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The Grandmaster
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The Grandmaster

2013
Drama
Action
2h 10m
The story of martial-arts master Ip Man, the man who trained Bruce Lee. (imdb)
Directed by:
Kar-Wai Wong Kar-Wai Wong
Written by:
Kar-Wai Wong Kar-Wai Wong Jingzhi Zou Haofeng Xu
+2 more
Starring:
Chen Chang Chen Chang Zhao Benshan Tony Chiu-Wai Leung Tony Chiu-Wai Leung Ziyi Zhang Ziyi Zhang Siu-Lung Leung Siu-Lung Leung Elvis Tsui Elvis Tsui Julian Cheung Song Hye-kyo Song Hye-kyo Woo-Ping Yuen Woo-Ping Yuen Cung Le Jin Zhang Jeana Ho
More
Genres:
Drama, Action
AKA:
Yi dai zong shi
Countries:
China, France, Hong Kong
Languages:
Mandarin, Japanese, Cantonese
imdb More information at IMDb
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The Grandmaster

2013
Drama
Action
2h 10m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 47.31% from 702 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

(702)
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terrymacterrymac
Rated 03 Sep 2020
60
36th
(US Cut): This was very stylish, beautifully shot, thoughtful and featured impressive fight scenes. It also felt really disjointed, and my attention was really starting to drift towards the end - perhaps the Chinese cut is better in this regard? I've also now seen five films about Ip Man and am no closer to understanding what was supposed to be real and what isn't; it felt like for much of this Ip Man wasn't the primary character. The 2008 Donnie Yen film is probably the most likeable version.
Rated 03 Sep 2020
cagedwisdomcagedwisdom
Rated 13 Feb 2013
75
65th
Some of the action sequences are sublime, but it takes way too long to set up and way too long to cool down a story which is honestly a lot simpler than the film seems to think - this isn't a bad thing, it just creates a disconnect with the actual narrative we see here. It's got bucketfuls of style and competence, but it should be about 30 minutes shorter at the very least. The last 20 minutes felt like Return of the King extended extended edition.
Rated 13 Feb 2013
astrakhanastrakhan
Rated 17 Nov 2017
78
57th
After a long wait we finally get Wong Kar-Wai's Ip Man film and unsurprisingly it's an incredibly stylish film, almost every scene looks like a perfume ad. Furthermore there is kung fu aplenty, and it is fast, imaginative and intricately filmed. Not entirely dissimilar to Donnie Yen's Ip Man moves from recent memory. The cast and acting is good but parts of the story don't seem to flow too well - it's neither pure biopic nor pure adventure. Lovely in parts but not quite a genre classic?
Rated 17 Nov 2017
cowmanCowman
Rated 08 Jul 2013
55
18th
Some beautiful imagery, but in the meantime you have put up with a lot of 'philosophical' bullshit and a simple story which is somehow impossible to follow.
Rated 08 Jul 2013
mentaculusMentaculus
Rated 28 Feb 2019
66
44th
This will sound stupid, but the movie's greatest failing is it's so good at describing the spiritual side of Wing Chun - a supreme mastery of flow and energy, of ethos and function - while being daft at actually representing it, with choppy, anectdoctal editing that disrupts this flow at every opportunity. The audience knows this deep down. So it's beautiful but clunky. A fresh take that's been seen before. Its moments of operatic l'amour fou actually distract from its formal grace.
Rated 28 Feb 2019
the_pirateThe Pirate
Rated 06 Apr 2014
68
27th
This movie ain't got nothing on 2008's "Ip Man". The narrative takes on a stream-of- consciousness level that really isn't executed well at all. That along with a plot line that can't make up its mind which character it finds more interesting, Ip Man or Gong Er, creates an uneven, yet not unwatchable film. Good martial arts, strong visuals, and nice characterization of Gong Er kept my attention.
Rated 06 Apr 2014
bofbof
Rated 13 Aug 2013
60
39th
Gorgeous, of course. And once it dawns on me that it's a biopic and where it's going to end up it makes sense that it feels like it was edited down from a much longer story, with frequent bits covered by voiceovers and fast-forwards... But also reaffirms why I don't care much for biopics; too true to its subject matter to actually break free of it and tell a story, too respectful. Ironic for a story about mixing styles.
