Every Ip Man Movie in Order, Chronologically and by Release Date

Behind Bruce Lee’s legendary career is his even more legendary master, the grandmaster of the Wing Chun martial art himself, Ip Man. Through his multi-faceted life, he trained a wide range of martial artists who would go on to become masters in their own right and achieve fame throughout the twentieth century. His teachings were fueled by the many lives he experienced. From his privileged upbringing and early adulthood to the personal complications of the second half of his life, Ip Man was scarred and shaped by China’s changing landscape.

These moments and stories have been portrayed in a number of films, which were kick-started by 2008’s Ip Man, by director Wilson Yip and starring Donnie Yen. Years later, more than ten films featuring Ip Man as a central character have been released. The Yip-Yen duo created four films that chronicle over two decades in the master’s life, with the other films led by different actors and directors. Here’s a closer look at every Ip Man film, in order of release.

‘Ip Man’ (2008)

After a decade of research and dedication, the first Ip Man film came to life. Super producer Raymond Wong brought together an all-star team to make Ip Man one of the best martial arts films. Led by Wilson Yip directing and starring Donnie Yen, the film follows events in Ip Man’s life during the Second Sino-Japanese War in the 1930s and early 1940s.

The combination of legendary martial arts choreographer Sammo Hung and Yip’s direction makes for an impressive display of cinematic creativity. While others would play Ip Man, it is here that Donnie Yen cemented himself as the definitive vision of the character, delivering one of the best performances of his career.

‘Ip Man 2’ (2010)

Mandarin Films

Loosely based on the Grandmaster’s first years living in Hong Kong after World War II, Ip Man 2 finds the titular character struggling to make a living. His opening of a Wing Chun school eventually puts him in conflict with another Kung Fu master, making the second half of the film a spectacular display of fighting that also looks at the necessities and scarcity in post-war Hong Kong.

While the first film already had Donnie Yen embodying Ip Man, the second film in the franchise featured an even more confident and refined performance. The movie also found a phenomenal addition in screen legend Sammo Hung as Hung Chun-nam, further elevating Yen’s performance. The final fight against a British boxer is also a highlight of the Ip Man movies.

‘The Legend Is Born: Ip Man’ (2010)

Funimation Entertainment

Two years after Donnie Yen’s first portrayal of Ip Man, interest in his life flourished throughout the Chinese film industry. Although many films were being developed, only a few were actually filmed. One of those was The Legend Is Born: Ip Man by director Herman Yau. The film focuses on Ip Man’s years as a student of Wing Chun and his rise to the top of the martial arts world.

While presenting the first deviation from the franchise, people have come to realize it did not quite live up to what came before. Still, The Legend Is Born: Ip Man still has its strengths. Seeing Ip Man’s early life was insightful for fans, and the movie delivered a more traditional martial arts experience, focusing heavily on the art itself. The films also brought a great cast, including the return of Sammo Hung.

‘The Grandmaster’ (2013)

Pluto TV

The most artistically accomplished film on this list is by a grandmaster of his own craft, Wong Kar-Wai. The Grandmaster is a Kung Fu biopic about Ip Man and his contemporaries becoming the first modern masters of various martial arts. Despite featuring elaborate and exciting fight sequences, this film is a meditation on the end of an era in the martial arts world, with Ip Man’s generation having to find a way to carry on the legacy of those who came before in a rapidly changing world.

The direction and fight scenes here are just utterly impeccable, capturing Ip Man’s life with a poetic grace punctuated by stylish fights. The film covers a broad scope of Ip Man’s life while touching on many cultural issues. If you are going to see one movie outside the four Donnie Yen films, this one is a must-watch.

‘Ip Man: The Final Fight’ (2013)

Lark Films Distribution

The second film by Herman Yau is set many years after its predecessor. Ip Man: The Final Fight follows Ip Man in post-war Hong Kong, as he faces a range of issues, from gastric pain to trouble with the local mob. The movie would bring another acclaimed and iconic actor into the Ip Man world, with Anthony Wong stepping into the shoes of the Grandmaster.

Most of the praise and critiques levied against The Legend Is Born: Ip Man can also be applied to Yau’s follow-up, focusing on the Grandmaster’s later life. The historical context, great performances, and more traditional martial arts movies are strong, but it falls short of the polish and hype of the original films.

‘Ip Man 3’ (2015)

Well Go USA / courtesy Everett Collection

Five years after the second installment in the saga, Ip Man 3 builds upon the first two and expands on more dramatic tones. It also leveraged the film franchise’s growing popularity to attract international talent. The plot follows Ip Man fighting a band of gangsters led by a property developer (Mike Tyson) trying to take over Hong Kong. Despite this being the central storyline, Yip threads a film about family, struggle, and loss beneath the plot.

The story in Ip Man three gave Donnie Yen a greater emotional range than in the previous films, allowing him to show moments of vulnerability. On the action front, Mike Tyson would deliver another intriguing East vs. West fight, bringing his boxing skills. However, the film’s final confrontation between Ip Man and Cheung Tin-chi (Max Zhang) is arguably the best in the entire franchise, which would lead to a spin-off.

‘Master Z: Ip Man Legacy’ (2018)

Mandarin Pictures

At the end of Ip Man 3, Cheung Tin-chi is defeated in combat by Ip Man and starts to dedicate more time to his son. Their quiet life is interrupted when he defends a girl from a street gang, which leads him into conflict with the local crime syndicate, authorities, and ex-pats.

Master Z: Ip Man Legacy is distinctive within the franchise for its elaborate fight scenes, which stem from director Yueng Woo-ping’s background as one of the finest martial arts choreographers in history. His impressive resume includes the fights from The Matrix Trilogy, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and the two Kill Bill films.

Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019)

© Well Go USA / courtesy Everett Collection
 

The final entry in the Wilson-Yip-directed franchise is its most humanistic and tender approach to the master’s life. This is largely in part because it deals with Ip Man’s diagnosis of throat cancer, the search for better opportunities for his son, which sets the movie in San Francisco, and a conflict between Bruce Lee and the local martial arts community in the city.

Despite this, Ip Man 4: The Finale is still very much an action film, with fights choreographed by Yuen Woo-ping that are realistic and focused on practical defense rather than showiness. It is a proper send-off to a concise and intelligent franchise. Finally, bringing Bruce Lee (played by Danny Chan) into the picture felt like it brought the franchise full circle.

‘Ip Man: Kung Fu Master’ (2019)

Dennis To, who had previously portrayed Ip Man, returns to the role in this film. Ip Man: Kung Fu Master finds the titular character during a stint as a police officer in Guangzhou before the Communist Revolution.

The movie has elements of a crime drama but falls short, with no proper story development. Sadly, after this film, there is a sense that Ip Man is now just a popular subject for films, and its freshness has run dry due to overtly commercial attempts to use the character as an excuse to profit.

Maybe that will change in the future, but to date, 2019 is the last notable movie to carry the Ip Man name. Yes, there is Ip Man and Four Kings, Young Ip Man: Crisis Time, and Ip Man: The Awakening, but they present a step-down in quality, and you would have a hard time tracking them down. Let us know what your favorite movie in the franchise is.

Ip Man Films in Order of Release

Ip Man Films in Chronological Order of Events