The most impressive thing about Ip Man was its action choreography, not because it was expertly carried out but because after a long time, martial arts in cinema didn't look like a joke that went way too over-the-top. Instead, it had a very realistic feel, something that I'd been waiting for so long. There's no denying that the film had its storytelling issues but most of those complaints were simply brushed aside by its adrenaline-fueled, high octane & wildly spectacular action.
Now as for Ip Man 2, almost everyone who went in expecting the same thrilling experience that the original delivered didn't really come out feeling exactly the same. The film had an opportunity to be a worthy sequel to Ip Man but it exhibits such a massive downgrade in all aspects that it turns into a disappointment quite easily. Even its action choreography discards that grounded feel & ends up taking the same over-the-top route we've seen so many times in so many martial arts actioners before.
Following the events after the first film, set during the early 1950s & very loosely based on the life of Chinese martial artist Ip Man, Ip Man 2 presents the Wing Chun grandmaster's life in Hong Kong under British colonial rule where he opens a school to teach his discipline but soon faces opposition from local practitioners. After managing to earn their respect, things go extremely wrong when a cocky British boxer makes fun of the Chinese tradition & throws an open challenge to anyone, thus forcing Ip Man to step into the ring.
Directed by Wilson Yip, there are a handful of positives in this film such as its good pacing, an enjoyable plot & another charismatic performance from Donnie Yen. But that's all there is to this picture for it is marred by dull characters, horrible dialogues, poor performances, fractured storytelling & the most heartbreaking of them all, lacklustre action. What was done so amazingly well in the previous film is completely forgotten here although there are a few glimpses of such moments when the filmmakers aren't trying too hard.
On an overall scale, Ip Man 2 lacks the elements that made Ip Man such a terrific example of its genre & feels like those sequels which are made to cash in on the success of the original rather than trying to push forward what it achieved with the first film. Replacing the authentic martial arts choreography with eye-candy moments full of gravity-defying stunts in slow-motion within the first act of the film, Ip Man 2 is a massive disappointment in every manner, lacks the kinetic energy of the original & falls remarkably short of its expectations.