Rated 13 Aug 2013
akjnakjn
Rated 27 Apr 2013
60
31st
wong da yimou zhang gibi kendini tuketmis tamamen. hic gelisim yok kendilerinde. her zamanki gibi gorsellige, muzige agirlik vermis ve yavas cekimlerle kendini tatmin etmis. dovus sahneleri iyi ama melodramasi ve herkesin kuscu gibi ogut veren tarzdaki konusmalari da siritiyor baya.
Rated 27 Apr 2013
perrystroikaPerryStroika
Rated 27 Apr 2014
64
60th
Narratively unfocused, often meandering, this movie does at least give you some beautiful, poetic sequences and credible martial arts action. I am particularly taken with Zhang Ziyi's subplot. Wong knows how to film his actresses and Zhang looks incredible in her furs and red lipstick, lit perfectly. She has a face comparable to Garbo.
Rated 27 Apr 2014
carsonwidCarsonWid
Rated 13 Apr 2014
70
57th
Was at first surprised when I heard Wong Kar Wai was making this film, but it ended up being very similar to his previous, which may not have been the best style for this story. It was a bit drawn out and wandered a bit too much.
Rated 13 Apr 2014
cinemaasiaCinema_Asia
Rated 19 Apr 2014
65
42nd
What could have been a great historical retrospective of a fascinating man's life instead turns into a muddled mess of unrequited romance, wire fu, and zhang ziyi's androgynous face staring blankly every 15 minutes. Kar Wai Wong can direct beautiful scenes and create atmosphere but this is such a confused waste of a film. I'm pretty sure Ip Man wasn't crushing carriages with his feet or kicking dudes through iron gates in real life either. They should have toned down the wire-fu fantasy stuff.
Rated 19 Apr 2014
alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 16 Aug 2013
4
70th
I'm unsure what purpose The Razor plays in the narrative. However, Wong beautifully molds the genres of martial arts and biopic to his sensibilities, eliding rote biographical details to instead capture life as a flicker of moments and memories, fateful decisions made in an instant. The would-be romance here, between Ip Man and the daughter of a former rival - as always, with Wong's romances, a tragedy of missed opportunity and circumstance - is an utter figment of imagination, but who cares?
Rated 16 Aug 2013
chadisdangerchadisdanger
Rated 14 Feb 2014
68
20th
Being a Wong film, it's of course very elegantly composed. Beautifully shot, and has some intricate sets, great music and some very well done fight scenes. I just couldn't get much out of it. That's more on me than it is on the film itself, I suppose, but it's just not for me.
Rated 14 Feb 2014
parcalihamparcaliham
Rated 19 May 2013
85
77th
Subat 2013, Berlinale & Uzakdogu dovus sanatini, usta-cirak iliskisinn ulviyesni, ask ve celiskiler ile dolu insani, filmdeki yasli bir dovus ustasinin soyledigi; "Eger bakmazsan o sey yoktur." cumlesiyle idealist bir dusunce ustune insaa eden ve bir anlamda Wing Chun ustası Ip Man'in hayat hikayesini kendi sinema dunyası ile aynı hat uzerinde birlestiren Wong Kar Wai, tum filmografisine yayilan gorsel zenginlik ile bir sinema soleni sunuyor. (http://biletsiz.com/berlinale)
Rated 19 May 2013
bunkenBunken
Rated 05 May 2013
60
52nd
Beautiful but boring...
Rated 05 May 2013
jakeaestheteJakeAesthete
Rated 02 Jul 2014
93
93rd
(Revised Chinese version score) I've gotta say, Wong is such a wuss for letting Weinstein fuck with this. I thought the American version was fine, hell even great when i saw it, but it really can't compare to what this film is in it's full untarnished glory. It still isn't Wong's greatest film, but it easily stands alongside his finest achievements (i.e. all of them besides My Blueberry Nights and As Tears Go By). A ballet of time and desire by one of cinema's greatest aesthetes.
Rated 02 Jul 2014
cinesexualcinesexual
Rated 01 May 2013
90
90th
Been a long time since I felt ravished by color cinematography but the images and fight choreography of Kar Wai Wong's lengthy tribute to Wing Chun kung fu & other martial arts masters & their relationships with one another enraptured me from start to finish. Not much narrative, true. Fighting in the rain, in snow, in suits & ties, with knives, on staircases, opponents' faces pivoting around one another, in pathos, rage, respect, humor, revenge: this dance of life was all the narrative I needed.
