and was released in Hong Kong on 29 April 2010. The film was met with positive reviews; critics praised various aspects of the film, such as its storytelling, as well as Sammo Hung
's martial arts choreography. The film grossed over HK$13 million on its opening weekend, immediately surpassing Ip Man opening weekend gross. During its theatrical run, Ip Man 2 brought in over HK$43 million domestically, and its domestic theatrical gross made it the highest grossing Hong Kong film released during the first half of 2010. In total, Ip Man 2 grossed an estimated US$15 million worldwide.
master Ip Man
and his family move to Hong Kong
in the early 1950s after their escape from Foshan
. There, Ip desires to open a school to propagate his art, as well as to make his living, but he has difficulty attracting students due to his lack of reputation in the city. One day, a young man named Wong Leung
appears and promptly challenges Ip to a fight, but is easily defeated. Wong leaves humiliated, only to return with some friends to gang up on him. Ip beats them as well. Stunned and impressed by his skills, Wong and his friends become Ip's first students, bringing more disciples to help the school thrive.
Wong is later caught posting promotional posters for the school by some Hung Gar
students. One of them challenges Wong to a fight and loses, but his friends take Wong hostage in revenge and demand a ransom from Ip. Ip goes to the local wet market
as directed, but the meeting ends in a confrontation with a growing mob of Hung Ga students. Ip and Wong fight their way outside to meet Jin Shanzhao — the martial artist and former bandit in the first film — who comes to their rescue with his own gang. The students' master, Hung Chun-nam, arrives to break up the fight. Ip introduces himself, and Hung informs him that before setting up a school, he needs to attend a special fighting ceremony to test his skill. Ip, Wong and Jin are subsequently arrested by Officer Fatso for disturbing the peace but are later released on bail
. Hung and Fatso are then shown to be acting as reluctant collectors for the martial arts schools (including Hung's) as part of a protection racket
headed by Superintendent Wallace, a corrupt officer in the Hong Kong police.
Ip attends the ceremony and defeats his first challengers, and then strikes a draw
with the last challenger, Hung. Ip is allowed to keep running his school on the condition that he pay the monthly protection fees, but he declines. Hung thus has his students loiter in front of the Wing Chun school and harass anyone interested, causing a street brawl between them and Ip's disciples. Ip is thus forced to close up and move the school nearer to home. Ip soon confronts Hung and nearly engage in another fight before being interrupted by Hung's family. During this last encounter, Ip saves Hung's son from getting accidentally hit by one of the punches, earning his respect from Hung. Ip leaves, and the next day, Hung invites him to a British boxing match he had helped to set up, quietly coming to terms with him.
The boxing competition begins with the various martial arts schools demonstrating their skills. However, the event's star boxer, Taylor "The Twister" Milos, openly insults and attacks the students, causing chaos as the masters try to restore order. Hung accepts Twister's challenge to a fight so that he can defend his culture. Although Hung has the upper hand at first, he begins to weaken from asthma
and is eventually beaten to death. News of Hung's death rapidly spreads throughout the enraged Chinese populace, causing a scandal that spurs Wallace to hold a press conference, where he states that Hung's death was an accident, and Twister announces that he will accept any challenge from the Chinese in order to get rid of his bad reputation. Ip arrives and accepts the challenge.
As his wife goes into labor
, Ip finishes training and begins his fight with Twister. Ip exchanges blows with the boxer, and seems overwhelmed by the westerner at first. He receives a sucker punch from Twister after a bell, and is also told he will be disqualified for using kicks due to the judges changing the rules to help Twister cheat the match. When it seems like the end he changes his strategy, and attacks the boxer's arms to disable him. This brings the fight to a climactic finish with flashbacks of the Hung's fight with Twister. While the Chinese audience cheers, Wallace is arrested by his superiors for corruption, as Fatso had secretly reported him. Ip then gives a speech to the audience, stating that despite the differences between their races and their fighting styles, he wishes for everyone to respect each other. Both the Western and Chinese audience then give him a standing ovation while some of the Westerners walk away unhappy at their failure to defeat China. Twister is angry that he lost the match, failed to defeat Chinese kung fu, and gained a bad reputation as a thug and a cheating boxer. Ip goes home and reunites with his family, including his newborn second son, Ip Ching.
A final scene shows Ip being introduced to a boy who wishes to study Wing Chun: Bruce Lee
. Ip smiles and simply tells the boy to come back when he is older.
, following the previous film Ip Man
. The sequel is also the fifth film collaboration between director Wilson Yip
and actor Donnie Yen
. Ip Man 2 was produced by Raymond Wong, and was distributed by his company Mandarin Films
upon its theatrical release in Hong Kong. It is the last film that Wong will produce under his Mandarin Films production banner. Wong's son, Edmond Wong, returned to write the screenplay. Apart from appearing in a supporting role for the sequel, Sammo Hung
reprised his role as the film's martial arts choreographer
. Kenji Kawai
reprised his role as the film's music composer.
. In March 2009, Wong announced that the Lee character might not appear in the sequel, as producers had not fully finalized negotiations with Lee's descendants on the film rights
. In July 2009, it was announced that Ip Man 2 would focus on a young Bruce Lee, prior to Lee becoming Ip Man's most famed disciple. The sequel continues Ip Man's story, focusing on his movements to Hong Kong as he attempts to propagate Wing Chun in the region.
reprises her role as Cheung Wing-sing, Ip's wife, who is now pregnant with their second child. To prepare for her role in the film, Hung asked producers for a 10-pound prosthetic belly to portray the feeling of being pregnant. Hung stated that the difficulty of her role lay in playing someone who goes from "a naive and simple-minded young woman to a strong, understanding and supportive adult." Fan Siu-Wong reprises his role as Jin Shanzhao, Ip's aggressive rival in the first film. In the sequel, Jin attempts to retire from the martial arts world by becoming an ordinary citizen, and befriending Ip. In a cameo appearance, Simon Yam
reprises his role as Ip's friend Chow Ching-chuen, who is now a beggar
. Li Chak reprises his role as Ip Chun
, Ip and Wing-sing's son.
Sammo Hung was announced to be appearing as part of the cast in April 2009. Apart from serving as the film's martial arts choreographer, Hung appears as Hung Chun-nam, a master of Hung Ga which is a southern Chinese martial art. In August 2009, it was announced that Huang Xiaoming
would be playing Wong Leung, a supporting character based on Wong Shun Leung
, one of Ip Man's disciples and the person responsible for mentoring Bruce Lee. Former child star Ashton Chen
was also announced to be a part of the supporting cast, also playing a disciple. Veteran actor Kent Cheng
also has a supporting role in the film. To Yu-Hang, who had a supporting role in the first film, appears in the sequel as a different character named Cheng Wai-kei. Cheng is a gang leader practicing Hung Ga, who decides to exact revenge on Wong after he is defeated by him in a fight. Wilson Yip commented on the casting of the veteran actors as being "a form of tribute to old school kungfu movies."
