| Ip Man 2 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 U.S. theatrical poster | |||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 葉問2:宗師傳奇 | ||||||||||
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| Directed by | Wilson Yip | ||||||||||
| Written by | Edmond Wong | ||||||||||
| Produced by | Raymond Wong | ||||||||||
| Starring | |||||||||||
| Cinematography | Poon Hang-sang | ||||||||||
| Edited by | Cheung Ka-fai | ||||||||||
| Music by | Kenji Kawai | ||||||||||
| Distributed by | Mandarin Films | ||||||||||
Release date |
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Running time | 109 minutes | ||||||||||
| Country | Hong Kong | ||||||||||
| Languages | Chinese (dialect: Cantonese Mandarin) English | ||||||||||
| Budget | CN¥100 million (US$12,902,809)[1] | ||||||||||
| Box office | US$49,721,954[2] | ||||||||||
Ip Man 2 (Chinese:葉問2:宗師傳奇, also known asIp Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster) is a 2010Hong Kongbiographicalmartial arts film loosely based on the life ofIp Man, agrandmaster of the martial artWing Chun. A sequel to the 2008 filmIp Man,Ip Man 2 was directed byWilson Yip and starsDonnie Yen, who reprises the leading role. Continuing after the events of the earlier film, the sequel centres on Ip's early life inBritish Hong Kong. He attempts to propagate his discipline of Wing Chun, but faces rivalry from other practitioners, including the local master ofHung Ga martial arts, Hung Chun-nam (Sammo Hung), and later the Britishboxing champion Taylor "The Twister" Miller (Darren Shahlavi).
ProducerRaymond Wong first announced a sequel beforeIp Man's theatrical release in December 2008. ForIp Man 2, the filmmakers intended to focus on the relationship between Ip and his most famed disciple,Bruce Lee. However, they were unable to finalizefilm rights with Lee's descendants and decided to briefly portray Lee as a child.Principal photography forIp Man 2 began in August 2009 and concluded in November; filming took place inside a studio located inShanghai. 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 explore the treatment ofHong Kongers during the colonial era andWestern perceptions of Chinese martial arts.
Ip Man 2 is the second film in the"Ip Man" film series. It premiered inBeijing on 21 April 2010, and was released in Hong Kong on 29 April 2010. The film met with positive reviews, with particular praise for the film's storytelling andSammo Hung's martial arts choreography. The film grossed over HK$13 million on its opening weekend, immediately surpassingIp Man's 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$49 million worldwide.[3] This amount does not include successful DVD sales all over United States, Asia and Europe.
Wing Chun masterIp Man and his family move toHong Kong in 1949 afterescaping fromJapanese-occupiedFoshan. In 1950, Ip attempts to open a school to propagate his art, as well as make a living during the difficult times, but struggles to attract students due to his lack of reputation in the city. One day, a young man named Wong Shun Leung appears and promptly challenges Ip to a fight, but is easily defeated. Wong storms off and returns later with a gang of his friends, but Ip easily trounces them as well. Stunned and impressed by Ip's skills, Wong and his friends become Ip's first students, bringing more disciples to help the school thrive. That night, Ip heads to the market to buy food, but sees some shop owners trying to stop a man from stealing their food. Recognising the man as his friend Chow Ching-chuen, Ip intervenes and pays for the food. However, Chow does not recognise him, and his son Yau reveals that his father was shot by the Japanese soldiers for helping Ip, resulting in Chow's current mentally-impaired state.
Wong is later confronted by some thuggishHung Ga students while posting promotional posters for Ip's school. One of them, Kei, challenges Wong to a fight and loses, but his vengeful friends take Wong hostage and demand a ransom from Ip. Ip goes to the localwet market as directed, but the meeting ends in a confrontation with a growing mob of Hung Ga students. Fighting their way outside and hopelessly outnumbered, Ip and Wong are rescued by Jin Shanzhao, a former bandit and ex-rival of Ip, who comes to their aid with his own gang.
The students' master and head of the coalition of Hong Kong's martial arts clubs, 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 partake in a ceremony to test his worth. Ip, Wong, and Jin are subsequently arrested by Fatso, a ChineseRHKPF detective, for disturbing the peace, but are later released on bail. Hung and Fatso secretly meet with Superintendent Wallace, ancorrupt British senior officer, to deliverprotection money collected from both the local shops and martial art schools.