Rated 01 May 2013
space_popeSpace Pope
Rated 20 Oct 2013
80
78th
I can't help needing to know what was cut for the American release, as there were certain scenes that seemed less focused and meaningful than the rest of the film that could easily have been given more solidity with the entire film intact. That said, it is exactly a Wong Kar Wai kung fu film. It's the most gorgeous martial arts flick since The House of Flying Daggers and it's dripping with a dreamy melancholy surrounding Wong's usual themes of distant, inevitably unrealizable love. So pretty.
Rated 20 Oct 2013
sellissellis
Rated 04 Sep 2013
78
54th
Middle of the road WKW that just happens to turn what could have been average kung fu sequences into expressionistic testaments to the beauty of motion, sense, and time.
Rated 04 Sep 2013
walkearthwalkearth
Rated 08 Jun 2014
55
47th
Cinematography was wonderful, but did not like the editing, camera work, slow motion and the over-saturated plot.
Rated 08 Jun 2014
susie_mauvesusie-mauve
Rated 29 Sep 2013
65
16th
I have no taste for stories of asian dignity and asian pride any more, but this syrupy film is really really beautiful to look at. Apart from the looks (score!), I'm not sure what this film is trying to be, genre-wise.
Rated 29 Sep 2013
disasterDisaster
Rated 10 Jun 2013
70
28th
The music was bizarre, some of the fight scenes were straight up Matrix-y and sometimes the pacing was weird. But it was still satisfactory.
Rated 10 Jun 2013
zeboimZeboim
Rated 01 Apr 2013
0
5th
All style, no substance. Quick edits and slo-mo during fights attempt, and fail, to, disguise the lack of noteworthy skill. Zen-like quotes attempt to show profundity, but reveal the film's utter lack of depth. Don't even ask me about the story.
Rated 01 Apr 2013
muutanetmuutanet
Rated 23 Feb 2014
66
59th
Impressively directed and great visuals but the story was heavy and difficult to follow. Some choise, like everlasting passing train, I did not like much.
Rated 23 Feb 2014
kavuKavu
Rated 09 Feb 2014
73
52nd
All style, which is not new from WKW. The story is a bit hard to follow and not that impressive, but the visuals make up for it.
Rated 09 Feb 2014
zarkonZarkon
Rated 14 Aug 2013
77
44th
Gorgeous as usual, and the presentation becomes increasingly reminiscent of Wong's earlier works -- not only is there the obvious Leung/Zhang link to 2046, but the way Leung narrates over Zhang's scenes is familiar as well. As others note, however, the plot is very sparse and lacking -- I'm still confused as to the presence of the Razor.
Rated 14 Aug 2013
ryan_luedersRyan Lueders
Rated 12 Mar 2014
58
13th
Grandmaster for fighting sequences and Grandfail as an entertaining Martial Arts film. This movie follows the life of Ip Man (the man who trained Bruce Lee). You see a ton of awesome Kung Fu and in-between you have a lot of drying boring spells that just kill the movie's momentum...
Rated 12 Mar 2014
yiannosYiannos
Rated 11 Feb 2018
50
26th
(U.S cut): Wong mixes kung fu and romance with mixed results. For the director's devoted fans, The Grandmaster is probably a godsend as it both conforms and deviates from established patterns, but the excessive stylisation and filigree produces a conventional and overly mannered work that only works fits and starts. The train sequence is a fantastic setpiece, but Wong's overuse of slo-mo destroys the visceral impact of the fight scenes, and the romance mostly falls flat.
Rated 11 Feb 2018
justJu_St
Rated 17 May 2013
80
90th
I'd have enjoyed a bit more narrative, but the superb style more than makes up for it.
Rated 17 May 2013
gatoquentegatoquente
Rated 09 Apr 2020
89
34th
The martial arts scenes were great, as well as the cinematography (especially the use of slow motion so one can savor some magical moments). But the story became muddled and dragging due to superfluous insertions of historical clips and Zen proverbs, pushing it to disintegration. My SCORING: 99-96=Great; 95-90=Very good; 89-85=Good; 84-80=So-so; 79-70=Boring; Below 70=Forget it.
Rated 09 Apr 2020
clark_novaClark Nova
Rated 31 Aug 2013
96
80th
Bruce Lee fans will be disappointed
Rated 31 Aug 2013
burkayadaligburkayadalig
Rated 13 Oct 2013
75
52nd
Unbelievably beautiful, boring as hell...
