“Ip Man” won’t be remembered for its take on Chinese-Japanese relations (the Japanese are represented in a one-dimensional cartoonish manner), nor will it be remembered for its depiction of the times. Rather, “Ip Man” as a martial arts action-film, will be remembered for its well choreographed fight scenes and the likable portrayal of Ip Man by Donnie Yen. In other words don’t expect anything more than superficial fun with “Ip Man” and you’ll likely have a good time.

Set in 1930’s Foshan, China, an area known for its martial arts prowess, Ip Man lives the regal life of a prosperous martial arts master. Ip Man devotes the majority of his time honing his skills in the art of Wing Chung, while living blissfully with wife and child in a mansion like home. On a regular basis, masters of the many martial art clubs comes to Ip’s home to challenge him to a duel. These duels are all done in the secrecy of Ip’s home, as Ip Man is a modest man and never wants to embarrass his peers - because they will inevitably get their ass handed to them by Master Ip.

Then, Ip Man’s world gets turned upside down by the outbreak of the second Sino-Japanese War and the sub-sequent invasion of China by the Japanese Imperial Army. The quality of life in Foshan sinks to sub-poverty levels as the Japanese military drains Foshan of its natural resources. During this time, Ip Man works humbly in a coal mining factory to support his wife and child. Things turn for the worse when his long time friend Lin is killed by the Japanese army after competing in a martial arts exhibition against the Japanese. Although Ip Man is an inherently peaceful man, this last act of aggression by the Japanese army causes Ip Man to stand up against his oppressors once and for all. In the next martial arts exhibition, Ip Man takes on 10 of the Japanese fighters and defeats them handily. The reigning leader of the region, General Miura, takes an interest in Ip Man and attempts to enlist him to train his Japanese soldiers. Ip Man refuses and eventually, a dual between Ip Man and General Miura takes place in the town center.

The screenplay for “Ip Man” is geared strictly for action scenes and then more action scenes. The childhood of Ip Man is never broached, while the screen writers also leaves out Ip Man’s real job at the time - a police officer. The portrayal of the Japanese army is cartoonish at best, with General Miura’s second-in-command coming across as particularly over-the-top. Supporting characters are also never fleshed out, with Ka Tung Kam as the police-officer-turned-Japanese-translator having the only other character (besides Ip Man) of note. This means what you have left is Donnie Yen and his many fight scenes. Donnie Yen does come across as an engaging figure. At first his perfectly groomed appearance & passive demeanor leads you to wonder about his sexual orientation, but once the ass kicking begins you soon forget about such notions. The fight scenes are done well, without much of the wired wizardry you’ll find in other films.

If you’re an action fan, and in particular a martial arts fan, you really should treat yourself to “Ip Man.” A simple to follow story exists, interspersed with regular intervals of ass kicking done by Sir Donnie Yen, while the film builds up with sufficient melodrama to peak at just the right time (the climatic showdown between Ip Man and General Miura of the Japanese Imperial Army). On the flip-side, the movie isn’t particularly deep. For an action film this isn’t a requirement, but the film also passes itself off as a historical biopic, and in this regard, Ip Man comes up short. For interested readers, “Ip Man 2″ is also coming sooner rather than later and Kar Wai Wong’s long rumored “Ip Man” biopic (known as “The Grand Master”) will also start filming this June.