Yen and Yip reportedly conducted a worldwide casting call
for a suitable candidate to play Lee, who is Ip Man's most celebrated disciple. The film briefly portrays Lee at the age of 10. Yip and Yen debated over whether to look for an actor with solid martial arts foundation or looks. Among the 1300 Mainland Chinese candidates auditioning for the role, Yip narrowed the casting call down to two possible candidates: 10-year-old Jiang Dai Yan from Henan
and 12-year-old Pan Run Kang from Heilongjiang
. On 10 August 2009, it was announced that Jiang Dai Yan would be playing the role of a 10-year-old Bruce Lee. While the Bruce Lee character makes a brief appearance in the film, director Wilson Yip has expressed interest in making a third film that will focus on the relationship between Ip and Lee. Yen, however, has stated his lack of interest in making a third film, feeling that Ip Man 2 will "become a classic."
In November 2008, Yip revealed that there would be another actor appearing in the film, a martial artist who has been a fan of Donnie Yen. With no intention of revealing who he is and what role he plays in the film, Yip commented, "I can only say that he fights even more vehemently than Sammo Hung." However, in February 2010, it was revealed that British actor and stunt performer Darren Shahlavi
would have a supporting role as a boxing opponent fighting against Ip Man. Yip later stated that Shahlavi's character "has his own drama. He is also a personage, not just some random foreign guy that appears from nowhere for the sake of getting beaten up, like you see in other films." Other cast members include Pierre Ngo and Kelvin Cheng.
. Screenwriter Edmond Wong stated that the film also "deals with how Hong Kong people were treated under British colonial rule, and Western attitudes concerning Chinese kung fu."
Wilson Yip stated that Ip Man 2 is a much better film than its predecessor, in terms of characterization and storyline. The film focuses on disputes between the disciples of Hung Ga and Wing Chun martial arts, as well as the conflict and rivalry of the two practitioners. Wing Chun, as taught by Ip Man, is being viewed as a martial art meant only for girls; Hung Ga, as taught by Hung Chun-nam, is being seen as a macho form of boxing
. Of the two characters, Yip commented, "Sammo Hung's character is not exactly villainous, but he's very overbearing, just like his torrential Hung Ga. In contrast, Ip Man is very unassuming, much like his fist." Yip also stated that the film has some moments of "family drama", such as the ongoing conflict between Ip and his wife Wing-Sing.
, receiving plenty of media coverage. Principal photography
began on 11 August 2009; filming took place in a sound stage
at Songjiang Studios, which is located in Shanghai
. On 28 October 2009, reporters were invited to the set to view the anticipated duel between Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung as it was being filmed. Filming ended on 8 November 2009.
. When he returned to the set, his dramatic scenes in the film were filmed first, with his fight sequences being filmed last. Hung performed his own stunts in the film, which led to him receiving several injuries during filming. While filming a scene, Hung was struck in the face by co-star Darren Shahlavi. He insisted on completing the shoot before going to the hospital. Hung spent five hours trying to complete the scene before going to the hospital for four stitches; Hung stated that he did not want his injuries to hinder the production progress. After the completion of filming, Hung expressed that he was dissatisfied with the fight sequences involving his character, presumably due to his heart condition. He also stated that he plans to challenge Yen in a future film: "Although I'm the martial arts choreographer, our moves were all rather regulated, being confined by the script. So, I made a pact with Donnie Yen to have a rematch next year if the opportunity arises."
Huang Xiaoming prepared for his role by learning Wing Chun martial arts. He turned his hotel room into a gym, practicing with weights and a wooden dummy
. Huang received multiple bruises on his arms, due to his frequent practices on the dummy. Huang would also spend time practicing with the film's stunt team. Wilson Yip praised his performance in the film, stating that Huang "may not be a martial artist, but he specially ordered a wooden dummy, and trained daily at home. In the end, he is doing the action scenes better than Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
in the first film."
clashed with producers, while trying to make his own Ip Man biopic. Wilson Yip explained that the title of the film as being purely coincidental rather than intentional: "The sequel is about Ip Man being elevated from a master, a hero to a grandmaster, so we have 'grandmaster' in the title." Wong Kar-wai's film, titled The Grandmasters
, is scheduled to be released in late 2011.
on 6 April 2010. The film held a premiere press conference in Beijing on 21 April 2010, only seven days after the 2010 Yushu earthquake
. Guests were asked to wear dark-colored clothing in show of mourning; there was a moment of silence for the victims of the disaster. The film's cast, Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Huang Xiaoming, Lynn Hung, and Kent Cheng attended the premiere, and donated a total of ¥
500,000 (US$
73,200) to relief efforts helping in the disaster recovery
. The film held private screenings in Chengdu
on 21 April 2010, and in China on 27 April 2010, receiving positive reactions from audiences. Mandarin Films has sold North American distribution rights for the film to distributor Well Go USA. Ip Man 2 was released in the United States by Variance Films
on January 28, 2011.
, which premiered in Hong Kong one day later than Ip Man 2. During its opening weekend, Ip Man 2 grossed HK
$13 million (US$1,736,011), surpassing Ip Man opening weekend gross of HK$4.5 million (US$579,715). The sequel claimed first place at the box office, grossing HK$1 million more than Iron Man 2. The film's revenues decreased by 28.1% in its second weekend, earning HK$9,719,603.56 (US$1,248,996) to remain in first place. The film dropped 45.7% in its third week, bringing in HK$5,293,401 (US$678,613) while still remaining in first place. Ip Man 2 continued to stay at number one at the box office, dropping an additional 39.4% in its fourth week and grossing HK$3,199,567 (US$411,115). During its fifth week, the film moved to fifth place at 79.3%, grossing HK$664,535 (US$85,325). Ip Man 2 grossed HK$43,268,228.72 (US$5,558,704) domestically. The sequel's domestic gross in Hong Kong puts it ahead of Ip Man total box office gross of HK$25,581,958.69 (US$3,300,847).
Ip Man 2 also broke box office records in Singapore. The film was the highest-grossing Hong Kong film to be released in the country, beating a five-year record held by Kung Fu Hustle
. On its opening weekend Ip Man 2 came in second place behind Iron Man 2, grossing SG$
1.74 million (US$1,264,919). The film's opening weekend gross surpassed Ip Man 2008 weekend gross of SG$827,000 (US$463,946).
In total, Ip Man 2 has grossed an estimated US$14,856,127 worldwide during its theatrical run.
noted that the film's finale was similar to its competition against Iron Man 2 at the box office: "The hero of Ip Man 2...faces up to a Western boxer and knocks him out. Off screen, it is a similar story."
