THE LEGEND IS BORN: IP MAN is a prequel to the two widely successful IP MAN films starring Donnie Yen. I absolutely love those movies, finding them a delight with strong storytelling and outstanding action, so I wasn't quite sure how this prequel - which DOESN'T feature Yen - would stand up.
The answer is that it's worth a shot, although not of the same calibre as the other two films. It's an amiable enough martial arts story, mixing biographic storytelling with some action sequences that don't disappointment. Dennis To is an exact lookalike for a young Yen, but he doesn't have the same level of acting ability although his martial arts skills are quite good.
The film is well shot by Herman Yau, the notorious bad taste director of the 1990s, who puts every penny of the budget up on the screen. The story is familiar and contains some rather generic and stereotypical villains, but that's par for the course for a martial arts flick. The supporting cast is exemplary, however, and where the movie really shines. Fan Siu-Wong (THE STORY OF RICKY) excels as Ip Man's adopted brother, and Sammo Hung has a nice opening cameo as a martial arts master. Better still is Yuen Biao, off our screens for too many years and still cutting it where it counts. There's even an important role for Ip Man's real-life son, Ip Chun, which can't be scoffed at.
The answer is that it's worth a shot, although not of the same calibre as the other two films. It's an amiable enough martial arts story, mixing biographic storytelling with some action sequences that don't disappointment. Dennis To is an exact lookalike for a young Yen, but he doesn't have the same level of acting ability although his martial arts skills are quite good.
The film is well shot by Herman Yau, the notorious bad taste director of the 1990s, who puts every penny of the budget up on the screen. The story is familiar and contains some rather generic and stereotypical villains, but that's par for the course for a martial arts flick. The supporting cast is exemplary, however, and where the movie really shines. Fan Siu-Wong (THE STORY OF RICKY) excels as Ip Man's adopted brother, and Sammo Hung has a nice opening cameo as a martial arts master. Better still is Yuen Biao, off our screens for too many years and still cutting it where it counts. There's even an important role for Ip Man's real-life son, Ip Chun, which can't be scoffed at.