TheIp Manfranchise is one of the most popular modern martial arts series, which tells the life story of the real Wing Chun grandmaster, Ip Man. These films were only loosely based on Ip’s real life, as it was unlikely the actual man regularly faced off against the sinister villains portrayed bymartial arts movie legendslike Sammo Hung, Mike Tyson, and Scott Adkins in the movies. However,theIp Manfilmsbroadly followed Ip’s life story from his early 40s in conflict-ridden China to his death at 79 in 1972.
Martial arts icon Donnie Yenpowerfully portrayedIp Manthroughout the series. AlthoughYen was a similar age to Ip in the first installment, the kung fu star continued to tell the story of Ip’s life as he entered his 70s and beyond. Each film in theIp Manfranchise depicted the different facets of the grandmaster’s fascinating story as he struggled to overcome adversity during wartime, rebuild his life anew as his family emigrated to Hong Kong, faced off against underground gangsters, and suffered the challenges of ill health as he entered old age.
Ip Man Was Already In His 40s At The Start Of The First Movie
Donnie Yen was appropriately 43 years old when Ip Man was released in 2008
Despitethe real Ip Manlearning martial arts as a child and first becoming a Wing Chun teacher at the age of 20, the biopicIp Manskipped over the early part of his life and introduced the audience to him in Foshan, China, in 1935. At this point, Ip Man was already 42 years old and had gained a reputation as a mild-mannered martial artist. While Ip Man tried to live a peaceful, non-violent life, trouble-making challengers often forced him to show off his incredible kung fu skills.
Ip Mantook viewers on a gut-wrenching journey through the Second Sino-Japanese War, which saw Ip Man’s home seized by the Imperial Japanese military and livelihood destroyed as he worked in a coal mine to make ends meet. As a conflict that did not end until 1945, the firstIp Manmovie explored the rest of the grandmaster’s 40s and the challenges he faced due to the actions of imperial forces. At 43 years old, Donnie Yen was the perfect age to portray Ip Man during this difficult period, when despite his martial arts skills, he still suffered greatly.
The 10 Best Fights In The Ip Man Movies, Ranked
Ip Man’s fight scenes are among the best modern-day hand-to-hand action sequences, and here are the ten stand-out brawls from the series.
The Wing Chun Grandmaster Was 52 At the Beginning Of Ip Man 2
Donnie Yen was younger at 45 when the second movie came out in 2010
Ip Man 2began after the Wing Chun master escaped Japanese-occupied Foshan and relocated to Hong Kong in 1950. This was when a 52-year-old Ip Man embraced his teaching talents and opened his own Wing Chun school. However, despite his skills, he did not have a strong reputation in Hong Kong and struggled to find students. While Ip Man moving with his family was supposed to signal a new start for his life, he soon faced opposition from other martial arts masters like Hung Chun-nam (Sammo Hung), who wished to stand in the way of his school’s success.
Ip Man 2was released in 2010, just two years after the first movie, and despite a significant time jump for the protagonist, Donnie Yen was just 45 years old when it premiered. However, Yen portrayed Ip Man with care and grace as he perfectly mimicked the lighthearted mannerisms and intense commitment to his craft. The success of bothIp Manmovies meant that, althoughYen was starting to play the character in periods well ahead of his own age, audiences still wanted to see more of the continued story of Ip’s extraordinary life.
Ip Man Was In His Mid-60s For His Third Outing
Donnie Yen turned 50 years old the year that Ip Man 3 was released in 2015
Five years passed between the release ofIp Man 2andIp Man 3,but the time jump in the movie was almost a decade as it picked on Ip Man’s life in 1959. By this year, the real Ip Man was 66 years old, and the film showcased him living a quiet life with his wife and family, teaching Wing Chun to a small group of eager students.Ip Man 3even began with a young Bruce Lee asking to become Ip Man’s student. Ip told Bruce he was too young at the time, but he later became Ip’s most famous disciple.
Donnie Yen was significantly younger when he portrayed Ip Man for the third time, as he turned 50 in 2015. Aging was a prominent theme inIp Man 3, as the grandmaster’s wife, Cheung Wing-sing (Lynn Hung), faced serious health complications.Ip Man 3ended in 1960 when the martial artist was 67 with the heartbreaking news that Wing-sing had succumbed to her cancer and passed away.
Ip Man 4 Looked At The Martial Artist’s Late Life in His 70s
Donnie Yen was 59 when the fourth Ip Man movie premiered in 2019
Ip Man 4: The Finalebegan in 1964 when Ip Man traveled to San Franciscoto search for opportunities for his son’s studies and support his student Bruce Lee at the International Karate Tournament. By this point, Ip Man was 71 years old and had been diagnosed with throat cancer due to his chronic history of smoking.Ip Man 4saw the grandmaster come face-to-face with the discrimination and prejudices in the United States as a corrupt, racist U.S. Marine named Barton Geddes (Scott Adkins) insulted and terrorized those who practiced Wing Chun.
Donnie Yen was already nearing his 60s duringIp Man 4but was still significantly younger than his character.Ip Man 4took audiences right to the end of Ip’s life as an epilogue set during his funeral revealed his death in 1972 at 79 from throat cancer, just seven months before Bruce Lee also tragically died. WhileIp Man 4was marketed as the franchise’s final entry, anupcomingIp Man 5has been announced with Yen returning to the role, and it remains to be seen what period of the grandmaster’s life this fifth installment will explore.
IP Man
TheIp Manfilm series is a Hong Kong martial arts franchise based on the life of Wing Chun master Ip Man. It stars Donnie Yen and focuses on his journey from Foshan to Hong Kong while facing personal and political challenges. The series includes four main films and a spin-off, grossing over $426 million worldwide.
