To director Yip, it seems as if the story is simply an excuse to watch people punch and kick each other. Man is then called upon to extract vengeance and stand up to the British occupiers. This leads to confrontations with the area’s existing kung fu schools, which are quickly forgotten when a loud, disrespectful British boxer (Darren Shahlavi, “300”), kills a Chinese kung fu master in the ring. Man (Donnie Yen, “Blade II”) ended the previous film escaping from the Japanese and has now relocated to postwar Hong Kong, where he’s trying to establish himself as a local kung fu instructor. These visually stunning achievements mask a predictable, utterly conventional story that takes a few too many liberties with history and realism. Instead of the fantastical wire tricks that dominated “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” or the expensive CGI that’s constantly overused by today’s typical action films, Hung brings a simple, blow-by-blow approach to “Ip Man 2.” Under Hung’s guidance, combatants flow against each other in an intricate, violent ballet, resulting in sequences that are eye-grabbing and visceral.
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The film’s secret weapon is veteran fight choreographer Sammo Hung (“Kung Fu Hustle”), who creates a continuous series of technically precise fight scenes, the most intricate of which features dozens of armed assailants in an intricate dance that never seems forced.
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Directed by Wilson Yip (“Flash Point”) from a relentless script full of constant conflict by Edmond Wong (“Dragon Tiger Gate”), “Ip Man 2” is a breathtaking, adrenaline-charged thrill-ride, featuring some of the best action sequences to ever come out of Hong Kong. But “Ip Man 2” is just as visually entertaining as Lee’s classic kung-fu features. American audiences will be more familiar with Man’s acclaimed protégé, Bruce Lee.
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