Ip attends the ceremony and handily defeats his first two opponents, before battling the last challenger, Hung, to a draw. Ip is allowed to keep running his school in exchange for paying protection fees, but he declines to do so. In response, Hung has his students loiter in front of the Wing Chun school and harass prospective students, resulting in a street brawl between them and Ip's disciples. Ip is thus forced by his landlady to leave the property he leased for his school; the disciples resort to training in the local park.
Ip confronts Hung, who blames him for the recent events since he refused to pay, while Ip criticizes Hung's management of his students and subservience to the foreigners. Hung insists that he is doing what he must and decides to finish off his earlier duel with Ip. Hung's son suddenly appears during this encounter, and Ip stops Hung from accidentally kicking the boy, while also suggesting that he prioritize spending time with his family over their dispute, and his counsel earns him Hung's respect. Ip leaves, and the next day, Hung gives him and his students free tickets to a martial arts exhibition arranged by Wallace and Fatso.
At the exhibition, the various martial arts schools seek to promote themselves, and by extension, Chinese culture. However, Wallace's guest, renowned boxer Taylor "The Twister" Miller, openly insults and assaults the students, causing a brawl that the masters try to quell. Hung demands that Twister apologize for his behaviour; in response, Twister challenges him to a fight, saying that he will apologize if Hung wins. At first, Hung's wide range of skills and techniques give him the edge; however, most of his counterattacks have little effect on the younger and fitter Twister, and he is slowly worn down by the boxer's sheer power. Ip tries to persuade Hung to concede, but the old man refuses, and even stops Ip from throwing in the towel himself. In the final round, Hung has anasthma attack, allowing Twister to gain the upper hand, and Hung is eventually beaten to death against the ropes.
News of Hung's death spreads throughout the city, enraging the Chinese populace. Wallace's superior officer reprimands him over the recent events; incensed, Wallace arrests and tortures Ip's friend, newspaper editor Leung Kan, for publishing the news; Fatso intervenes and releases him with no charges. A press conference is held the following day, where Wallace lies about Hung's death being accidental and Twister announces that, in order to clear his name, he will accept a challenge from any Chinese martial artist. However, he continues to disrespect the Chinese and boasts that none of them have the courage to face him. Ip arrives and challenges Twister to a fight, while Fatso secretly meets with Kan and offers him compromising information on Wallace. As his pregnant wife goes into labor, Ip prepares for his match with Twister.
Due to his unfamiliarity with Western boxing, Ip is initially at a severe disadvantage, allowing Twister to knock him down several times. However, he gradually manages to use his Wing Chun techniques and superior speed to even the odds. During the match, Wallace and his allies attempt to rig the match in Twister's favor, refusing to penalize him for an illegal hit and issuing a ruling that Ip cannot use kicking attacks or he will be disqualified. After seeing visions of Hung and remembering his own advice to focus on weakening Twister instead of trading blows with him, Ip switches up his strategy, crippling Twister's arms and eventually managing to beat him into unconsciousness with a series of strikes to the head and ears. While the Chinese celebrate, Wallace is arrested by his superiors for corruption, perjury and abuse of power, with Fatso having informed them of this.
Ip addresses the audience, stating his wish for everyone to respect each other despite the differences between their race, culture, or status. Both the Western and Chinese audiences give him a standing ovation, while Twister's manager leaves the arena in both dissatisfaction and disgust. Ip goes home to his family, and meets his newborn son, Ip Ching. Sometime later, Yau introduces his master to a boy namedBruce Lee, who wishes to learn Wing Chun in order to beat up people he doesn't like. An amused Ip smiles and simply tells him to come back when he has grown up.
