2010s action film biographical film martial arts film

Ip Man 2

2010 · Hong Kong · 108 min

Director: Wilson Yip
Screenplay: Edmond Wong
Producer: Wong Pak Ming, Xin Lee, Ann An
Music: Kenji Kawai
Cinematography: Hang Sang Poon
Editing: Cheung Ka-fai

What the critics say

97 % Rotten Tomatoes positive reviews67 Metacritic /100

Cast

Charles Mayer

What it is about

Following the events of the first film, Ip Man 2 follows the Wing Chun master Ip Man in British-ruled Hong Kong in the early 1950s. Newly arrived in the city with his family, he tries to open a school and make a living while competing for students with other martial arts masters, among them the leader of the Hung Ga schools. The story mixes combat with the economic and social pressure faced by the local Chinese community.

How it was made

The project was announced by producer Raymond Wong before the first film opened in cinemas in December 2008. The filmmakers wanted to focus on the relationship between Ip and his most famous disciple, Bruce Lee, but they could not secure the film rights from Lee's descendants, so Lee appears only briefly as a child. Filming took place from August to November 2009, mainly inside a studio in Shanghai. Director Wilson Yip aimed for a more dramatic tone, while screenwriter Edmond Wong wanted the film to address the mistreatment of local people under the British and Western views of Chinese martial arts. Sammo Hung, who also plays Hung Chun-nam, choreographed the fights.

Reception and legacy

The film premiered in Beijing on 21 April 2010 and opened in Hong Kong on 29 April. Critics responded positively, praising its storytelling and choreography. Its opening weekend outgrossed the original film, and it became the highest-grossing Hong Kong production of the first half of 2010. Estimates of its worldwide earnings vary by source, with figures of around 14 million and 49 million US dollars cited. The series later gained a third instalment, which began shooting in 2015.