Blu-ray Review: Ip Man (Collector’s Edition)

Release Date: July 27th, 2010
Running Time: 107 minutes

The Film

Bruce Lee is a worldwide superstar. People who have no interest in martial arts films whatsoever know that Lee was the man, but behind every great student there lies a great master. Decades before he became Lee’s Yoda, Ip Man defied Japanese invaders and became a legend to his countrymen. Ip Man is an uplifting tale about one of China’s most memorable kung fu masters and also happens to be one of the best martial arts films in recent memory.

The story is set in the 1930s in the southern Chinese town of Fo Shan that is famous for its martial arts schools. Among the various masters one reigns supreme: Wing Chun master Ip Man (Donnie Yen). Unlike the other masters, however, Ip Man is wealthy and spends his days practicing with his friends rather than teaching students, much to the chagrin of his wife (Li Chak) who wishes he would spend more time with their son. Ip Man becomes a local hero when he fends off a cocky, bullish master from the north named Jin Shanzhao (Fan Siu-wong) and restores the town pride.

Everything changes in 1937 when Japan invades China. Ip Man’s house becomes the Fo Shan army headquarters and he is reduced to shoveling coal for a living. Food is extremely scarce, but there is an alternate avenue to obtain rice. Japanese General Miura (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi) will give one bag of rice to any Chinese martial artist who beats a Japanese opponent. This fight club draws many willing participants, but not everyone survives the competition. When one of Ip Man’s friends doesn’t return, he volunteers and sees another master executed before his eyes. Enraged, Ip Man takes on ten Japanese at once, obliterating them and drawing the attention of Miura.

Meanwhile Ip Man’s old friend Chow Ching-cheun (Simon Yam) does his best to run a cotton mill but is harassed by a gang of robbers led by Jin. After Chow and his son are beaten up, Ip Man begins to teach the entire mill Wing Chun. Though Ip Man never desired to teach students, he begins to realize that in these dire times he has become more than a man. He has become a hero, a beacon of hope for his countrymen. With the Japanese becoming increasingly brutal, Ip Man rallies the spirit of a nation.

Though I am a martial arts film fan, I knew nothing about this film or Ip Man. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. This is a premiere martial arts film with a strong, inspirational tale at its core. Donnie Yen is amazing as Ip Man. He radiates a calm, confident aura, and when he unleashes hell—well, let’s just say that these fight sequences will be on the highlight reel of an already legendary career. The sequence where he takes on 10 Japanese fighters at once is one of the most brutal I have seen in the genre. The Blu-ray shows off every bone-crunching, blood-spattering blow—you will feel it! Yen’s mastery of Wing Chun is beyond impressive.

However, fight sequences alone don’t make for a great martial arts film. You have to care about the characters, and this film succeeds in spades. Every minor character, such as Ip Man’s wife or his rival masters, feels real. But this is Ip Man’s story, and by the end you will understand why he became a national hero. Unlike other films in the genre where you feel like you are watching a larger than life hero, Ip Man remains grounded and relatable throughout. This is a man who transcended styles, believing that martial arts are not about sex, age, or technique—it is about the person. This small example of enlightenment, along with the grave stakes of the story, makes American inspirational sports films feel completely shallow by comparison. Seriously, how can you compare a football team winning a championship to a lone man defying an invading army?

The Disc

The video is presented in a 2.35:1, 1080p High Definition transfer. Fine detail is excellent, from the marks on Donnie Yen’s face to the blood spatter. Image depth preserves the detail as well, as seen in the Fo Shan exteriors or Ip Man’s home. Colors are stylized and desaturated at times, but many scenes are rife with bold colors as well. Black levels could be a touch deeper, though shadow detail is consistently good. I did not notice any serious video noise or compression artifacts.

The audio is offered in English/Cantonese/Mandarin DTS HD 5.1 master lossless audio mixes. The dynamic range is palpable as heard in the bass-thumping, bone-crunching impacts and the high clang of swords. The fight sequences place you squarely in the middle of the action as they utilize all of the speakers. Dialogue is clear and balanced while the music packs a punch when necessary. Overall it is a mix that simply feels right for the material.

The Extras

The bonus features are on the Blu-ray disc as well as a standard definition DVD. The Blu-ray contains a 19-minute, standard making-of featurette, three Deleted Scenes running 3-minutes, and the US/Hong Kong trailers.

Disc two contains nearly 70-minutes of cast/crew interviews, including: Director Wilson Yip, Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Ilkeuch, Gordin Lam, Ip Chun, Sammo Hung, Louis Fan, and Simon Yam. Spliced between these are behind-the-scenes clips that accentuate the topics. While I appreciate the in-depth discussion, like many Asian releases these interviews are drier than American audiences may be used to.

The “Shooting Diary” is a 5-minute montage of production footage.

Lastly, the “Behind the Sets” section (6 minutes total) contains a look at three key sets from the film: the cotton mill, the streets of Fo Shan, and Ip Man’s house. Considering the vast attention to detail in the film, this was probably my favorite feature on the set.

Final Thoughts

Ip Man: Collector’s Edition is a martial arts gem that should be on any action fan’s radar. With a technically sound Blu-ray and in-depth special features, this title is definitely worth a purchase.