Analysts also predicted that Mandarin Films
' hopes of having the sequel gross over ¥300 million in China was unlikely, due to competition with other films such as Iron Man 2. Another factor was that the illegal recording, downloading and file sharing
of the film would cause a potential loss in revenue. A pirated version was released online, one week after the film's release in China, and attracted more than 10 million online users. Raymond Wong publicly expressed that he would be pursuing legal action against the originator of the illegal downloads.
In the first half of the year 2010 (from 1 January to 30 June 2010), Ip Man 2 was the highest grossing Hong Kong film to be released in the country. However, when compared to films produced outside of Asia, the highest-grossing foreign film was Alice in Wonderland
with HK$44 million.
. Based on 24 reviews, the film currently carries an average rating of 6.8 out of 10.
Singaporean film critic Genevieve Loh of Channel NewsAsia
wrote, "...Ip Man 2 delivers. Perhaps not as action-packed with dignified choreography as showcased by its excellent predecessor, this installment is nonetheless still exciting, if a tad one-dimensional." James Marsh of Twitch Film
praised the film, writing, "Ip Man 2 looks fantastic and does a grand job of evoking the period authentically, lending the film a much-appreciated sense of dramatic gravitas." Joy Fang, a critic for online news portal AsiaOne
wrote, "While not as big a movie as the first one, which focuses on heartbreaking and intense issues arising from the Japanese occupation in China, this film evokes Chinese pride with its strong cultural roots." Ho Yi, of the Taipei Times
wrote, "Despite its plot holes, the Ip Man series has potential and recalls the 1990s' Once Upon a Time in China franchise starring Jet Li
." Amir Hafizi of The Malay Mail
praised Sammo Hung's martial arts choreography: "With fluid movements intricate interplay between contrasting martial styles and gorgeous sequences, kung fu fans will definitely get their eye-balls' worth here as this time around, the introduction of Western boxing into the mix makes for some interesting choreography." Roger Ebert
of the Chicago Sun-Times
awarded Ip Man 2 three stars out of four, writing, "In its direct and sincere approach, it's a rebuke to the frenzied editing that reduces so many recent action movies into incomprehensible confusion."
Darcy Paquet of Screen Daily
had mixed opinions of the film. He wrote that the film's performances and fight sequences "should ensure decent theatrical runs." Paquet concluded his review by writing, "Ultimately, the film's energy and humour overcome cartoonishly bad performances from the British actors and an utter lack of surprises in the final two reels." Amanda Foo of The UrbanWire
awarded the film two stars out of five, writing in her review, "It's no surprise that Donnie Yen isn't willing to sign up for any more Ip Man movies, with the shameless repetition that is happening in these films, even the most ardent fan would be tired."
, and Blu-ray Disc
formats on 25 June 2010. Releases include a single-disc edition and a two-disc special edition on DVD Features for the special edition DVD, as well as the Blu-ray disc, include deleted scenes, several theatrical trailers, cast and crew interviews, a making-of featurette, coverage of the film's gala premiere, and a shooting diary.
Coinciding with the sequel's home video release, both Ip Man and Ip Man 2 were released as a double feature on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Releases include two-disc special editions of both feature films with a total of four discs on DVD, as a well as a standard DVD edition featuring both films with a total of two discs.
Biographical film
A biographical film, or biopic , is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their...
martial arts film
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
loosely based on the life of Ip Man
Yip Man
Yip Man , also spelled as Ip Man, and also known as Yip Kai-Man, was a Chinese martial artist. He had several students who later became martial arts teachers in their own right, including Bruce Lee.-Early life:...
, a grandmaster
Grandmaster (martial arts)
Grandmaster and Master are titles used to describe or address some senior or experienced martial artists. Such titles may be, to some extent, aligned to the elderly martial arts master stock character in fiction...
of the martial art Wing Chun
Wing Chun
Wing Chun , also romanised as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, ; ; is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat.The alternative characters 永春 "eternal spring" are also...
. A sequel to the 2008 film Ip Man
Ip Man (film)
Ip Man is a 2008 Hong Kong semi biographical martial arts film very loosely based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun and master of Bruce Lee. The film focuses on events in Ip's life that supposedly took place in the city of Foshan during the Second Sino-Japanese War...
, the film was directed by Wilson Yip
Wilson Yip
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, Ip Man, and Ip Man 2.-Early career:...
, and stars Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...
, who reprises the leading role. Continuing after the events of the earlier film, the sequel centers on Ip's movements in Hong Kong
British Hong Kong
British Hong Kong refers to Hong Kong as a Crown colony and later, a British dependent territory under British administration from 1841 to 1997.- Colonial establishment :...
, which is under British colonial rule
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. He attempts to propagate his discipline of Wing Chun, but faces rivalry from other practitioners, including the local master of Hung Ga martial arts.
Producer Raymond Wong first announced a sequel before Ip Man theatrical release in December 2008. For Ip Man 2, the filmmakers intended to focus on the relationship between Ip and his most famed disciple, Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
. However, they were unable to finalize film rights
Film rights
Film rights are the rights under copyright law to make a derivative work—in this case, a film—derived from an item of intellectual property. Under U.S...
with Lee's descendants and decided to briefly portray Lee as a child. Principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
for Ip Man 2 began in August 2009 and concluded in November; filming took place inside a studio located in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. For the sequel, Yip aimed to create a more dramatic martial arts film in terms of story and characterization; Wong's son, screenwriter Edmond Wong, wanted the film to portray how Chinese people were treated by the British, as well as the Western perceptions towards Chinese martial arts.
Ip Man 2 premiered in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
on 21 April 2010, and was released in Hong Kong on 29 April 2010. The film was met with positive reviews; critics praised various aspects of the film, such as its storytelling, as well as Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...
's martial arts choreography. The film grossed over HK$13 million on its opening weekend, immediately surpassing Ip Man opening weekend gross. During its theatrical run, Ip Man 2 brought in over HK$43 million domestically, and its domestic theatrical gross made it the highest grossing Hong Kong film released during the first half of 2010. In total, Ip Man 2 grossed an estimated US$15 million worldwide.
Plot
Continuing from where the first film ended, Wing ChunWing Chun
Wing Chun , also romanised as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, ; ; is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat.The alternative characters 永春 "eternal spring" are also...
master Ip Man
Yip Man
Yip Man , also spelled as Ip Man, and also known as Yip Kai-Man, was a Chinese martial artist. He had several students who later became martial arts teachers in their own right, including Bruce Lee.-Early life:...
and his family move to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in the early 1950s after their escape from Foshan
Foshan
Foshan is a city in central Guangdong province in southern China. The prefectural area under the city's jurisdiction over an area of about 3,840 km² and a population of 5.4 million of which 1.1 million reside in the city proper ....
