All time favourite Kung Fu Movie

I think it's definitely wisest to use capitals for Kung Fu regardless of whether or not English dictates it. A covered fist and a slight bow of the head wouldn't go astray either.

Sorry to get in here late, but I watched IP Man a while back, and it was one of the first Kung Fu movies that I watched completely in Chinese and pretty much understood. I find that the language in Chinese Kung Fu movies is often very hard to follow, especially the older ones, which is funny because I usually think of action films as usually having simple dialogs (Rambo anyone?).

PS: why do I want to capitalize Kung Fu? Should this be a proper noun?

bodawei,

yeah mate that's the one, and no need to apologise, the more in the convo the merrier. Thanks for 家喻户晓。

I tried your link but it gave one of those 抱歉 messages

Baba

Is this the 'ip man' film you've been talking about?? (Sorry to barge in on a subject I know little about.)

叶问2：宗师传奇 yewen2:zongshi zhuanqi (marvellous tales)

Features fighting between British world champion and Chinese ‘man of letters’ called Ye Shifu (Master Ye), starring 甄子丹Zhen1 Zi3dan1, billed as Western/Chinese boxing tournament. Also starring 洪金宝. “叶问”系列(series)的成功(successful)，让甄子丹家喻户晓jia1yu4hu4xiao3(a household name)。新片扮演陈真再现经典。[详情] “叶问” Ye Wen was a real-life martial arts practitioner, master of Bruce Lee.

http://www.m1905.com/vod/349713.shtml

It's available here streaming on the Internet (or was when I watched it a few months ago.)

thanks again mate for bring up ip man the legend is born:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_Is_Born_%E2%80%93_Ip_Man

I've just seen 1 and 2 and loved them. Yeah, what a shame there'll be no number 3. I see you didn't like legend is born as much and yeah, I think it would be a hard act to follow after the other 2 so am not expecting to like it as much either but I'd still like to see it, if for nothing else than to fill in the early part of the story.

yeah, kungpow enter the fist. Nah, didn't hear of tropic thunder, but thanks for your recommendation...

Ah, "Enter the fist". Never watched that one either. You never heard of tropic thunder? The movie in which Robert Downing jr plays a black man. The trailer was enough to keep me away.

yeah, that last one was Steve Oedekerk, a cool guy but he had no appreciation for my face to foot style so he just had to go I'm afraid.

Never seen or heard of Ben's tropical movie...guess I'm not as big a closet fan as you mate.

you mean I got one wrong? At quick glance it was stiller in that tropical movie - I thought. Actually the mary movie did have some good points.

ip is good even the second time. I love the portrayal of culture - business, social, man and wife- the Japanese. Its all good. All in Cantonese, a language I love to listen to. I love the Chinese rules for what it means to be a man, a good husband, a good person, a good citizen, its all there. There is also some lighter moments, the movie is a borderline comedy at times. Pretty hard on the Japanese but considering the context, it is appropriate.

I'm sure you know this, but that last avatar wasn't Ben Stiller. And wimp lo could never die. Yeah, set up the skype mate. But I've changed my mind...ip man can wait, I wanna see "there's something about Mary".

what do you mean what do I mean? I thought you liked puzzles.? Would you tell me what you meant? hehe - I mean you could die one day and be stuck as Ben Stiller forever, and I wouldn't be caught dead ,as they say, as that guy. There are not even words to express how much I dislike his work. Meet this. Thats all I have to say to him. Anyway we are getting off topic here. Im getting ready to re-watch ipman (I have it for 48 hours). Should I set up the skype? No guarantees on the quality and you have to bring your own popcorn.

"nearest movie box"

..saw one of those for the first time just the other day. Not sure how new they are to Australia [anyone know? ..of course these things may hit Sydney or Melbourne first] but maybe I just don't get out enough, hehe. Yeah, we still have plenty of video stores here. For some time I've felt their days must be numbered. Hey skype sounds like fun. I hope you don't mind frequent rewinding for anything I might miss over skype, hehe.

I dont know baba, itunes is weird. It even says, movies are available in select countries. Im sure you will get it eventually but in the mean time run down to the nearest movie box. Do you have those? Video stores are dying here - not needed anymore. But we do have those little vending machines that sell movies. I could call you on skype, aim the camera at my tv and play the movie. there's always a way. Work the problem.

In Australia arent all just about all movies foreign?

..yeah, I'd say the majority are American. Probably next most common being British and then Aussie, though that's just an impression and I don't have any figures to back that up. Our foreign category I think generally refers to Foreign Language.

"You know there is a life time limit on those things. You may run out at a bad time. "

..watcha mean?

I don't know how to access the same itunes as you. Any tips? I can't find ipman on my version of itunes.

foreign category? In Australia arent all just about all movies foreign? Hey Im sure you can access the same server for itunes as me. Go to movies, search ipman - there is only one. And please stop changing that avatar. I feel like Im talking to Sybil although thank God you got rid of that last one. You know there is a life time limit on those things. You may run out at a bad time.

zao gao. While plenty comes up under an ip man search, it doesn't look like any of the movies do. In fact, if I click on the foreign category in general, only 23 movies come up. Very disappointing.

thanks mate. Hey, it looks like there's even an ip man iphone app. I guess you could call it the ip ip app for short.

