Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend Blu-ray Review

 

• Actors ‏ : ‎ Dennis To, Li Yaojing, Steven Dasz, Wang Wanzhong, Zhang Tingfei
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
• Language ‏ : ‎ English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), Mandarin Chinese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), Mandarin Chinese (Dolby Atmos)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go USA Entertainment
• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 2.35:1
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.3 x 0.5 x 6.8 inches; 3.35 ounces
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Blu-ray
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 38 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ July 14, 2026

        Ip Man is a historical figure whose life has been pillaged so frequently for cinematic inspiration that it would not be shocking to find that some believe him to be fictional, if only due to the high level of spectacle often used to enhance storytelling. While there have been a handful of biopics more dedicated to facts and realism, just as many elevate the kung fu legend’s skills to near-superhero levels, and Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend belongs to the latter group. This is likely to be a good thing for those desiring an exciting kung fu movie, while it may disappoint those more concerned with realism and historical accuracy. 

 

Not unlike a majority of the films about the kung fu legend who went on to teach Bruce Lee, Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend is an installment in an existing franchise, rather than a standalone film. It serves as a follow-up to Ip Man: Kung Fu Master (2019), which traced Ip Man’s transition away from being a police officer, though there is no need to see the original to be able to follow along with the storyline. Besides the continuation of several casting choices, including Yu-Hang To’s performances as the title character, and returning director Liming Li, there is little connecting the storyline of the two films. What does remain is director Li’s approach towards the action sequences, which is sometimes a double-edged sword.

 

At the beginning of this second film in To’s Ip Man franchise, the former police officer is attempting to start his own martial arts school, resulting in a fun sequence where he must pass a series of skill tests by the martial arts community. The actual plot moves on to a storyline surprisingly similar to the first film, but the opening sequences injects a few fun action scenes to start out with before foreigners interrupt the community and Ip Man is framed for murder yet again. While the first film follows Ip Man fighting against the Japanese army after being framed for the murder of a gangster, Kung Fu Legend has him battling a British-backed crime syndicate who frames him for murdering a fellow kung fu master.

While the plot is disappointingly derivative, it matters very little to the actual experience of watching the movie, which is far more interested in the spectacle of action sequences than an original storyline. And for the most part, it succeeds at what it is aspiring to be. Those who enjoyed the over-the-top kung fu choreography of the first film, this follow-up provides more of the same. Unfortunately, it also contains the same problems that the first film had thanks to the way director Liming Li approaches filming and editing together the action scenes, which admittedly remain the film’s greatest asset despite their flaws. The biggest problem seems to be spatial awareness between shots when the action is edited together. Often the use of close-up seems to hide the fact that the choreography doesn’t always make sense, just like over-use of slow motion ends up making everything feel overly melodramatic instead of being exciting the way it is when wider shots allow us to see the choreography carried out at speed.

 

The Blu-ray release of Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend doesn’t come with many special features. Aside from the optional English language dubbing available for those who don’t enjoy subtitles, there is only a trailer included as a bonus. The real reason for seeing this on Blu-ray is the visual spectacle. It is also available on 4K Ultra HD for those that want it to be even more impressive.

 

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 6/10

Historical Significance:  3.5/10

Special Features: 1/10