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The Grandmaster Reviews
Probably one of my least favorite WKW films. My Blueberry Nights being the absolutely worst. WKW has always preferred style over substance. In this case, Style x Martial Arts wears thin.
Despite all the fighting, I think this is the best film I've ever seen. Unbelievable images. Strong artistic and poetic appeal
Wong Kar-Wai doesn't seem so concerned with the truly fascinating historical/character aspects surrounding Ip Man's life however I can't help feverishly fixating on such a masterfully crafted film with CGI-free martial arts action scenes.
Beautiful cinematography. Many scenes are like paintings.
Every scene and every primary actor in this movie is amazing. Plus, one of the only films I know that addresses the Japanese occupation of China.
This is Wong's artist take on the Ip Man's story, starring one of his favorite leading man from his other movies. So don't bother comparing it to Donnie Yen's action counterpart series of 4 movies, it's like comparing apples and oranges.
Wong comes back with a visually gratifying film which, however, does not fully convince the audience. Despite the unconventional approach to the martial arts genre, "The Grandmaster" is tedious and emotionally less satisfying than Wong's previous works; limiting itself depicting glossy characters and an excessively stylized China in its first half of the 20th century. The three versions released by the author confirm the inability to give a focus to the whole narration, which lacks empathy and gets lost in useless mannerisms. The ethereal photography of Le Sourd, thanks also to the delightful mise-en-scène and a skillful use of elements such as snow and water, gives life to elegant fight sequences and splendid evocative shots. Unfortunately, Wong seems interested only in a pure representation of aesthetic beauty, leaving aside the melancholy existentialism and the intimate romanticism typical of his style.
Stylish but overly romanticized. It meanders for no apparent reason from the real Ip Man’s story into a fictional tangent, while still throwing in random text updates (half fact, half fiction). Even the fight scenes are overly choreographed, more dancing, editing, and posing than fighting. The villains are extra villainous, the heroes extra heroic, the drama extra dramatic. I know it’s a different kind of film, but I prefer all of the Donnie Yen versions of Ip Man. Sometimes this just looked like Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” video...
A tour de force. It can feel pretentious at first, but the deep themes and grandmaster-level cinematography deserve slow appreciation.
Kinetic and aesthetic epinephrine jounce in martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-ping's sequences while metaphysical poetry triumphs over dramatics in Wong Kar-wai's meditation on the guardianship of Chinese martial arts heritage in his alleged biography of Ip Man, the titular maestro of Wing Chun.
"念念不忘，必有回响。" "人生如棋，落子无悔。"
This is probably the most artistic foreign film I seen so far The cast give good performances and This two time oscar nominee (costume,cinematography) which well deserves and great fights but it has the problem of weird editing but I watched the 104 Weinstein cut but I hear the original cut is better (but of course some thing is better then a Weinstein cut because the Weinsteins are monsters)
This martial arts movie was alright. Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Zhang Ziyi, and the rest of the cast did a decent job in this movie. This true tale of Master Gong Er and Master Ip Man was a pretty dramatic and interesting movie. The fight scenes in the movie were pretty cool too. If you're a martial arts fan, you'd probably enjoy this movie, but not everyone will. I don't know if I'd recommend it because I didn't like as much as I'd hoped to. That's my opinion.
Much of the martial arts is top-notch, but everything else is a clear step below. You'll seldom see a more consistently unnecessary and gratuitous use of slow-motion, which is used at bizarre points in narrative segments for virtually no apparent reason. The editing is jarring, with scenes often ending a split second after the final word is spoken rather than leaving any time for breath. A staggering proportion of the scenes are shot at very close range, as if you're watching a Sergio Leone western that forgot to add the sweeping landscapes. The story is told with a bizarre pacing that forces subtitled introductions to the characters rather than leaving room for contextual clues or exposition. As a film, it's nothing to write home about, but as a piece of martial arts entertainment it can hold its own. (2.5/5)
If you don't see why this is a five star movie, you will have to ask someone who knows, to help explain the many secret, hidden, and potentially foreign messages and truths here. Even your average film critic is likely to be stumped by this one.
A work of art rarely seen in a martial arts film.
A massive mess tonally. First half of the movie wanted to be a semi action film, although Tony Leung has no background in material arts, hence handicapping action potential. The second half of the movie wanted to be a romance film, but scenes felt unearned and forced. The choice of casting 宋慧喬 as Ip's wife forced the script to paint her as someone who doesn't speak much, if at all. Unnecessary and distracting.