Critic Rating
(read reviews)User Rating
Director
Wilson Yip
Cast
Donnie Yen,
Sammo Hung,
Simon Yam,
Lynn Hung,
Fan Siu-wong,
Lo Meng
Genre
Action,
Drama,
History
Having defeated the best fighters of the Imperial Japanese army in occupied Shanghai, Ip Man and his family settle in post-war Hong Kong. Struggling to make a living, Master Ip opens a kung fu school to bring his celebrated art of Wing Chun to the troubled youth of Hong Kong.
As is consistent throughout the entire Ip Man series, the action in Ip Man 2 is the standard to beat in martial arts films. Donnie Yen continues to showcase his talent as a martial artist and even an actor, playing the reserved but confident Ip Man. Ip Man 2 however really goes above and beyond with the story, with compelling motivations and clear stakes that are impossible not to get invested in.
Portland Oregonian by Shawn Levy
An energetic, witty and altogether well-built martial arts drama that is familiar in many ways but distinguished by its high level of craft, its sincere sentiment and drama, and the forceful charisma of its star, Donnie Yen.
The New York Times by Manohla Dargis
Choreographed by the film martial-arts veteran Sammo Hung, the fights are spectacularly designed and performed, relying more on muscle and skill than wirework.
Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert
A reminder of the pleasure of classic martial-arts films in which skilled athletes performed many of their own stunts.
Los Angeles Times
More slick mainland melodrama than rough-and-ready chop-socky picture, Ip Man 2 often finds itself struggling to reconcile those conflicting impulses between drizzly emotional moments and slap-happy frenzy.
The Hollywood Reporter
Compared to his stellar hit "Ip Man" - a biopic on the Wing Chun master who tutored Bruce Lee - Wilson Yip's more lavishly produced sequel Ip Man 2 is a fistful of hits and misses.
Village Voice by Nick Schager
A redundant if nonetheless occasionally thrilling follow-up bolstered by star Donnie Yen's precision combat skills.
Boxoffice Magazine by Wade Major
A superbly well-crafted film, faithful to its cultural and cinematic heritage, and easily one of the most enjoyable entertainments of a still nascent 2011 post-holiday season.
The Hollywood Reporter by Maggie Lee
Compared to his stellar hit "Ip Man" - a biopic on the Wing Chun master who tutored Bruce Lee - Wilson Yip's more lavishly produced sequel Ip Man 2 is a fistful of hits and misses.
Los Angeles Times by Mark Olsen
More slick mainland melodrama than rough-and-ready chop-socky picture, Ip Man 2 often finds itself struggling to reconcile those conflicting impulses between drizzly emotional moments and slap-happy frenzy.
Salon by Andrew O'Hehir
Nearly as enjoyable as the original. Its not-so-secret weapon is the poised, calm performance of Yen, who somehow manages to play Ip as both character and archetype.
Austin Chronicle by Marc Savlov
If you're searching for pure, unadulterated fisticuffs joy, you could do far worse than Ip Man 2.
New York Post by V.A. Musetto
The piéce de résistance is a "Rocky"-ish battle between bare-fisted Ip (Donnie Yen) and a racist Brit who uses boxing gloves and goes by the name Twister.
New York Daily News by Joe Neumaier
With action this strong, the script just needs to be serviceable - and that's exactly what it is.
Time Out
Yip's chop-socky sequel does manage to up the (admittedly modest) ante of the original.
San Francisco Chronicle by Amy Biancolli
If the movie packs a weaker punch than the original, it has less to do with the action sequences than the script (by Edmond Wong, son of Raymond, who wrote the first), a flimsy affair with subpar villains.
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