Rated 13 Oct 2013
madmanMadMan
Rated 04 Feb 2021
88
60th
I only got to see the American cut. I would love to view the 130 minute version. Pretty cool movie.
Rated 04 Feb 2021
hazelhawkshazelhawks
Rated 29 Nov 2021
73
72nd
I've only seen the short version but it's still good. I prefer Wong Kar-Wai's brasher, earlier films. This reminded me a bit of Ashes of Time - in Grandmaster, man struggles to stay the course and make his mark in the face of a changing world and the crush of fate, whereas with Ashes, man has given himself up to the wilderness. But the starting point is the same
Rated 29 Nov 2021
shellishShellish
Rated 03 May 2014
80
76th
Really beautifully shot film with some pretty kick ass fight scenes and very tense dramatics laced throughout. The music is the icing on the cake, so appropriate and it truly brings every scene to life. Definitely something to see!
Rated 03 May 2014
lonewolf2003Lonewolf2003
Rated 03 Dec 2014
82
88th
One of the most beautiful martial-arts films out there, which is no wonder it being a Kar-Wai Wong movie. Unfortunate the plot is unfocused; the movie starts out as Ip Man's (Tony Leung) story but halfway shifts into it being Gong Er (Ziyi Zhang's character) story and therefor is unable to fully explore either. But overal the styling and fight scenes are great enough to keep this a low all-time fav.
Rated 03 Dec 2014
synthonosynthono
Rated 05 May 2013
87
84th
Like a flower, it starts out small and seemingly inconsequential, before gradually opening up and displaying the many layers of beauty within.
Rated 05 May 2013
francogonzoFrancoGonzo
Rated 18 Feb 2016
16
88th
Star Rating: ★★★★1/2
Rated 18 Feb 2016
prowlerprowler
Rated 18 Sep 2013
44
42nd
as a biopic the suspension of realism weakens it, and as a human drama the historicism weighs it down. still gorgeous to look at and experience, despite a couple of odd choices.
Rated 18 Sep 2013
dougiedDougieD
Rated 07 Dec 2013
45
11th
Wong Kar-Wai's Ip Man biopic has absolutely stunning photography and some riveting fight set-pieces, but those are offset by a muddled, disjointed plot. By the end I really didn't feel as though I knew Ip Man that well.
Rated 07 Dec 2013
fenixdownfenixdown
Rated 12 Jul 2018
66
26th
I really disliked the action sequences, but the drama was decent, and I liked the ending.
Rated 12 Jul 2018
glm01glm01
Rated 07 Oct 2013
74
48th
73.500
Rated 07 Oct 2013
jschlanskyJSchlansky
Rated 20 Mar 2018
62
46th
At times quite beautiful. Tony Leung is good, Ziyi Zhang is great. The fights underwhelmed me, their shooting and editing style being too frantic for my taste and I think slow motion makes up at least 60% of the film
Rated 20 Mar 2018
pluggedinPluggedIN
Rated 07 Sep 2013
70
72nd
The Grandmaster is being billed as a biographical look at the kung fu fighting life of the man who trained martial arts superhero Bruce Lee. The very Ip Man who developed a flurry-of-fists style that the photogenic Lee took on to Hollywood fame. But that's not really what this movie is at all. And it certainly is not the typical martial arts chopsocky film that some will go looking for when they hear it's about this grandmaster. (pluggedin.com)
Rated 07 Sep 2013
whotempwhotemp
Rated 31 Mar 2014
81
66th
Absolutely beautiful. The fight choreography was really well done, and Zhang Ziyi is badass. I enjoyed the interplay between old and new, emotion and reason. It feels too elegant to be labeled an action film. - 3/31/14
Rated 31 Mar 2014
kylefilmskylefilms
Rated 02 Sep 2013
90
87th
The Chinese Cut.
Rated 02 Sep 2013
nathanbatesNathanBates
Rated 10 Dec 2023
60
35th
It starts almost like The 36 Chambers of Shaolin, with a half-dozen variant martial arts masters giving us a chance to see yet another fight. Then it abruptly changes course and gives us an unusual In the Mood for Love with darker colors. As you'd expect from WKW, the whole thing is beautiful to look at, even when the reflection motif gets a little old. The philosophic take was interesting but not quite developed. I'm also still wondering which grandmaster the title refers to.
