IP MAN 2 葉問2:宗師傳奇 Press Preview. BIGGER and BETTER this time around as the SAGA Continues.

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Truth be told …..

this reviewer is not a devotee of martial arts movies, but IPMAN 2 葉問2:宗師傳奇 is totally kick-ass!

And if you are an avid film buff of that genre, then it makes sense that you should bate your breath

maybe even clench your fists ….

Because IP MAN 2 is storming ceremoniously onto the giant screen again after a two-year hiatus to astound us with everything that bone crunching action can really offer.

Is this sequel worth all the wait?

Rightfully so, as everything appears even BIGGER and BETTER now with a tighter script by EDMOND WONG, WILSON YIP helming the film and SAMMO HUNG as the superb action choreographer again  …..

IP MAN 2 is a semi-biopic martial arts feature, a well-crafted sequel to the original IP MAN shot way back in 2008.

This time round, the movie has less restraints and exercises more on creative latitude,

and is more imaginative in terms of action, characterization and plot.

Continuing after the events of IP MAN 1, the second part focuses on IP MAN‘s adapting to a new life in seedy HONGKONG in 1949 with his wife and son, under the British Colonial rule. Here the scene is either boom or bust with dire conditions set by corrupt police officers and unruly triads who leech on protection money.

Charismatic but stoic DONNIE YEN reprises his role as IPMAN who attempts to propagate his discipline of WING CHUN but faces ferocious rivalry from other practitioners, chiefly HUNG CHUN-NAM (SAMMO HUNG), a master of theHUNG GA.

Thereby the chaotic “power war” of the clans begins ….

Watch SAMMO HUNG as he puts in a memorable performance as the head of  the HUNG GA CLAN who dies whilst trying to upkeep the honor of the Chinese Martial Arts. This may garner him a best supporting actor award in the months to come, as his is a difficult role fraught with genuine pain and angst as he lunges and fights to uphold the dignity of the Chinese in the boxing ring.

DONNIE YEN is unique and mesmerizing as he etches a formidable performance as IP MAN, the grandmaster ofWING CHUN. He combines a quiet albeit dignified strength with thunder speed and fluidity.

He drops baddies by retorting them with a series of well-placed knee, fist, elbow or even finger stances in trueWING CHUN style, directly to the opponent’s face.

This guy is full-on, without doubt.

Essentially, the beating heart of this film is DONNIE YENand his athleticism and he steps up to the fore big time.

His martial arts skills and awe-inspiring stunts leave nothing to the imagination.

The fights are fantastic stuff and this reviewer has not seen a martial arts film as magnifique as this one,for simply ages.

There’s a lot to be admired.

But this is not just an action film.  There are emotionally teary scenes where DONNIE YEN

 fleshes heart and soul to preach justice, love, respect and integrity among his disciples.

If you have a strong attachment to the Chinese culture and its traditions and proud to be a Chinese, then DONNIE YENas IP MAN provides a humbling moment when he vanquishes the obnoxious Caucasian racist bully calledTWISTER (British actor DARREN SHAHLAVI) in the boxing ring.

BRAVO, DONNIE!

IP MAN is definitely DONNIE YEN‘s signature film that sees a new revival, propelling him to super stardom, putting him on the same pedestal alongside JACKIE CHAN and JET LI.

Having toiled for more than 2 decades in the entertainment business, this is a noteworthy accomplishment.

Always maintaining leading role status and at one time knocking on doors to convince producers of his greater worth, DONNIE shows us how true perseverance will eventually pay off, provided we work hard and believe in our dreams.

He is positioned now as Hong Kong’s most bankable action star with grit, determination and substance and his happy marriage has really mellowed him.

At the end of the film, a 10 year-old BRUCE LEE makes his grand entrance, played by China teenage star JIANG DAI YAN, dropping a hint that the director may have intentions to propagate a Sequel 3 ……

but DONNIE YEN

 has to date confirmed that this will be theLAST IP MAN  role for him, no less.

It’s an overkill with too many production companies jumping on the bandwagon creating different persona interpretations of the Grandmaster IP, he laments.

Stay tuned, folks!

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