. There, Ip desires to open a school to propagate his art, as well as to make his living, but he has difficulty attracting students due to his lack of reputation in the city. One day, a young man named Wong Leung
Wong Shun Leung
Wong Shun Leung was a Chinese martial artist from Hong Kong who studied wing chun kung fu under Yip Man and is credited with training Bruce Lee. Wong reportedly won at least 60, and perhaps over 100, street fights against martial artists of various styles. Due to his reputation, he came to be...
appears and promptly challenges Ip to a fight, but is easily defeated. Wong leaves humiliated, only to return with some friends to gang up on him. Ip beats them as well. Stunned and impressed by his skills, Wong and his friends become Ip's first students, bringing more disciples to help the school thrive.
Wong is later caught posting promotional posters for the school by some Hung Gar
Hung Gar
Hung Ga 洪家, Hung Kuen 洪拳, or Hung Ga Kuen 洪家拳 is a southern Chinese martial art associated with the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hung, who was a master of Hung Ga....
students. One of them challenges Wong to a fight and loses, but his friends take Wong hostage in revenge and demand a ransom from Ip. Ip goes to the local wet market
Wet market
A wet market is generally an open food market. Some of the common names include "Cultural Markets", "traditional markets", "Gaai Si", "Gaai See".-Terminology:...
as directed, but the meeting ends in a confrontation with a growing mob of Hung Ga students. Ip and Wong fight their way outside to meet Jin Shanzhao — the martial artist and former bandit in the first film — who comes to their rescue with his own gang. The students' master, Hung Chun-nam, arrives to break up the fight. Ip introduces himself, and Hung informs him that before setting up a school, he needs to attend a special fighting ceremony to test his skill. Ip, Wong and Jin are subsequently arrested by Officer Fatso for disturbing the peace but are later released on bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
. Hung and Fatso are then shown to be acting as reluctant collectors for the martial arts schools (including Hung's) as part of a protection racket
Protection racket
A protection racket is an extortion scheme whereby a criminal group or individual coerces a victim to pay money, supposedly for protection services against violence or property damage. Racketeers coerce reticent potential victims into buying "protection" by demonstrating what will happen if they...
headed by Superintendent Wallace, a corrupt officer in the Hong Kong police.
Ip attends the ceremony and defeats his first challengers, and then strikes a draw
Tie (draw)
To tie or draw is to finish a competition with identical or inconclusive results. The word "tie" is usually used in North America for sports such as American football. "Draw" is usually used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations and it is usually used for sports such as...
with the last challenger, Hung. Ip is allowed to keep running his school on the condition that he pay the monthly protection fees, but he declines. Hung thus has his students loiter in front of the Wing Chun school and harass anyone interested, causing a street brawl between them and Ip's disciples. Ip is thus forced to close up and move the school nearer to home. Ip soon confronts Hung and nearly engage in another fight before being interrupted by Hung's family. During this last encounter, Ip saves Hung's son from getting accidentally hit by one of the punches, earning his respect from Hung. Ip leaves, and the next day, Hung invites him to a British boxing match he had helped to set up, quietly coming to terms with him.
The boxing competition begins with the various martial arts schools demonstrating their skills. However, the event's star boxer, Taylor "The Twister" Milos, openly insults and attacks the students, causing chaos as the masters try to restore order. Hung accepts Twister's challenge to a fight so that he can defend his culture. Although Hung has the upper hand at first, he begins to weaken from asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
and is eventually beaten to death. News of Hung's death rapidly spreads throughout the enraged Chinese populace, causing a scandal that spurs Wallace to hold a press conference, where he states that Hung's death was an accident, and Twister announces that he will accept any challenge from the Chinese in order to get rid of his bad reputation. Ip arrives and accepts the challenge.
As his wife goes into labor
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
, Ip finishes training and begins his fight with Twister. Ip exchanges blows with the boxer, and seems overwhelmed by the westerner at first. He receives a sucker punch from Twister after a bell, and is also told he will be disqualified for using kicks due to the judges changing the rules to help Twister cheat the match. When it seems like the end he changes his strategy, and attacks the boxer's arms to disable him. This brings the fight to a climactic finish with flashbacks of the Hung's fight with Twister. While the Chinese audience cheers, Wallace is arrested by his superiors for corruption, as Fatso had secretly reported him. Ip then gives a speech to the audience, stating that despite the differences between their races and their fighting styles, he wishes for everyone to respect each other. Both the Western and Chinese audience then give him a standing ovation while some of the Westerners walk away unhappy at their failure to defeat China. Twister is angry that he lost the match, failed to defeat Chinese kung fu, and gained a bad reputation as a thug and a cheating boxer. Ip goes home and reunites with his family, including his newborn second son, Ip Ching.
A final scene shows Ip being introduced to a boy who wishes to study Wing Chun: Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
. Ip smiles and simply tells the boy to come back when he is older.
Cast
- Donnie YenDonnie YenDonnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...
as Ip ManYip ManYip Man , also spelled as Ip Man, and also known as Yip Kai-Man, was a Chinese martial artist. He had several students who later became martial arts teachers in their own right, including Bruce Lee.-Early life:...
(葉問) – a martial artist and sole practitioner of Wing ChunWing ChunWing Chun , also romanised as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, ; ; is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat.The alternative characters 永春 "eternal spring" are also...
. He arrives in Hong Kong with his family during the 1950s to settle there and set up a Wing Chun school. - Sammo HungSammo HungSammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...
as Hung Chun-nam (洪震南) – a Hung Ga master who suffers from asthmaAsthmaAsthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
. He became Ip's nemesis early in the film and later becomes a friend. - Simon YamSimon YamSimon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....
as Zhou Qing Quan (周清泉) – Ip Man's friend. In the prologue, Chow is shot in the head by the Japanese during the war and survives but has become insane. He roams the streets of Hong Kong as a beggar with his son. After Yip wins his fight, he remembers everything. - Fan Siu-wong as Jin Shanzhao (金山找) – a martial artist and former bandit in the first film, who has mended his ways. He moves to Hong Kong, starts a family, and befriends Ip Man.
- Lynn HungLynn HungLynn Hung , sometimes credited as her birth name Xiong Dailin, is a Chinese model and actress.-Early life:Hung was born in Nanjing, China with family roots in Guizhou, China...
as Cheung Wing-sing (張永成) – Ip Man's wife - Huang XiaomingHuang XiaomingHuang Xiaoming is a mainland Chinese actor, singer, and model. He is often referred to as China's "number one heartthrob" or "number one young male"...
as Wong LeungWong Shun LeungWong Shun Leung was a Chinese martial artist from Hong Kong who studied wing chun kung fu under Yip Man and is credited with training Bruce Lee. Wong reportedly won at least 60, and perhaps over 100, street fights against martial artists of various styles. Due to his reputation, he came to be...
