Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
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. His growing reputation soon brings challenges from powerful enemies, including pre-eminent Hung Gar master, Hung Quan.
Ip Man 2 is a competent and entertaining sequel that largely recycles the structure of the first film — a humble master proves his worth against arrogant opponents, culminating in a high-stakes bout with a foreign antagonist (this time a British boxer rather than a Japanese general). The action choreography is thrilling and Donnie Yen remains a magnetic physical presence, but the film leans heavily on formula. The Rocky-esque boxing finale, while crowd-pleasing, feels borrowed from Western sports cinema. Cinematography is polished but unremarkable for the genre. The ending is rousing but predictable. Low Novelty is earned: the film is essentially a structural retread of its predecessor, swapping one foreign villain archetype for another.