Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
The remarkable true story of the early life of Ip Man, the formidable kung fu genius who would become Bruce Lee's mentor; beginning at the start of his journey from his initial training through to the ultimate battle to become supreme master of the art of Wing Chun.
A prequel/spinoff to the Donnie Yen Ip Man series but without the same cast or polish, this film covers Ip Man's early years with a fairly generic origin story structure. The plot hits familiar martial arts biopic beats without much depth or surprise. Acting is serviceable but unremarkable compared to the main series. Cinematography and action choreography are competent Hong Kong production quality. Novelty is limited as it treads well-worn territory of the kung fu origin story and rides the coattails of the more successful Ip Man (2008). The ending delivers a reasonable climactic duel but lacks the emotional resonance of its predecessors.