(黃梁) – Ip Man's first student - Kent ChengKent ChengKent Cheng Jak-si is a Hong Kong film and television actor. He has won twice the best actor award in the Hong Kong Film Awards.-Biography:...
as Fatso (肥波) – a police officer working under Superintendent Wallace. He is also a close friend of Hung. - Pierre Ngo as Leung Kan (梁根) – the chief editor of a news agency. His father is a village mate of Ip Man's, and he helps Ip find a location for his Wing Chun school.
- Calvin Cheng as Chow Kwong-yiu (周光耀) – Chow Ching-chuen's son. He takes care of his disabled father while working at Leung Kan's newspaper agency.
- Li Chak as Ip ChunIp ChunIp Chun , also spelled as Yip Chun or Yip Jun, is a Chinese Wing Chun martial artist. He is the oldest son of Yip Man .-Biography:Ip began studying Wing Chun with his father when he was seven years old...
(葉准) – Ip Man and Cheung Wing-sing's first son - To Yu-hang as Cheng Wai-kei (鄭偉基) – a gang leader and student of Hung Chun-nam
- Darren ShahlaviDarren ShahlaviDarren Majian Shahlavi , sometimes credited as Shahlavi, is an Iranian-British actor and martial artist.A native of Stockport, Greater Manchester, Shahlavi is known primarily for playing bad guys in martial arts films such as Bloodmoon and Yuen Woo-ping's Tai Chi Boxer along with Jacky Wu...
as Taylor "The Twister" Milos (龍捲風) – a British boxing champion. Strong and ruthless, Twister proves more of a match for Ip Man. - Charles MayerCharles Mayer (actor)Charles Mayer is an English stage, television and film actor, writer, director, producer and author. His roles have included Wallace in Ip Man 2, Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, Charles Condomine in "Blithe Spirit", Marc in "Art", Felix in "The Odd Couple", and Father in "Six Characters in...
as Wallace – a police superintendent and Fatso's superior. He is corrupt and collects protection fees from the martial arts schools. - Jiang Daiyan as Bruce LeeBruce LeeBruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
(李小龍) – Ip Man's future student - Ashton ChenAshton ChenAshton Chen , is a Mainland Chinese actor and martial artist. He has been a disciple of Shi Yongxin, the current abbot of the Shaolin Temple, since he was two years old. Originally known as "Chen Xiao-long" , Ashton was given a Dharma name-- "Shi Xiao-long" by the abbot...
as Tsui Sai-cheung (徐世昌) – Ip Man's student - Lam Hak-ming as Master Lam (林師傅)
- Lo MangLo MangLo Mang is a Hong Kong based veteran martial artist who was born as Lo Hin Lam in Hong Kong on 23 July 1956. Primarily known for starring in Shaw Brothers kung fu movies in the latter part of the 1970s and beginning of the 1980s...
as Master Law (羅師傅) – Monkey Kung FuMonkey Kung FuMonkey Kung Fu, or Monkey Fist , is a Chinese martial art which utilizes ape or monkey-like movements as part of its technique.There are a number of independently developed systems of monkey kung fu...
master - Fung Hak-on as Master Cheng (鄭師傅) – BaguazhangBaguazhangBāguàzhǎng is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being Taijiquan and Xingyiquan. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice...
master - Brian BurrellBrian BurrellBrian Thomas Burrell is an American actor best known for his roles in Cantonese television productions in Hong Kong. Burrell is also one of the only 4 foreign actors in Hong Kong broadcaster TVB's artiste profiles over the years.-Early life:...
as Emcee - Lu Meifang as Hung Chun-nam's wife
Production
Ip Man 2 is the second feature film overall to be based on the life of Ip ManYip Man
Yip Man , also spelled as Ip Man, and also known as Yip Kai-Man, was a Chinese martial artist. He had several students who later became martial arts teachers in their own right, including Bruce Lee.-Early life:...
, following the previous film Ip Man
Ip Man (film)
Ip Man is a 2008 Hong Kong semi biographical martial arts film very loosely based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun and master of Bruce Lee. The film focuses on events in Ip's life that supposedly took place in the city of Foshan during the Second Sino-Japanese War...
. The sequel is also the fifth film collaboration between director Wilson Yip
Wilson Yip
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, Ip Man, and Ip Man 2.-Early career:...
and actor Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...
. Ip Man 2 was produced by Raymond Wong, and was distributed by his company Mandarin Films
Mandarin Films Distribution Co. Ltd.
Mandarin Films Distribution Co. Ltd. , formerly known as Mandarin Films Ltd. , is a Hong Kong film production company and distributor. It was established in 1991 by film producer Raymond Wong Pak-Ming, and is a subsidiary of Mandarin Entertainment Holdings Ltd.-Company:Since its foundation,...
upon its theatrical release in Hong Kong. It is the last film that Wong will produce under his Mandarin Films production banner. Wong's son, Edmond Wong, returned to write the screenplay. Apart from appearing in a supporting role for the sequel, Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...
reprised his role as the film's martial arts choreographer
Combat in film
Staged fights in Cinema include performances of classical fencing, historical fencing, martial arts, close combat and duels in general, as well as choreography of full-scale battles.-Asian martial arts:...
. Kenji Kawai
Kenji Kawai
, born April 23, 1957 in Shinagawa, Tokyo, is a Japanese music composer, for motion pictures, anime movies, video games and televised programs. He has contributed to the musical scores for numerous films from Japan and other countries in Asia, working in film genres as diverse as anime, horror,...
reprised his role as the film's music composer.
Development
Prior to Ip Man theatrical release in December 2008, producer Raymond Wong announced plans to develop a sequel to the film. The sequel was intended to focus on the relationship between Ip Man and his most famed disciple Bruce LeeBruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
. In March 2009, Wong announced that the Lee character might not appear in the sequel, as producers had not fully finalized negotiations with Lee's descendants on the film rights
Film rights
Film rights are the rights under copyright law to make a derivative work—in this case, a film—derived from an item of intellectual property. Under U.S...
. In July 2009, it was announced that Ip Man 2 would focus on a young Bruce Lee, prior to Lee becoming Ip Man's most famed disciple. The sequel continues Ip Man's story, focusing on his movements to Hong Kong as he attempts to propagate Wing Chun in the region.
