Yip's chop-socky sequel does manage to up the (admittedly modest) ante of the original.
Ip Man 2(葉問2)
✭ ✭ ✭ Read critic reviews
Hong Kong, China · 2010
Rated R · 1h 48m
Director Wilson Yip
Starring Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Simon Yam, Lynn Hung
Genre Action, Drama, History
Add to Watchlist
Please login to add films to your watchlist.
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.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
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.
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.
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.
A redundant if nonetheless occasionally thrilling follow-up bolstered by star Donnie Yen's precision combat skills.
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 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.
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.
Users who liked this film also liked
Fearless
(霍元甲)
Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself makes you fearless.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- China, Hong Kong • 2006
- Director Ronny Yu
- Cast Jet Li, Sun Li, Dong Yong, Shidou Nakamura, Pau Hei-Ching, Chen Zhi-Hui
- Genre Drama, Action
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand
Eden Log
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2007
- Director Franck Vestiel
- Cast Clovis Cornillac, Vimala Pons, Zohar Wexler, Sifan Shao, Arben Bajraktaraj, Benjamin Baroche
- Genre Action, Adventure, Drama, Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Hoopla, Plex Channel
Ip Man
(葉問)
See the life of the celebrated Kung Fu master who trained Bruce Lee.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong, China • 2008
- Director Wilson Yip
- Cast Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Lynn Hung, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Gordon Lam, Fan Siu-wong
- Genre Action, Drama, History
- Available on fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, Hi-YAH, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, FlixFling, Microsoft Store, AMC on Demand, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, VIX , Freevee, Xumo Play, Kanopy, Plex, Plex Channel
Lost in La Mancha
Witness Terry Gilliam's attempt to get The Man Who Killed Don Quixote off the ground in the midst of disaster upon disaster.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, United States • 2002
- Director Louis Pepe
- Cast Terry Gilliam, Tony Grisoni, Philip A. Patterson, René Cleitman, Nicola Pecorini, José Luis Escolar
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Apple TV, Amazon Video, The Roku Channel
14 Blades
(錦衣衛)
In imperial China, a secret agent must rally loyalists to restore the Emperor to power while facing deadly assassins.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong, China, Singapore • 2010
- Director Daniel Lee Yan-Kong
- Cast Donnie Yen, Zhao Wei, Wu Zun, Kate Tsui, Qi Yuwu, Damian Lau
- Genre Action, Drama, Thriller
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Tubi TV, Freevee, Plex, Plex Channel
The Legend Is Born: Ip Man
(葉問前傳)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong • 2010
- Director Herman Yau
- Cast Dennis To Yue-Hong, Huang Yi, Yuen Biao, Fan Siu-wong, Rose Chan Ka-Wun, Sammo Hung
- Genre Drama, Action, History
- Available on Fandango At Home
The Grandmaster
(一代宗師)
Once upon a time in kung fu...
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong, China • 2013
- Director Wong Kar-wai
- Cast Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Song Hye-kyo, Zhao Benshan, Xiao Shenyang
- Genre Action, Drama, History
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, AMC on Demand, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Plex, Plex Channel
The Assault
(L'Assaut)
A French counterterrorism agency must save the lives of 227 hostages on a hijacked plane.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2011
- Director Julien Leclercq
- Cast Vincent Elbaz, Grégori Derangère, Mélanie Bernier, Aymen Saïdi, Chems Dahmani, Mohid Abid
- Genre Action, Drama, Thriller
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube
The Well Digger's Daughter
(La Fille du puisatier)
A French well-digger becomes caught between his honor and his love for his daughter.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2011
- Director Daniel Auteuil
- Cast Daniel Auteuil, Kad Merad, Sabine Azéma, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Kanopy, Hoopla
Ip Man: The Final Fight
(葉問:終極一戰)
Legendary grandmaster Ip Man must fight one last time to defend his honor.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong • 2013
- Director Herman Yau
- Cast Anthony Wong, Anita Yuen, Gillian Chung, Jordan Chan, Eric Tsang, Jiang Luxia
- Genre Action, Drama
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, Hi-YAH, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, FlixFling, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, YouTube Free, Pluto TV, Freevee, Xumo Play, Plex, Plex Channel
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
(भाग मिल्खा भाग)
The life and times of Milkha Singh, and how he became one of India's most famous athletes.
- ✭
- India • 2013
- Director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
- Cast Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor, Divya Dutta, Pavan Malhotra, Rebecca Breeds, Prakash Raj
- Genre Action, Drama, History
- Available on Apple TV
The Man Cave
(Männerhort)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Germany • 2014
- Director Franziska Meyer Price
- Cast Detlev Buck, Christoph Maria Herbst, Elyas M’Barek, Dominic Boeer, Lisa Maria Potthoff, Cosma Shiva Hagen
- Genre Comedy
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Ip Man 3
(葉問3)
Martial-arts Master Ip must defend his city from brutal gangsters and a crooked property developer.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- China, Hong Kong • 2015
- Director Wilson Yip
- Cast Donnie Yen, Lynn Hung, Zhang Jin, Patrick Tam, Karena Ng, Kent Cheng
- Genre Action, Drama, History
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, Hi-YAH, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Microsoft Store, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, VIX , Freevee, Kanopy, Plex, Plex Channel
Four Against the Bank
(Vier gegen die Bank)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Germany • 2016
- Director Wolfgang Petersen
- Cast Jan Josef Liefers, Til Schweiger, Matthias Schweighöfer, Michael Herbig, Antje Traue, Alexandra Maria Lara
- Genre Comedy, Crime
- Available on Fandango At Home, Amazon Video
Ip Man 4: The Finale
(葉問4)
Ip Man travels to San Francisco to resolve tensions between martial arts masters and his star student, Bruce Lee.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong, China • 2019
- Director Wilson Yip
- Cast Donnie Yen, Wu Yue, Vanness Wu, Scott Adkins, Danny Chan Kwok-kwan, Vanda Lee
- Genre Action, Drama, History
- Available on Hi-YAH, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, AMC on Demand, Tubi TV, VIX , Kanopy, Hoopla
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.