How to Watch: Free with ads on Tubi.tv (with free account sign-up), rent from Amazon and Youtube from $1.99
Starring: Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Ziyi Zhang, Jin Zhang
Director: Kar-Wai Wong
Writer: Kar-Wai Wong, Jingzhi Zou, Haofeng Xu
Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: 8/30/2013
Style: Drama, Art house, Martial Arts Action
More information on this movie can be found on its IMDB page.
The Grandmaster
This was another one of those movies that I (1) have always wanted to see but never have and (2) had the opportunity to see on my plane flight over to the Philippines. I have seen all three Donnie Yen Ip Man movies and thoroughly enjoyed them all. The same cannot be said for the other Ip Man–centric movies and TV shows that are out there. They may not be terrible per se, but they don’t measure up to the quality and storytelling level that Donnie Yen’s movies have.
So I was both excited and hesitant about watching The Grandmaster. Virtually everyone I know that has seen the movie before has wildly varying opinions on it. Additionally, I have never been a big fan of wuxia-style Chinese movies with lots of wirework requiring me to divorce myself very far from reality without a reasonable explanation for people flying around and such. I can appreciate those movies, but I generally prefer my martial arts movies to be a bit more grounded. All that being said, I try very hard to judge a movie by what it is rather than what I wish it would have been.
So how was it? Read on to find out!
Overview
From the Wikipedia page: The film narrates the life of the Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man, beginning in the 1930s in Foshan and moving on to cover his flight to Hong Kong after the Second Sino-Japanese War, and the events leading up to his death.
Movie Review: 8.5/10
Pros:
So, first things first. The Grandmaster is simply gorgeous. The colors pop in every scene. I felt that they weren’t just amped up but subtly used to add to the emotional weight of the various scenes throughout the movie. As you might have noticed from the trailer, the cinematography makes every scene a work of visual art. There is a level of care in the tone and pace of each scene. I felt that the slo-mo moments were not done because it “looks cool,” as I have seen many times before (cough**Michael Bay Movies**cough), but rather because Kar-Wai Wong wanted to give you an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the scene or skill of movement on display.
Tony Leung and Ziyi Zhang play their respective roles very well, bringing emotional depth and nuance to their characters. All the side characters do a decent job as well, but they don’t have nearly the screen time shared by the co-leads. Lastly, the historical backdrop of the pre- and post-Japanese invasion of mainland China adds to the story for sure. However, as with many Ip Man–based movies, it is probably best not to look at this as a pure biopic. I’m sure there is a fair amount of artistic license taken here when compared to the actual life of the late grandmaster.
Cons:
The pacing of the story is where this movie suffers a little in the rating. The Grandmaster covers a fair period of time, seeing Ip Man in both Foshan and Hong Kong. However, the downside here is that the pacing of the storytelling becomes a little uneven. There are a few points during the movie when I felt as if the creative team was just trying to fill a gap to get to the next substantial scene. There aren’t a lot of these filler scenes, but they are there.
Martial Arts Review: 7/10
Pros:
The martial arts in The Grandmaster are captivating to watch. The “art” in martial arts is on full display. Watching Tony Leung and Ziyi Zhang perform their fight sequences on-screen is like watching a finely crafted ballet. Each fight isn’t just a fight but rather an extension of each character’s story and their emotional state at that moment. Many movies forget this as soon as the action starts, just making sure to put a lot of cool-looking stunts in there. Here, the choreography in almost all the fight scenes is one and the same with the characters and their place in the story.
Cons:
While there is a great level of “art” on display, there is not as much “martial”. There are some faster-paced scenes with a few of the fights; however, that is not the focus of this movie. Most of the fight scenes are delivered to highlight the film’s art-house form. Also, there is some obvious wirework on display in some of the scenes. While this movie isn’t a full-on wuxia in the vein of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, it does have some of that here. Another issue is that the fight sequences are few and far between. This movie is definitely all about the story, with the martial arts choreography used to help tell it.
Overall Rating: 7.8/10
I have to say that I generally liked the movie. While it does plod along slowly in certain spots, it has a good story and stunning visuals. The martial arts choreography is equally beautiful to watch, even if I had wished for a little more in that department. If you are into the home cinema experience and own higher-end audio/visual gear, you might like to know that Blu-Ray.com rated Blu-Ray transfer pretty well. Don’t expect Ip Man levels of fight scenes, but don’t let that stop you if you are interested in The Grandmaster. While it is not my preferred style of movie, I found that I really enjoyed the beauty and storytelling of this movie.
What did you think of The Grandmaster? Let me know in the comments section below! If you liked this review, you can check out my other movie reviews here.
The Grandmaster
The Good
- Stunningly gorgeous
- Excellent Cinematography
- Dramatic Storytelling
The Bad
- "Art" over "Martial"
- A few slow points
- Somewhat lacking in fight scenes
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