You can rent it from i-tunes for $3.99 or buy it for 14.99. I ended up renting it from my cable service also for $3.99.

yeah, I'd really like to see it this weekend. I hope I have time and can find it. I've never ended up buying a movie on itunes, but I guess I can resort to that. How did that go? Anyhow, one way or another I'll definitely watch it.

yeah, thanks for clearing that up mate :)

Nope! Still haven't seen the first one! Maybe it will be on the next flight to China... hehe

Got it. It is a bit confusing. So you haven't seen the first one.

Yes, I know, but it's not the planned third film. It's separate (and features different story elements. E.g. Ip Man learns English). From Wikipedia:

Sequels

Ip Man is the first film in a planned trilogy. Donnie Yen reprised the lead role in the sequel Ip Man 2, the second feature film based on the life of Ip Man. The film focuses on Ip's movements in Hong Kong as he attempts to propagate his discipline of Wing Chun martial arts; it also focuses on a young Bruce Lee prior to becoming one of Ip's most famed disciples. Ip Man 2 was released theatrically in Hong Kong in late April 2010. Lynn Hung and Fan Siu-wong reprise their supporting roles, while martial arts choreographer Sammo Hung appears as a master of Hung Ga martial arts.

Yen has expressed his disinterest in making a third film, feeling that, "Ip Man 2 will incontrovertibly become a classic, bettering the first."[50] Yen later stated that after Ip Man 2, he would no longer be involved in a film based on Ip's life.[51] While both Donnie Yen and Raymond Wong are not keen on making a third Ip Man film, director Wilson Yip has expressed interest in making one that would focus on the relationship between Ip and Bruce Lee. While Ip Man 2 briefly focuses on Lee as a child, Yip hopes to find a suitable actor to portray Lee as an adult for the third installment.[52]

the legend is born is the third movie with Dennis To instead of Donnie Yen. They do look alike. #1 takes place in Foshan in the late thirties. #2 is the sequel and takes place in HK. #3 is the prequel to the other two. Yip is a teenager in Foshan. The third movie came out at the end of June 2010. The reviews are pretty confusing. So which 2 movies did you see?

Yea, but it's a prequel. There was supposed to be a third featuring ip man's relationship with Bruce Lee, but the main actor doesn't want to be typecast and has said he doesn't want to be in it. :-(

The wikipedia entry is pretty good. The films play pretty fast and loose with the truth...

Hey Baba, it was in Cantonese, so you're off the hook on the *I don't understand nothing* front. While making this film they also made a parody called Eagle Shooting Heroes with the same cast -- apparently to cover the cost of Ashes of Time. These films are based on the characters from the Condor Hero novels.

daniel,

I haven't seen that one, but see it has some big names and like a lot of Chinese films looks to be done on a huge scale...I guess there are no shortage of dudes happy to rock up and not be paid much as extras [just a hunch]. Thanks for the link. I was thinking/hoping that it was in Cantonese, 'cos I wasn't picking up too much [though the loud background music doesn't help], but then one line sounded like it was in Mandarin.

"I find Bruce Lee's real life much more interesting than his movies."

...fair comment. Yeah, I can see that. I think I agree. His presence was perhaps even stronger in interviews, and yeah, a very interesting life story, no doubt.

haha. Good one mate. If this doesn't entice Simon out of hiding to defend himself, nothing will. :)

Update- Watching it now (IP man). Hey, this guy has the same wooden girlfriend that Simon had. :-)

Enter the Dragon will always be a sentimental favorite. I do need to go back in watch some more of the old Bruce Lee films. I actually think I've only seen about 5 or so.

pretzell,

Yeah, I loved Hero too and I know what you mean about poor acting and movies becoming dated. But still, there is something so enigmatic about Bruce Lee and some of his lines still crack me up. Admittedly I haven't actually watched it in some time though I've got the video, so I'm going from a replay in my head, but I don't think watching it again will change my opinion. I was often conscious watching those old films of how good the hero's fighting looked until you instead focused in on what the opponent was doing and you realised that was usually pretty lame.

Sounds like I need to put Ip Man on my list to see as well. I'd never even heard of it until now.

yeah, face to foot style:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbob2srHszg

...how do you like it?

I went to the Huang Feihong Kung fu museum named after a grand master of the Hung Ga style and dedicated to the "ten tigers of Guangdong" - Foshan has quite a history of wushu masters. Huang Feihong was also a practitioner of Chinese medicine. I dont remember seeing anything related to Yip but Im sure its there. They are proud of their martial arts history.

Do you practice Kung Fu then barbs?

RJ

yeah, I thought you and Simon would both like that he was from Foshan. Did you strike anything related to him when in Foshan?

xiao_liang,

thanks for the feedback. Good or bad I was determined to watch it anyway [due to his historical significance from a Kung Fu point of view], but glad to hear it's good. I knew ages ago that it was coming and then somehow missed the release and it had slipped my mind.

It is supposed to be a true story, with a little relish (embellishment). Yip was from Foshan. I hope they did the truth some justice. Now I have to see it. I can probably buy from i-tunes and watch it on my i-touch right now. I love modern technology.

Ip Man 2 was definitely my favourite of the two, I was sad to hear they wouldn't be making an Ip Man 3 with the same actor. It's corny as hell, not to mention predictable, but the fight scenes are just great :)

Its fate. Got to be.

Oh, I saw Ip Man 2 (and Ip Man: The Legend is Born) on the plane back from China. Loved them!