Rated 10 Dec 2023
natebarriosnatebarrios
Rated 28 May 2013
80
86th
It definitely looks like a WKW movie. At some points I just want to pause on a frame and hang it on my wall. ---- Re-evaluated thoughts re: the 130-minute Hong Kong version: though there are trappings of a biopic structure in place, the added historical context and the display of letting the central relationship breathe greatly improved my viewing of this. Though linear, its second half takes great strides and its tangents feel more like footnotes than loose threads.
Rated 28 May 2013
jack_parsonsjack parsons
Rated 18 Apr 2014
7
41st
Very beautifully shot and leans towards a more elegant style of storytelling and even choreography. The pacing had sudden problems which left a strange contrast between style and substance. I enjoy just about any Wing Chun/Ip Man based story, though. I may be biased.
Rated 18 Apr 2014
benoliver999benoliver999
Rated 05 Feb 2015
60
42nd
The Grandmaster is a bit of a mess. Some research I did after the film showed that there were disputes in the editing room, but even without this knowledge one can sense that something is a little off. Scenes often fall into into a dull Hollywood biopic template, then suddenly other scenes are creative and interesting.
Rated 05 Feb 2015
danilolopesDanilolopes
Rated 04 May 2014
59
17th
Cung Le!
Rated 04 May 2014
boyd_crowderBoyd Crowder
Rated 16 Mar 2014
78
50th
incredibly beautiful of course. towards the end, it begins to make sense, why such a simple story was told in such an unfocused & complicated way ... but never quite.
Rated 16 Mar 2014
guvolefouguvolefou
Rated 09 Feb 2014
80
75th
Tarihi bir film olarak ele alınırsa, tam da Wong Kar Wai'nin çekebileceği, insanın havada bir tüycesine süzülmesine kafa yoran tarihi bir film. Bir kung fu filmi (bunun da özel bir adı vardı, hatırlayamadım şimdi) olarak da tek kelimeyle mükemmel görselliği ve koreografileriyle dövüşün içindeki aşkı, şiiri bulup çıkaran, dövüş sahneleriyle ciddi ciddi yürek dağlayan bir eser.
Rated 09 Feb 2014
zaezae
Rated 05 May 2013
75
66th
Captivatingly beautiful, but the plotline feels a bit unfocused. Maybe a longer Director's Cut would help.
Rated 05 May 2013
randorirandori
Rated 30 Nov 2013
50
20th
daha once stv dizisi tarzi ip adami da izlemistim ama hangisi daha kotu karar veremedim. yonetmeni atmosferik iliskiler filmleriyle taniyoruz. guzel olanları vardi ama bu filmi cok zor bitirebildim
Rated 30 Nov 2013
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 06 Dec 2013
38
23rd
I watched this back-to-back with "Ip Man" (2008) and the comparison is unkind to Wong Kar Wai's film. "The Grandmaster" is obsessed with superficial aestheticism, and as a result the plot is half-baked, the drama not particularly interesting and there's no humor. Some of the fight scenes are fun to watch though.
Rated 06 Dec 2013
ribcageribcage
Rated 23 Jan 2014
55
30th
The action was done right, except the jumbled story rips any emotional impact out of the entire movie. Film can't seem to decide if its main character is Yip Man or Gong Er. Never a good sign when I have to pause a movie and look the plot up on wikipedia to figure out what the hell is going on.
Rated 23 Jan 2014
td888td888
Rated 19 May 2013
50
41st
Too fragmented.
Rated 19 May 2013
icarusIcarus
Rated 03 May 2014
60
26th
This has the exquisite look and melancholic feel of Wong's best work. There are also a few scenes of dialogue that really shine, particularly as they relate kung fu to a philosophy of life. However, the sum of these parts just doesn't hold together well, which may be due to having seen the American cut.
Rated 03 May 2014
mattornotmattornot
Rated 01 Dec 2013
16
79th
Although this film isn't perfect it is a lot smarter than it presents itself to be. Wong Kar Wai wants us to pay attention to what is missing; the ignored wife, the war, hell even ip man's presence is secondary. Wong Kar Wai is still a master when it comes to toying with our expectations. Once again he is able to lead us in and then completely shatter our experience of genra.
Rated 01 Dec 2013
graveyardtangraveyardtan
Rated 01 Apr 2013
90
84th
The Grandmasters is a beautiful, riveting, sensual martial arts film, and one of Kar Wai's most wonderful looking movies.
Rated 01 Apr 2013

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