The British are the baddies in a clunky origin story that can’t land a blow on Donnie Yen’s original series
A mainland Chinese attempt to cash in on Donnie Yen’s superior Hong Kong series about Bruce Lee’s eponymous sifu, this film’s quickstep fighting rhythms are bogged down by a laughable lack of effort on the narrative front. Budding martial arts master Ip Man, played here by former child star and Jet Li acolyte Miu Tse, arouses the ire of the arrogant British colonialist Mr Stark (played by Sergio de Ieso in a possible nod to Iron Man) after interrupting his human trafficking ring. That’s your lot story-wise; slogging through 76 minutes feels like being forced to do one-finger press-ups for the same length of time.
This is the kind of plot staple – plucky martial arts school takes on foreign bullyboys – that animated many a Shaw...
A mainland Chinese attempt to cash in on Donnie Yen’s superior Hong Kong series about Bruce Lee’s eponymous sifu, this film’s quickstep fighting rhythms are bogged down by a laughable lack of effort on the narrative front. Budding martial arts master Ip Man, played here by former child star and Jet Li acolyte Miu Tse, arouses the ire of the arrogant British colonialist Mr Stark (played by Sergio de Ieso in a possible nod to Iron Man) after interrupting his human trafficking ring. That’s your lot story-wise; slogging through 76 minutes feels like being forced to do one-finger press-ups for the same length of time.
This is the kind of plot staple – plucky martial arts school takes on foreign bullyboys – that animated many a Shaw...
- 3/28/2023
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
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