Ip Man 2 is an Action, Biography, History, Drama & Adventure film set to be released this
January 28, 2011 in theaters wide. The story in the movie Ip Man 2 (2011), continuing from where the first film ended, Wing Chun 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 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 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. 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. Ip arrives and accepts the challenge.
As his wife goes into labor, Ip finishes training and begins his fight with Twister. Ip manages to exchange blows with the boxer but is knocked down many times, but in the end he finally manages to knock him out. 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, he wishes for everyone to respect each other. 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. The film is directed by
Wilson Yip, under the distribution of
Well Go USA, MPAA rating as R. Ip Man 2 cast are
Donnie Yen as Ip Man (葉問),
Sammo Hung as Hung Chun-nam (洪震南),
Simon Yam as Chow Ching-chuen (周清泉),
Fan Siu-wong as Jin Shanzhao (金山找),
Lynn Hung as Cheung Wing-sing (張永成),
Huang Xiaoming as Wong Leung (黃梁),
Kent Cheng as Fatso (肥波),
Pierre Ngo as Leung Kan (梁根),
Calvin Cheng as Chow Kwong-yiu (周光耀),
Li Chak as Ip Chun (葉准),
To Yu-hang as Cheng Wai-kei (鄭偉基),
Darren Shahlavi as Taylor "The Twister" Milos (龍捲風),
Charles Mayer as Wallace,
Jiang Daiyan as Bruce Lee (李小龍),
Ashton Chen as Tsui Sai-cheung (徐世昌),
Lam Hak-ming as Master Lam (林師傅),
Lo Mang as Master Law (羅師傅),
Fung Hak-on as Master Cheng (鄭師傅),
Brian Burrell as Emcee and
Lu Meifang as Hung Chun-nam's wife.
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Ip Man 2 is the second feature film overall to be based on the life of Ip Man, 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.
Prior to Ip 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 disciple Bruce Lee. 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.
Several cast members from Ip 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. 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 disinterest 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.
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 rule. 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.
Prior to filming, a production ceremony for Ip Man 2 was held in Foshan, 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.
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 surgery. 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."
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 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-wai 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."
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 Beijing 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 will receive a February 2011 theatrical release in the United States.
In Hong Kong, Ip Man 2 faced competition with the international release of Iron Man 2, 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's 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's total box office gross of HK$25,581,958.69 (US$3,300,847).
Ip Man 2 has also broken box office records in Singapore. The film is currently 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's 2008 weekend gross of SG$827,000 (US$463,946).
In total, Ip Man 2 has grossed an estimated US$14,792,155 worldwide during its theatrical run.
Analysts believed that Ip Man 2's 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 Daily 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.
Ip Man 2 received mostly positive reviews from film critics. It has a 95% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 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."
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."
In Hong Kong, Ip Man 2 was released on DVD, 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.
