Perspectives

Well, to start off, I should say that I was dragged, coaxed and sweet-talked into going to watch this movie. I was convinced that it was not worth my time because of several reasons:

• I wasn’t convinced that Donnie Yen would be an effective actor and I didn’t want to be bored out of my mind watching him on screen
• I wasn’t sure that I was attracted to the marketing tagline “Bruce Lee’s martial arts master” to convince me enough to watch the film
• Many action genre films were very overdone, completely overrated, lacked a strong storyline of any kind and becomes plain boring after a while
• Not since Tsui Hark’s Wong Fei Hung series, have I ever been very enthusiastic in watching a kung fu film as I was determined in myself that only Jet Li was worth watching on screen

But I still went because:

• The fiance pulled the puppy-eyed act on me and I can’t say no
• I was spoiled silly for the past few days in Klang with good food and lots of lovin

So hence I could not say NO! Dang it!

But back to the film:

Donnie Yen shines in this film not only as a martial arts veteran in the Hong Kong film industry, but also as a surprisingly effective character actor. I learned through subsequent readings after viewing this film that he was heavily invested in the making of the movie, and he went into depth to study the full characteristics and personality of Yip Man, the man he portrayed in this biopic. That has certainly paid off in this movie and it is evidenced by the rave reviews the film has received in Asia, since its wide release.

The action sequences were well choreographed and I definitely enjoyed the close-ups the cameraman focused on, to capture the swift movements in the fights. It was also helpful that it was shot in slow-motion (without the tackiness) to allow viewers to experience the action better.

But the biggest reward I enjoyed were the excellent set design for each scene. It was very well done with a lot of attention paid to the finer details. The costumes used in the film were also worth noting.

This film also benefited from the strong supporting actors that added a lot of color to the scenes. Notable performances include Simon Yam as Yip Man’s friend & business partner Zhou Qing Quan, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi as General Miura and Lam Ka Tung as Li Chiu. I especially found Ka Tung’s performance as a reluctant hero very poignant to the story. I dare say that he was close to stealing the show from Donnie Yen and I look forward to seeing his future films. He is someone to look out for. It is a real pity that the film industry in Hong Kong has neglected his talent for so long. But if he continues to present worthwhile performances such as displayed in this movie, he is well on his way up to playing major characters instead of side roles all his life.

The only drawback that I felt was lacking in the film was the lack of character development for Yip Man’s wife Cheung Wing-Sing, played by Xiong Dai-Lin. More should’ve been done to flesh out her personality and her position as the wife of this enigmatic man. But I suspect that it is also partly because of the actress’ lack of experience, as evidenced in her often wooden performance that reflected nothing short of immaturity.That leaves her as nothing but a pretty face and an accessory in the film.

My Ratings-

Directing: 8/10

Set Design: 9/10

Acting: 7/10

Action sequences: 8/10

Plot & storyline: 8/10

Overall film: 8/10

Highly recommended for action buffs but certainly not for anyone who cringes on the slight sight of blood and violence.