Ip Man Movies in Order & How Many Are There?
Ip Man movies are an amazing martial arts movie franchise, yet, not so many people have heard about them. The original Ip Man movie came out in 2009 and spawned a lot of sequels. Well, in this article, we will let you know exactly how many moves are there and what is the best way to watch Ip Man movies in order.
Ip Man is a series of Hong Kong martial arts films based on the life events of the Wing Chun master of the same name.
Now let’s find out exactly how many Ip Man movies are there.
How many Ip Man movies are there?
There are currently nine Ip Man movies in the series. Four of those movies are the original series and there is one spin-off movie connected to that series. The other movies are from different studios. Let’s now see how they look in order by the release date.
- Ip Man (2008)
- Ip Man 2 (2010)
- The Legend is Born: Ip Man (2010)
- The Grandmaster (2013)
- Ip Man: The Final Fight (2013)
- Ip Man 3 (2015)
- Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018)
- Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019)
- Ip Man: Kung Fu Master (2019)
Now that you have seen all five movies in the order by the release date, let’s see what is the best way to watch Ip Man movies in order, what are they about, and how they connect to each other.
Ip Man movies in order
Even though not all of these Ip Man movies are directly connected, and not even from the same studio, we will let you know the best way to watch all of these Ip Man movies in chronological order. It is hard to exactly pinpoint the correct chronological order, as some of these movies overlap, but we will try to do it the best we can. Also, we will let you know what are they about, so check them out below.
The Legend is Born: Ip Man (2010)
The Legend is Born: Ip Man takes us back to his adolescent years and shows how Ip mastered the art of Wing Chun. After the hockey match, Ip Man and his schoolmates insult the newcomers from the west. He challenges him to a duel and loses, after which his popularity at school increases. Soon after that, he meets Leung Bik, the son of Leung Jan, from whom he learns and perfects his martial arts.
Things get complicated for Ip when he meets and falls in love with Cheung Wing-Shing, the daughter of the deputy mayor of Foshan. But Cheung’s godfather is killed, and Ip becomes the prime suspect in his murder.
Ip Man (2008)
The film focuses on the life and work of Ip Man who allegedly lived in the city of Foshan during the Second Sino-Japanese War in the 1930s.
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He is one of the wealthiest men in town and gives the impression that he has no need for additional work other than devoting his entire life to the painstaking practice of the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun…
Ip Man 2 (2010)
The legendary Ip Man goes to Hong Kong, which is under British colonial rule. Desperately trying to propagate his Wing Chun kung fu, he soon faces rivalry from other teachers, including the local martial arts “boss”…
In this continuation of the story of Ip Man, more attention is paid to the story and the characterization of the characters, unlike the first part, which is completely burdened with historical themes. Also, the continuation of the film shows how the Chinese were treated by the British, as well as the Western perception of Chinese martial arts.
Ip Man 3 (2015)
Only Ip Man, a master of Wing Chun, can stop a group of criminals led by a greedy and corrupt businessman. In the third part of the trilogy about the life and work of Ip Man, we will witness the development of his relationship with the legendary Bruce Lee.
Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018)
While keeping a low profile after his defeat by Ip Man, Cheung Tin Chi gets into trouble after getting in a fight with a powerful foreigner.
Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019)
After the death of his wife, Ip Man travels to San Francisco to ease tensions between the local kung fu masters and his student Bruce Lee, while trying to build a better future for his son.
The Grandmaster (2013)
Ip Man (Tony Leung Chiu-wai), a young wealthy man from southern China, very talented in martial arts and self-effacing, meets Grandmaster Gong (Kinksian Wang) from northern China who is amazed by his skill.
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As a result of the Japanese invasion, poverty reigns in the country and Ip Man falls into poverty, which is why he is forced to move to Hong Kong. After the death of Master Gong, his daughter Gong Er (Ziji Zang) succeeds him, but with her own attitude and way of thinking…
Ip Man: The Final Fight (2013)
In post-war Hong Kong, legendary Wing-Chun master Ip Man reluctantly finds himself in the middle of the action again, when what seems like a simple challenge draws him into the dark world of the Triads. To protect his honor and his life, he has no other option but to fight the final battle.
Ip Man: Kung Fu Master (2019)
Ip Man’s promising career as a Policeman is ruined after he is framed for murder and targeted by a mob boss’s daughter.
Do you need to watch the Ip Man movies in order?
You should watch the Ip Man movies in order, but only those from the same movie studio. So, that would be Ip Man (2008), Ip Man 2 (2010), Ip Man 3 (2015), Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018), and Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019). You can also watch other Ip Man movies in order by their release dates.
Will there be more Ip Man movies in the future?
There are some talks about the new ‘Ip Man’ movie, but the thing is, that actually won’t be a movie about the Ip Man. Still, if it comes to it, it will continue the legacy of Ip Man, only this time, the leading character in the movie will be Bruce Lee. It should continue with his story.
