Young Ip Man Movie 2023
If you’re into the Ip Man franchise and movies, it should be no surprise that the Ip-exploitation story has a new focus. Known for being the man who originally shared his Kung Fu Mastery with Bruce Lee, Young Ip Man is the next title for Donnie Chen fans. With the same director as 2019’s Kung Fu Master, Liming Li sets his sights on a story immersed well into Ip Man’s historical beginnings. Straying far from what fans of the Donnie Chen representation of this character are, Young Ip Man instantly lacks the appeal of the other films in the series. But that doesn’t make it terrible.
The younger version of Donnie Chen doesn’t tackle the usual moralistic premise. Ip Man Fans are used to watching the good guy rising up against the government while fighting off the bad guys. They are the underdogs standing up for what’s right. They always win. This title tries to seize a more Westernized action movie playing field. Set at a large brick-covered school the teenage hero played by Wenhao Zhao, goes head to head with a more classic-style villain. Breaking free from prison and with vengeance on his mind, Brother Long (Feng-bin Mou) infiltrates the college and takes the students hostage. Young Ip Man is not a savior here. He is simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Ip Man Movies
In a large-scale takeover, Young Ip Man tries to include more bang for your buck. Machine gun-toting baddies on the outside, while inside, the hand-to-hand fight scenes begin. As a fan of most of the Donnie Chen-housed films, here the choreography doesn’t have the grit and tension. Wenhao Zhao’s role sadly felt miscast. Zhao’s movements looked stiff and rigid and his dialogue holds no similarities or softly spoken rhetoric of the popular actor who plays his older self. There is a little linking the persona together.
The storyline is adequate featuring an onus on corruption within authoritarian figures. The hostage scenario overall is also quite effective. On the upside, there is plenty of backstory for key characters tying into some decent plot twists.
Young IP Man is rated
2.5 family-friendly King Fu films out of 5
Young Ip Man Streaming
You can watch the Young Ip Man full movie on Hi-YAH! April 28 and on Blu-ray™ & DVD May 16, 2023. Distributed by Well Go USA. This title was acquired for screening purposes.
Watch the Trailer
