Fancy a weekend film marathon? With “Ip-Man”, “Iceman” and other kung fu films, Joyn has some real martial arts films on offer. Here are five tips for powerful entertainment!
Von Bruce Lee bis Jackie Chan: Kung Fu fighters have fascinated film fans for many decades and have produced some veritable heroes. Their phenomenal body control coupled with absolute fitness allows the fighters to take on several opponents at once. If you fancy the ultimate film adrenaline rush at the weekend, Joyn has some tough martial arts films that will turn your living room into a fighting arena.
“Ip-Man” and spin-offs
In 2008, director Wilson Yip set about adapting a true story: the martial arts classic “Ip Man” is based on the life story of the main character. Grandmaster Ip Man (1893 to 1972) taught the martial art Wing Chun during his lifetime. Among others, he trained the later film hero Bruce Lee.
The brilliantly directed and visually impressive film about the actually peaceful fighter Ip-Man (Donnie Yen) quickly became a crowd-puller. It is therefore not surprising that the cinema success with Donnie Yen has now grown into an extensive franchise. How popular the films are in China is illustrated by an astonishing fact: In December 2020, the fourth and final part of the series, “Ip-Man 4: The Finale”, even surpassed the ninth offshoot of the “Star Wars” saga in Chinese cinemas.
In addition to the third part of the kung fu film series, the spin-off “Master Z – The Ip-Man Legacy” (2019) is also available for streaming on Joyn. The latter tells the story of the supporting character Cheung Tin Chi (Max Zhang) after his defeat against the title hero of “Ip-Man 3”. When he decides to live a simple life, the exact opposite happens: a local triad threatens his family and even the drug lord Davidson (Dave Bautista) makes his life hell.
Joyn also offers the series spin-off “Ip-Man – The Series”. The mixture of biography, history and martial arts is dedicated to the highs and lows of the martial arts grandmaster. Unlike in the films, the series adaptation stars Kevin Cheng, not Donnie Yen, in the lead role.
“Iceman – The Warrior from the Ice”
Even outside of his role as Ip Man, Donnie Yen regularly demonstrated his skills as a martial arts fighter. In 2015, the now 61-year-old became the figurehead of the action film “Iceman”.
In the martial arts saga by director Wing-Cheong Law, Yen plays the soldier He Ying. He awakens after 400 years in the ice and is confronted with the challenges of modern Hong Kong. He initially finds refuge with the helpful May (Eva Huang).
But then trouble arises: two former opponents have also come back to life and are seeking revenge for a betrayal from long ago. To clear his name, He Ying has only one option: he must successfully use the mysterious Wheel of Time and travel back in time.
“Kung Fu Killer”
The martial arts thriller “Kung Fu Killer” is not for the faint-hearted. In the 2016 film, fear is spreading in Hong Kong: A feared killer (Wang Baoquiang) terrorizes the martial arts scene and kills one fighter after another.
Inspector Luk (Charlie Yeung) is increasingly overwhelmed with the investigation into the case. The offer from convicted murderer and kung fu expert Mo (Donnie Yen) comes at just the right time. He offers his help in hunting down the killer, but demands his freedom in return. The police officer agrees to the deal and soon has his first successes thanks to Mo. But there is a nasty catch: the killer soon has his sights set on Mo himself and, at the climax of a nerve-racking game of cat and mouse, threatens the love of Mo’s life.
“Fighting Beat 2”
At first glance, you probably wouldn’t expect street dance and martial arts to be together in a film. Director Rashane Limtrakul invites you to try this unusual combination in his action thriller “Fighting Beat 2”. The 2009 film tells the story of the young Deu (Yanin Vismitananda), who is almost kidnapped, only to be saved at the last second by the mysterious Sanim (Kazu Patrick Tang).
She accompanies him to his training group, where Deu is introduced to the martial art of Muay Thai. Soon she and her fellow fighters are faced with a dangerous challenge: a brutal human trafficking ring threatens their lives. But thanks to their sophisticated fighting technique, the group knows how to defend themselves.