Casting
Several cast members from Ip Man reprise their respective roles in the sequel. Donnie Yen reprises his role as Ip; Lynn HungLynn Hung
Lynn Hung , sometimes credited as her birth name Xiong Dailin, is a Chinese model and actress.-Early life:Hung was born in Nanjing, China with family roots in Guizhou, China...
reprises her role as Cheung Wing-sing, Ip's wife, who is now pregnant with their second child. To prepare for her role in the film, Hung asked producers for a 10-pound prosthetic belly to portray the feeling of being pregnant. Hung stated that the difficulty of her role lay in playing someone who goes from "a naive and simple-minded young woman to a strong, understanding and supportive adult." Fan Siu-Wong reprises his role as Jin Shanzhao, Ip's aggressive rival in the first film. In the sequel, Jin attempts to retire from the martial arts world by becoming an ordinary citizen, and befriending Ip. In a cameo appearance, Simon Yam
Simon Yam
Simon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....
reprises his role as Ip's friend Chow Ching-chuen, who is now a beggar
Begging
Begging is to entreat earnestly, implore, or supplicate. It often occurs for the purpose of securing a material benefit, generally for a gift, donation or charitable donation...
. Li Chak reprises his role as Ip Chun
Ip Chun
Ip Chun , also spelled as Yip Chun or Yip Jun, is a Chinese Wing Chun martial artist. He is the oldest son of Yip Man .-Biography:Ip began studying Wing Chun with his father when he was seven years old...
, Ip and Wing-sing's son.
Sammo Hung was announced to be appearing as part of the cast in April 2009. Apart from serving as the film's martial arts choreographer, Hung appears as Hung Chun-nam, a master of Hung Ga which is a southern Chinese martial art. In August 2009, it was announced that Huang Xiaoming
Huang Xiaoming
Huang Xiaoming is a mainland Chinese actor, singer, and model. He is often referred to as China's "number one heartthrob" or "number one young male"...
would be playing Wong Leung, a supporting character based on Wong Shun Leung
Wong Shun Leung
Wong Shun Leung was a Chinese martial artist from Hong Kong who studied wing chun kung fu under Yip Man and is credited with training Bruce Lee. Wong reportedly won at least 60, and perhaps over 100, street fights against martial artists of various styles. Due to his reputation, he came to be...
, one of Ip Man's disciples and the person responsible for mentoring Bruce Lee. Former child star Ashton Chen
Ashton Chen
Ashton Chen , is a Mainland Chinese actor and martial artist. He has been a disciple of Shi Yongxin, the current abbot of the Shaolin Temple, since he was two years old. Originally known as "Chen Xiao-long" , Ashton was given a Dharma name-- "Shi Xiao-long" by the abbot...
was also announced to be a part of the supporting cast, also playing a disciple. Veteran actor Kent Cheng
Kent Cheng
Kent Cheng Jak-si is a Hong Kong film and television actor. He has won twice the best actor award in the Hong Kong Film Awards.-Biography:...
also has a supporting role in the film. To Yu-Hang, who had a supporting role in the first film, appears in the sequel as a different character named Cheng Wai-kei. Cheng is a gang leader practicing Hung Ga, who decides to exact revenge on Wong after he is defeated by him in a fight. Wilson Yip commented on the casting of the veteran actors as being "a form of tribute to old school kungfu movies."
Yen and Yip reportedly conducted a worldwide casting call
Casting (performing arts)
In the performing arts, casting is a pre-production process for selecting a cast of actors, dancers, singers, models and other talent for a live or recorded performance.-Casting process:...
for a suitable candidate to play Lee, who is Ip Man's most celebrated disciple. The film briefly portrays Lee at the age of 10. Yip and Yen debated over whether to look for an actor with solid martial arts foundation or looks. Among the 1300 Mainland Chinese candidates auditioning for the role, Yip narrowed the casting call down to two possible candidates: 10-year-old Jiang Dai Yan from Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
and 12-year-old Pan Run Kang from Heilongjiang
Heilongjiang
For the river known in Mandarin as Heilong Jiang, see Amur River' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur. The one-character abbreviation is 黑...
. On 10 August 2009, it was announced that Jiang Dai Yan would be playing the role of a 10-year-old Bruce Lee. While the Bruce Lee character makes a brief appearance in the film, director Wilson Yip has expressed interest in making a third film that will focus on the relationship between Ip and Lee. Yen, however, has stated his lack of interest in making a third film, feeling that Ip Man 2 will "become a classic."
In November 2008, Yip revealed that there would be another actor appearing in the film, a martial artist who has been a fan of Donnie Yen. With no intention of revealing who he is and what role he plays in the film, Yip commented, "I can only say that he fights even more vehemently than Sammo Hung." However, in February 2010, it was revealed that British actor and stunt performer Darren Shahlavi
Darren Shahlavi
Darren Majian Shahlavi , sometimes credited as Shahlavi, is an Iranian-British actor and martial artist.A native of Stockport, Greater Manchester, Shahlavi is known primarily for playing bad guys in martial arts films such as Bloodmoon and Yuen Woo-ping's Tai Chi Boxer along with Jacky Wu...
would have a supporting role as a boxing opponent fighting against Ip Man. Yip later stated that Shahlavi's character "has his own drama. He is also a personage, not just some random foreign guy that appears from nowhere for the sake of getting beaten up, like you see in other films." Other cast members include Pierre Ngo and Kelvin Cheng.
Writing and story
The filmmakers have expressed that while Ip Man was about survival, Ip Man 2 is about living. The sequel is set in Hong Kong in 1949, when the country was under British colonial ruleBritish overseas territories
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
. Screenwriter Edmond Wong stated that the film also "deals with how Hong Kong people were treated under British colonial rule, and Western attitudes concerning Chinese kung fu."
Wilson Yip stated that Ip Man 2 is a much better film than its predecessor, in terms of characterization and storyline. The film focuses on disputes between the disciples of Hung Ga and Wing Chun martial arts, as well as the conflict and rivalry of the two practitioners. Wing Chun, as taught by Ip Man, is being viewed as a martial art meant only for girls; Hung Ga, as taught by Hung Chun-nam, is being seen as a macho form of boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. Of the two characters, Yip commented, "Sammo Hung's character is not exactly villainous, but he's very overbearing, just like his torrential Hung Ga. In contrast, Ip Man is very unassuming, much like his fist." Yip also stated that the film has some moments of "family drama", such as the ongoing conflict between Ip and his wife Wing-Sing.
Filming
Prior to filming, a production ceremony for Ip Man 2 was held in FoshanFoshan
Foshan is a city in central Guangdong province in southern China. The prefectural area under the city's jurisdiction over an area of about 3,840 km² and a population of 5.4 million of which 1.1 million reside in the city proper ....
, receiving plenty of media coverage. Principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
began on 11 August 2009; filming took place in a sound stage
Sound stage
In common usage, a sound stage is a soundproof, hangar-like structure, building, or room, used for the production of theatrical filmmaking and television production, usually located on a secure movie studio property.-Overview:...
at Songjiang Studios, which is located in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. On 28 October 2009, reporters were invited to the set to view the anticipated duel between Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung as it was being filmed. Filming ended on 8 November 2009.
