Fridae

I suppose it would have happened sooner or later, given the popularity of the Ip Man films starring Donnie Yen. Yes, we’re getting a prequel that explains how the heir to a Cantonese trading business became a kungfu genius and how he picked up the martial arts called Wing Chun. What we did not expect was for this prequel to hit the cinemas (the concept sounds like a direct-to-video), or for the producer, martial arts choreographer, and various actors from the original Ip Man films to be involved. 

Dennis To, who plays the young Ip Man, was the martial arts advisor and an actor in the first Ip Man film. Fan Siu-wong, who plays the young Ip Man’s brother, played one of the baddies in the first Ip Man film. Samo Hung, in an important cameo, was in the Ip Man sequel that aired earlier this year. All of them might be making a really bad decision – given that this prequel seems to have a far smaller budget than either of the two Ip Man films.

But it turns out that these fears are unfounded. The film’s smaller budget is in part compensated by a very effective script which harks back to the sensibilities of 70s wuxia and martial arts flicks. What we get is an interesting blend of the old and the new. Visually, this is very much a modern martial arts film with modern visual aesthetics. The story plays like an old Shaw Bros piece replete with lengthy fight scenes (sadly without the old Shaw Bros penchant for sweaty fight scenes!), plenty of moralising on brotherhood, integrity, love and betrayal. 

As with the previous Ip Man films, the prequel is still a fanciful telling of a folk legend than a biopic. The story is yet again a reworking of elements from Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury. Ip Man is still very much a protagonist who doesn’t really have much of a character arc, a hero who doesn’t really have a problem he can’t solve with difficulty. In its defence, there is an old school charm and earnestness in the prequel that was missing in the other two films. Action-wise, this film attempts to provide an insight to the inner workings and the philosophies of Wing Chun, which some audiences may appreciate. 

And the icing on the cake? Ip Man’s eldest son, Ip Chun, even has a cameo as a Wing Chun master. That’s a high vote of confidence in this project.