Fantastic Fest Review: Ip Man 2

Last year, I had the luck to attend an all-night movie fest where Quentin Tarantino treated us to a screening of Inglourious Basterds. We were also treated to a number of cool exploitation/action movies. The final movie of the night was a true gem known as Ip Man. Ip Man stars Donnie Yen and is set during the Japanese occupation of China during World War II. The film is the true story of Ip Man, a legendary Kung Fu master, and tells the story of what it was like in China before and during the Japanese occupation. It is a tale of family and honor when faced with oppression. Ip Man quickly rose to the top of my all-time favorite kung fu movies.  

Enter Ip Man 2. When the list of Fantastic Fest 2010 movies was announced, this was one movie that  caught my attention immediately. When it screened at the fest, I sat in my seat with excitement and trepidation. Would this sequel deliver or would it fall like sequels typically do? Let me tell you: it delivered from the starting frame to the end. 

Ip Man 2 furthers the kung fu master's story, now set against the setting of early British Hong Kong.  Upon Ip Man's arrival in Hong Kong, he decides to resume his work as a Wing Chun teacher. During Ip Man's struggles to establish his school, he encounters Master Hung Quan, played by the legendary Sammo Hung. Hung is a semi-corrupt martial arts master who harasses Ip Man in his desire to open a  school. In what will go down a legendary battle of onscreen kung fu masters, Ip Man must defeat Hung in a battle. Winning the battle will allow Ip Man to open his school. As expected Ip defeats Hung and both masters establish a mutual respect.

During the movie, we learn details of an exhibition of Chinese kung fu  versus Western style boxing. Eventually the time of the exhibition arrives and we meet our antagonist/villain, a British boxer who goes by the name Twister. Twister is played realistically (at least as movie villains go) by actor Darren Shahlavi. Shahlavi did a fantastic job of creating a realistic rival to the king fu masters. The boxing/kung fu matches were epic and as hard it is to believe, will probably go down in the annals of kung fu movies as a series of legendary matches.

Ip Man 2 delivers a fine sequel to an already classic kung fu story.  I highly recommend catching this movie when it hits theaters starting in January 2011.