Stunts and choreography
The film's martial arts sequences were choreographed by Sammo Hung, who also worked on the choreography for the first film. Prior to principal photography, Hung had undergone a major cardiac surgeryCardiac surgery
Cardiovascular surgery is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. Frequently, it is done to treat complications of ischemic heart disease , correct congenital heart disease, or treat valvular heart disease from various causes including endocarditis, rheumatic heart...
. When he returned to the set, his dramatic scenes in the film were filmed first, with his fight sequences being filmed last. Hung performed his own stunts in the film, which led to him receiving several injuries during filming. While filming a scene, Hung was struck in the face by co-star Darren Shahlavi. He insisted on completing the shoot before going to the hospital. Hung spent five hours trying to complete the scene before going to the hospital for four stitches; Hung stated that he did not want his injuries to hinder the production progress. After the completion of filming, Hung expressed that he was dissatisfied with the fight sequences involving his character, presumably due to his heart condition. He also stated that he plans to challenge Yen in a future film: "Although I'm the martial arts choreographer, our moves were all rather regulated, being confined by the script. So, I made a pact with Donnie Yen to have a rematch next year if the opportunity arises."
Huang Xiaoming prepared for his role by learning Wing Chun martial arts. He turned his hotel room into a gym, practicing with weights and a wooden dummy
Muk Yan Jong
Mu ren zhuang is a wooden dummy used in Chinese martial arts training. It is associated with the martial art of Wing Chun and other kung fu styles of Southern China...
. Huang received multiple bruises on his arms, due to his frequent practices on the dummy. Huang would also spend time practicing with the film's stunt team. Wilson Yip praised his performance in the film, stating that Huang "may not be a martial artist, but he specially ordered a wooden dummy, and trained daily at home. In the end, he is doing the action scenes better than Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
is a Japanese actor. He is also a practitioner of judo.-Film:*2010 Space Battleship Yamato*2008 Ip Man*2008 Team Batista no Eikō*2008 Handsome Suit*2006 Love My Life*2004 Warau Iemon*1999 Charisma*1998 Blues Harp-TV dramas:...
in the first film."
Film title
The Chinese title of the film , literally means Ip Man 2: Legend of a Grandmaster. The title is a play on the first film's working title which was Grandmaster Ip Man, a title that was changed when Wong Kar-waiWong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai BBS is a Hong Kong Second Wave filmmaker, internationally renowned as an auteur for his visually unique, highly stylized, emotionally resonant work, including Days of Being Wild , Ashes of Time , Chungking Express , Fallen Angels , Happy Together and 2046...
clashed with producers, while trying to make his own Ip Man biopic. Wilson Yip explained that the title of the film as being purely coincidental rather than intentional: "The sequel is about Ip Man being elevated from a master, a hero to a grandmaster, so we have 'grandmaster' in the title." Wong Kar-wai's film, titled The Grandmasters
The Grandmasters
The Grandmasters is an upcoming Hong Kong action drama film based on the life story of Wing Chun grandmaster Yip Man. The film is directed and written by Wong Kar-wai and stars Tony Leung as Yip Man.-Cast:* Tony Leung as Yip Man* Zhang Ziyi...
, is scheduled to be released in late 2011.
Release
Ip Man 2 was released in select Asian countries and in Australia on 29 April 2010. Prior to its release, Mandarin Films publicly launched the film's official website in BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
on 6 April 2010. The film held a premiere press conference in Beijing on 21 April 2010, only seven days after the 2010 Yushu earthquake
2010 Yushu earthquake
The 2010 Yushu earthquake struck on April 14, 2010, and registered a magnitude of 6.9Mw or 7.1Ms . It originated in Yushu, Qinghai, China, at local time. According to the Xinhua News Agency, 2,698 people have been confirmed dead, 270 missing, and 12,135 injured of which 1,434 are severely injured...
. Guests were asked to wear dark-colored clothing in show of mourning; there was a moment of silence for the victims of the disaster. The film's cast, Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Huang Xiaoming, Lynn Hung, and Kent Cheng attended the premiere, and donated a total of ¥
Chinese yuan
The yuan is the base unit of a number of modern Chinese currencies. The yuan is the primary unit of account of the Renminbi.A yuán is also known colloquially as a kuài . One yuán is divided into 10 jiǎo or colloquially máo...
500,000 (US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
73,200) to relief efforts helping in the disaster recovery
Disaster recovery
Disaster recovery is the process, policies and procedures related to preparing for recovery or continuation of technology infrastructure critical to an organization after a natural or human-induced disaster. Disaster recovery is a subset of business continuity...
. The film held private screenings in Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
on 21 April 2010, and in China on 27 April 2010, receiving positive reactions from audiences. Mandarin Films has sold North American distribution rights for the film to distributor Well Go USA. Ip Man 2 was released in the United States by Variance Films
Variance Films
Variance Films is a privately held film distribution company founded in 2008 that uses an innovative model of self-distribution combined with select elements of traditional theatrical distribution to allow filmmakers to achieve quality theatrical releases for their films...
on January 28, 2011.
Box office
In Hong Kong, Ip Man 2 faced competition with the international release of Iron Man 2Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, the second film in a planned trilogy and is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon...
, which premiered in Hong Kong one day later than Ip Man 2. During its opening weekend, Ip Man 2 grossed HK
Hong Kong dollar
The Hong Kong dollar is the currency of the jurisdiction. It is the eighth most traded currency in the world. In English, it is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively HK$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
$13 million (US$1,736,011), surpassing Ip Man opening weekend gross of HK$4.5 million (US$579,715). The sequel claimed first place at the box office, grossing HK$1 million more than Iron Man 2. The film's revenues decreased by 28.1% in its second weekend, earning HK$9,719,603.56 (US$1,248,996) to remain in first place. The film dropped 45.7% in its third week, bringing in HK$5,293,401 (US$678,613) while still remaining in first place. Ip Man 2 continued to stay at number one at the box office, dropping an additional 39.4% in its fourth week and grossing HK$3,199,567 (US$411,115). During its fifth week, the film moved to fifth place at 79.3%, grossing HK$664,535 (US$85,325). Ip Man 2 grossed HK$43,268,228.72 (US$5,558,704) domestically. The sequel's domestic gross in Hong Kong puts it ahead of Ip Man total box office gross of HK$25,581,958.69 (US$3,300,847).
Ip Man 2 also broke box office records in Singapore. The film was the highest-grossing Hong Kong film to be released in the country, beating a five-year record held by Kung Fu Hustle
Kung Fu Hustle
Kung Fu Hustle is a 2004 action comedy film directed and produced by, and starring Stephen Chow. The other film producers were Chui Po-chu and Jeffrey Lau, while the screenplay was written by Huo Xin, Chan Man-keung, and Tsang Kan-cheung...