Ip Man 2 is the second feature film overall to be based on the life ofIp Man, following the previous filmIp Man. The sequel is the fifth film collaboration between directorWilson Yip and actorDonnie Yen.Ip Man 2 was produced byRaymond Wong and distributed by his companyMandarin Films upon its theatrical release in Hong Kong. It was the last film Wong produced under his Mandarin Films production banner.[4] Wong's son, Edmond Wong, returned to write the screenplay. Along with appearing in a supporting role,Sammo Hung reprised his role as the film'smartial arts choreographer.Kenji Kawai reprised his role as the film's music composer.[5]
Prior toIp Man's 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 discipleBruce Lee. In March 2009, Wong announced that the Lee character might not appear in the sequel,[6] as producers had not fully finalized negotiations with Lee's descendants on thefilm rights.[7] In July 2009, it was announced thatIp Man 2 would focus on a young Bruce Lee, prior to Lee becoming Ip Man's most famed disciple.[1] The sequel continues Ip Man's story, focusing on his move to Hong Kong as he attempts to propagate Wing Chun in the region.[1][8]
Several cast members fromIp Man reprise their respective roles in the sequel. Donnie Yen reprises his role as Ip;Lynn Hung 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.[9] 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."[citation needed]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; he later befriends Ip.[7] In a cameo appearance,Simon Yam reprises his role as Ip's friend Chow Ching-chuen, who is now a mentally disabled beggar.[10] Li Chak reprises his role asIp Chun, Ip and Wing-sing's son.[11]
Sammo Hung was announced as part of the cast in April 2009. Apart from serving as the film's martial arts choreographer, Hung appears as Hung Chun-nam,[9][12] a master of thesouthern Chinese martial art ofHung Ga.[7] In August 2009, it was announced thatHuang Xiaoming would be playing Wong Leung, a supporting character based onWong Shun Leung, one of Ip Man's disciples and the person responsible for mentoring Bruce Lee.[1] Former child starAshton Chen was also announced to be playing a disciple.[9] Veteran actorKent Cheng also has a supporting role in the film.[13]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 Wong defeats Cheng in a fight.[14] Wilson Yip commented on the casting of the veteran actors as being "a form of tribute to old school kungfu movies."[15]
Yen and Yip reportedly conducted a worldwidecasting 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.[16][17] Yip and Yen debated over whether to look for an actor with a solid martial arts foundation or looks.[18] Among the 1300 Mainland Chinese candidates auditioning for the role,[9] Yip narrowed the casting call to two possible candidates: 10-year-old Jiang Dai Yan fromHenan and 12-year-old Pan Run Kang fromHeilongjiang.[1] On 10 August 2009, it was announced that Jiang Dai Yan would be playing the role of a 10-year-old Bruce Lee.[19] 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.[15] Yen, however, has stated his lack of interest in making a third film, feeling thatIp Man 2 will "become a classic."[12]
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. Yip commented, "I can only say that he fights even more vehemently than Sammo Hung."[20] However, in February 2010, it was revealed that British actor and stunt performerDarren Shahlavi would have a supporting role as a boxing opponent fighting against Ip Man.[21] 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."[15] Other cast members includeNgo Ka-nin and Kelvin Cheng.[11]
The filmmakers stated that whileIp Man was about survival,Ip Man 2 is about living.[11] The sequel is set in Hong Kong in 1949, when the city was underBritish colonial rule. Screenwriter Edmond Wong stated that the film also explorers "howHong Kong people were treated under British colonial rule, andWestern attitudes concerning Chinese kung fu".[4]
Wilson Yip stated thatIp 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 ofboxing.[7] 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."[19] Yip also stated that the film has some moments of "family drama", such as the ongoing conflict between Ip and his wife Wing-Sing.[12]
Prior to filming, a production ceremony forIp Man 2 was held inFoshan, receiving plenty of media coverage.[9]Principal photography began on 11 August 2009; filming took place in asound stage at Songjiang Studios inShanghai.[1][19] 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.[12] Filming ended on 8 November 2009.[20]
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 majorcardiac surgery. When he returned to the set, his dramatic scenes in the film were filmed first, with his fight sequences being filmed last.[12] 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. Not wanting his injuries to hinder the production progress, Hung spent five hours trying to complete the scene before going to the hospital for four stitches.[22] 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."[20]
Huang Xiaoming prepared for his role by learning Wing Chun martial arts.[19] He turned his hotel room into a gym, practicing with weights and awooden 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, under Jun Gao.[23] 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 thanHiroyuki Ikeuchi in the first film."[12]
The Chinese title of the film (traditional Chinese:葉問2:宗師傳奇;simplified Chinese:叶问2:宗师传奇) literally meansIp Man 2: Legend of a Grandmaster. The title is a play on the first film's working title which wasGrandmaster Ip Man, a title that was changed whenWong Kar-wai clashed with producers while trying to make his own Ip Man biopic. Wilson Yip explained that the title of the film was 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."[19] Wong Kar-wai's film, titledThe Grandmaster, was released in January 2013.
