Gyroscopic Investing

I thought it was just as good as the first one.

Donnie Yen is awesome.

I've been half wanting to watch that.  Is it in subtitles?

Yes, it is in subtitles, but it is some of the finest martial arts choreography you will ever see.

Also, if you like martial arts films, check out "Iron Monkey."  It's awesome.

Here is a clip from Iron Monkey (dubbed in Spanish!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLnXhKN4O4U

Here is another amazing Iron Monkey clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGc5sq5O ... re=related

Is it the stuff where they can float on bamboo leaves and wire harnesses are used all over the place like Crouching Tiger?  I've always kindof disliked that.

I like stuff that's a bit more brutal.

moda0306 wrote: Is it the stuff where they can float on bamboo leaves and wire harnesses are used all over the place like Crouching Tiger?  I've always kindof disliked that.

I like stuff that's a bit more brutal.

Ip Man has none of the Crouching Tiger stuff.

Iron Monkey has a bit of it.  Not too much.

The Ip Man films are terrific.  Highly entertaining and relaxing to watch.

Ip Man was a great movie, even by non-martial arts movie-standards.  10/10.

Ip Man 2 was decent, but not nearly as good as the first one.  7.5/10. 

Thanks for the tip on Iron Monkey... I'll check it out.

Okay... I just watched the clips you posted from Iron Monkey.  That movie looks frikken horrible. 

Coffee wrote: Okay... I just watched the clips you posted from Iron Monkey.  That movie looks frikken horrible. 

Er, um, well, I liked it.  It's more of a straight-ahead Hong Kong martial arts film, while Ip Man is more ambitious than a genre film.

What made you like Ip Man 2 less than the first one?  The British were not quite as impressive as the Japanese as bad guys, but I still enjoyed it very much.  I would probably give it 9/10 and the first one 10/10.

One thing that is sort of comical about the Ip Man story is that the real Ip Man was not quite the charming white hat that Donnie Yen makes him out to be.

Sorry for the delay.  Just had hernia surgery.  (You can now call me: Hip Man. LOL.)  I'm still doped up on percoset, so hopefully this will come out coherent:

I found the first one to be more interesting because it worked on more layers than just a pure MA movie.  I also thought that the action sound dubbing (slaps, chops and bangs) were some of the best I've seen in any movie. Period.

The second film seemed a more hollow copy of the first, with pretty much the same story arc ... [insert Brits].  I also thought that the Brits were poor actors and came across as more cartoonish than did the Japs.

One thing I did really like about the 2nd movie was that (apparently) the Chinese movie makers are a lot more subtle about things than Hollywood is and this is appreciated.  For example, the reference to Samo Hung's eyes being red.  They didn't need to write in a full explanation or conversation to explain to the audience what that implies. They assume that the viewer is smart enough to figure it out.

(I also figure that was a tip of the hat to the real Ip Man, who was an opium addict, according to wiki.)

For the record: I hated Crouching Tiger... which everyone else seemed to like.  So, YMMV with my reviews. 

Yes, it was quite entertaining, we watched it a couple of weeks ago. And Bruce Lee is in it! :-)

i just watched ip man 2 i have to agree with the others, a very good movie but not quite as good as #1 ,,,,,

btw. I think I'll switch to the streaming-only plan now that the streaming+dvd price has gone up. Then I'll get the occasional dvd/bd at redbox...

I wish they had Kill Zone on Instant.  It is another awesome Donnie Yen movie.  Don't be fooled by the stupid title, it has some awesome fight choreography and a good story.  Plus, Samo Hung plays the role of the main bad guy. 

jmourik wrote: btw. I think I'll switch to the streaming-only plan now that the streaming+dvd price has gone up. Then I'll get the occasional dvd/bd at redbox...

That's what we did.

Although I'm getting a little frustrated with Netflix, as there is hardly anything new on.  We probably watch Hulu+ about once a week.  Redbox definitely has a lot more newer titles.

How do you like Hulu+? I like the flexibility of Netflix, being able to use up to six devices on one plan...

Thanks for the recommendation on these excellent movies.  I imagine that there are barely any historically accurate facts in these movies but they're a lot of fun to watch.  Yen's a talented martial artist and his quiet, slightly goofy charisma works perfectly for the character.  And that action!  Just who are these crazy people that keep allowing themselves to get within ten feet of this man?

The first one was my favorite but the sequel was also great.  I especially enjoyed the transformation of Master Jin from ruthless highwayman to harried, domesticated father. 

BTW, the British acting in Ip Man 2 reminded me of a performance you might see from a professional wrestler having an "off day" with his acting.  Quite amusing in contrast to Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung, who both sold their characters so well.