In Chinese with English subtitles
Handsome "Grandmaster" showcases the elegant side of kung-fu
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| Tony Leung as Ip Man |
If there is such a thing as a sophisticated action movie, then "The Grandmaster" will fall into that category. Part biography, part history lesson, the handsomely filmed, entertaining "The Grandmaster," telling the story of famed martial-arts grandmaster Ip Man, is a little patchy and slow in places, but it will satisfy those longing for a well-made kung-fu movie. "The Grandmaster" is a loose biographical sketch of the rise of Chinese martial-arts grandmaster Ip Man (Tony Leung), who developed and popularized the Wing Chun style of Chinese martial arts and who would later become the instructor for martial arts legend Bruce Lee. Directed and written by Wong Kar-wai ("Happy Together"), "The Grandmaster" is an elegaic, heavily stylized and romanticized version of a portion of Ip Man's life, which alters the details of his life considerably. Unlike the other many Ip Man film and TV versions (seen mostly in China and Hong Kong), "The Grandmaster" mixes reflection, history and lush visuals with considerable doses of kung-fu, which unsurprisingly highlight the film. Kar-wai has a nice visual flair, so the action scenes are played out in the elements against snow, rain, ice, even on a set of stairs, with the blood surprisingly minimal. It's also well-acted by Leung as a low-key Ip Man, along with the lovely Zhang Ziyi, in one of her stronger roles outside of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Memoirs of a Geisha," her most popular films. Outside of the memorable fight scenes, some of it is slow-moving, and a key flashback in the third act, though containing "Grandmaster's" most entertaining fight between Ziyi and Chinese actor Zhang Jin, is simply too long, as Kar-wai feels the need to show us every detail instead of briefly showing it and summarizing the rest, which would've sufficed plot-wise. The lush visuals, the well-choreographed kung-fu and the handsome leads all add up to a satisfying time, and the well-made "The Grandmaster" is worth your time, even if you aren't a fan of martial arts. Be sure to stay until the end for a nice prologue on the real Ip Man.
Wes's Grade: B
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