Ip Man 2 was released in select Asian countries and in Australia on 29 April 2010.[21] Prior to its release, Mandarin Films publicly launched the film's official website inBeijing on 6 April 2010. The film held a premiere press conference in Beijing on 21 April 2010, only seven days after the2010 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.[24] 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 thedisaster recovery.[25] The film held private screenings inChengdu on 21 April 2010, and in China on 27 April 2010, receiving positive reactions from audiences.[25]
Mandarin Films sold North American distribution rights for the film to distributorWell Go USA,[26] andIp Man 2 was released in the United States byVariance Films[27] on 28 January 2011.[28]
In Hong Kong,Ip Man 2 faced competition with the international release ofIron Man 2, which premiered in Hong Kong one day later thanIp Man 2. During its opening weekend,Ip Man 2 grossedHK$13 million (US$1,736,011),[29] surpassingIp Man's opening weekend gross of HK$4.5 million (US$579,715).[30] The sequel claimed first place at the box office, grossing HK$1 million more thanIron Man 2.[31] 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.[32] The film dropped 45.7% in its third week, bringing in HK$5,293,401 (US$678,613) while still remaining in first place.[33]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).[34] During its fifth week, the film moved to fifth place at 79.3%, grossing HK$664,535 (US$85,325).[35]Ip Man 2 grossed HK$43,268,228.72 (US$5,558,704) domestically.[28] The sequel's domestic gross in Hong Kong puts it ahead ofIp Man's total box office gross of HK$25,581,958.69 (US$3,300,847).[36]
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 byKung Fu Hustle.[37] On its opening weekendIp Man 2 came in second place behindIron Man 2, grossingSG$1.74 million (US$1,264,919).[38] The film's opening weekend gross surpassedIp Man's 2008 weekend gross of SG$827,000 (US$463,946).[39]
In total,Ip Man 2 has grossed US$49,721,954 worldwide during its theatrical run.[2]
Analysts believed thatIp Man 2's box office success was related to the favorable reputation and popularity of its first installment.[40] 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."[41] Liu Wei ofChina Daily noted that the film's finale was similar to its competition againstIron Man 2 at the box office: "The hero ofIp Man 2...faces up to a Western boxer and knocks him out. Off screen, it is a similar story."[41]
Analysts also predicted thatMandarin Films' hopes of having the sequel gross over ¥300 million in China was unlikely, due to competition with other films such asIron Man 2.[42] Another factor was that the illegal recording, downloading andfile sharing of the film would cause a potential loss in revenue.[43] A pirated version was released online, one week after the film's release in China, and attracted more than 10 million online users.[44] Raymond Wong publicly expressed that he would be pursuing legal action against the originator of the illegal downloads.[43]
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 wasAlice in Wonderland with HK$44 million.[45]
Thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes reported that 97% of critics have givenIp Man 2 a positive review based on 29 reviews, with an average rating of 6.92/10.[46] AtMetacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 67 out of 100 based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[47]
Singaporean film critic Genevieve Loh ofChannel 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."[48] James Marsh ofTwitch 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."[49] Joy Fang, a critic for online news portalAsiaOne 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."[50] Ho Yi, of theTaipei Times wrote, "Despite its plot holes, theIp Man series has potential and recalls the 1990s'Once Upon a Time in China franchise starringJet Li."[51] Amir Hafizi ofThe 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."[52]Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times awardedIp 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."[53]
Darcy Paquet ofScreen 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."[54] Amanda Foo ofThe 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 moreIp Man movies, with the shameless repetition that is happening in these films, even the most ardent fan would be tired."[55] Matt Prigge ofMetro New York stated in 2016, "There are gobs of films about Ip Man [...] Of these, the three films starring Donnie Yen are the trashiest; the second one is basically a remake ofRocky IV."[56]
In Hong Kong,Ip Man 2 was released onDVD, andBlu-ray Disc[57] formats on 25 June 2010. Releases include a single-disc edition[58] and a two-disc special edition on DVD[59] Features for the special edition DVD, as well as the Blu-ray disc, include deleted scenes, severaltheatrical 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, bothIp Man andIp 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,[60] as well as a standard DVD edition featuring both films with a total of two discs.[61]
In the United Kingdom,Ip Man 2 was 2011's sixth best-selling foreign-language film on physicalhome video formats, and the best-selling Chinese film (above the originalIp Man at number seven).[62]
The third installment began filming in 2015.[63] Edmond Wong, Raymond Wong and Wilson Yip returns as screenwriter, producer and director again, respectively. Donnie Yen reprises his role as "Ip Man".[64] In March 2015,The Hollywood Reporter announced that principal photography began; they also revealed thatMike Tyson has been cast in a role and Bruce Lee is portrayed byDanny Chan, reprising the role fromThe Legend of Bruce Lee.[65][66]
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