. On its opening weekend Ip Man 2 came in second place behind Iron Man 2, grossing SG$
Singapore dollar
The Singapore dollar or Dollar is the official currency of Singapore. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
1.74 million (US$1,264,919). The film's opening weekend gross surpassed Ip Man 2008 weekend gross of SG$827,000 (US$463,946).
In total, Ip Man 2 has grossed an estimated US$14,856,127 worldwide during its theatrical run.
Performance analysis
Analysts believed that Ip Man 2 box office success was related to the favorable reputation and popularity of its first installment. Huang Qunfei, a general manager of the Chinese theater chain New Film Association Company, made notice of Chinese viewers preferring films made domestically over ones made in Hollywood: "Chinese viewers are less obsessed with Hollywood blockbusters than before. Finally, it is the film's quality that matters. With a good story, local films are likely to win more favor among audiences." Liu Wei of China DailyChina Daily
The China Daily is an English language daily newspaper published in the People's Republic of China.- Overview :China Daily was established in June 1981 and has the widest print circulation of any English-language newspaper in the country...
noted that the film's finale was similar to its competition against Iron Man 2 at the box office: "The hero of Ip Man 2...faces up to a Western boxer and knocks him out. Off screen, it is a similar story."
Analysts also predicted that Mandarin Films
Mandarin Films Distribution Co. Ltd.
Mandarin Films Distribution Co. Ltd. , formerly known as Mandarin Films Ltd. , is a Hong Kong film production company and distributor. It was established in 1991 by film producer Raymond Wong Pak-Ming, and is a subsidiary of Mandarin Entertainment Holdings Ltd.-Company:Since its foundation,...
' hopes of having the sequel gross over ¥300 million in China was unlikely, due to competition with other films such as Iron Man 2. Another factor was that the illegal recording, downloading and file sharing
File sharing
File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally stored information, such as computer programs, multimedia , documents, or electronic books. It may be implemented through a variety of ways...
of the film would cause a potential loss in revenue. A pirated version was released online, one week after the film's release in China, and attracted more than 10 million online users. Raymond Wong publicly expressed that he would be pursuing legal action against the originator of the illegal downloads.
In the first half of the year 2010 (from 1 January to 30 June 2010), Ip Man 2 was the highest grossing Hong Kong film to be released in the country. However, when compared to films produced outside of Asia, the highest-grossing foreign film was Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 American computer-animated/live action fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and released by Walt Disney Pictures...
with HK$44 million.
Critical reception
Ip Man 2 received mostly positive reviews from film critics. It currently has a 92% fresh rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Based on 24 reviews, the film currently carries an average rating of 6.8 out of 10.
Singaporean film critic Genevieve Loh of Channel NewsAsia
Channel NewsAsia
Channel NewsAsia is an English language pan-Asian news network based in Singapore and owned by MediaCorp. Started on 1 March 1999 based in Singapore by Television Corporation of Singapore, it was launched internationally on 12 February 2001 as the international broadcasting arm of Channel...
wrote, "...Ip Man 2 delivers. Perhaps not as action-packed with dignified choreography as showcased by its excellent predecessor, this installment is nonetheless still exciting, if a tad one-dimensional." James Marsh of Twitch Film
Twitch Film
Twitch Film, also known simply as Twitch, is an English language Canadian website featuring news and reviews of mainly international, independent and cult films. The website was founded in 2004 by Todd Brown, a cinephile with personal interests in arthouse and grindhouse cinema...
praised the film, writing, "Ip Man 2 looks fantastic and does a grand job of evoking the period authentically, lending the film a much-appreciated sense of dramatic gravitas." Joy Fang, a critic for online news portal AsiaOne
AsiaOne
AsiaOne is an on-line news portal property of the Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. It covers a number of topics, including news, stock markets, real estate, trade, conventions and economic statistics, and carries headlines from The Straits Times and The Business Times. In November 2008, it had an...
wrote, "While not as big a movie as the first one, which focuses on heartbreaking and intense issues arising from the Japanese occupation in China, this film evokes Chinese pride with its strong cultural roots." Ho Yi, of the Taipei Times
Taipei Times
The Taipei Times is one of the three major English-language newspapers in the Republic of China the other two being the Taiwan News and The China Post...
wrote, "Despite its plot holes, the Ip Man series has potential and recalls the 1990s' Once Upon a Time in China franchise starring Jet Li
Jet Li
The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
." Amir Hafizi of The Malay Mail
The Malay Mail
The Malay Mail is a newspaper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, first published in 1 December 1896 when KL was the capital of the then new Federated Malay States, making it the first daily to appear in the FMS....
praised Sammo Hung's martial arts choreography: "With fluid movements intricate interplay between contrasting martial styles and gorgeous sequences, kung fu fans will definitely get their eye-balls' worth here as this time around, the introduction of Western boxing into the mix makes for some interesting choreography." Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
awarded Ip Man 2 three stars out of four, writing, "In its direct and sincere approach, it's a rebuke to the frenzied editing that reduces so many recent action movies into incomprehensible confusion."
Darcy Paquet of Screen Daily
Screen International
Screen International is a multimedia film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by EMAP, a British b2b media company.The magazine is primarily aimed at those involved in the global movie business...
had mixed opinions of the film. He wrote that the film's performances and fight sequences "should ensure decent theatrical runs." Paquet concluded his review by writing, "Ultimately, the film's energy and humour overcome cartoonishly bad performances from the British actors and an utter lack of surprises in the final two reels." Amanda Foo of The UrbanWire
The UrbanWire
The UrbanWire is an entertainment and lifestyle ezine produced and maintained by online journalism students of Ngee Ann Polytechnic's School of Film and Media Studies in Singapore, attracting an average of 2 million hits each month as of late 2007....
awarded the film two stars out of five, writing in her review, "It's no surprise that Donnie Yen isn't willing to sign up for any more Ip Man movies, with the shameless repetition that is happening in these films, even the most ardent fan would be tired."
Home media
In Hong Kong, Ip Man 2 was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, and Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
formats on 25 June 2010. Releases include a single-disc edition and a two-disc special edition on DVD Features for the special edition DVD, as well as the Blu-ray disc, include deleted scenes, several theatrical trailers, cast and crew interviews, a making-of featurette, coverage of the film's gala premiere, and a shooting diary.
Coinciding with the sequel's home video release, both Ip Man and Ip Man 2 were released as a double feature on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Releases include two-disc special editions of both feature films with a total of four discs on DVD, as a well as a standard DVD edition featuring both films with a total of two discs.
External links
- Official US website
- Ip Man 2 at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...