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The Grandmaster

Original title: Yi dai zong shi
  • 2013
  • PG-13
  • 2h 10m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
35K
YOUR RATING
The Grandmaster (2013)
A story inspired by the life and times of the legendary kung fu master, Ip Man, and set in the tumultuous Republican era that followed the fall of ChinaÂ’s last dynasty, a time of chaos, division and war that was also the golden age of Chinese martial arts.
Play trailer2:11
10 Videos
99+ Photos
ActionBiographyDrama

The story of martial-arts master Ip Man, the man who trained Bruce Lee.The story of martial-arts master Ip Man, the man who trained Bruce Lee.The story of martial-arts master Ip Man, the man who trained Bruce Lee.

  • Director
    • Kar-Wai Wong
  • Writers
    • Kar-Wai Wong
    • Jingzhi Zou
    • Haofeng Xu
  • Stars
    • Tony Leung Chiu-wai
    • Ziyi Zhang
    • Jin Zhang
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    35K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Kar-Wai Wong
    • Writers
      • Kar-Wai Wong
      • Jingzhi Zou
      • Haofeng Xu
    • Stars
      • Tony Leung Chiu-wai
      • Ziyi Zhang
      • Jin Zhang
    • 157User reviews
    • 285Critic reviews
    • 73Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 68 wins & 72 nominations total

    Videos10

    Theatrical Trailer
    Trailer 2:11
    Watch Theatrical Trailer
    Teaser Version
    Trailer 1:10
    Watch Teaser Version
    Exclusive Clip
    Clip 0:57
    Watch Exclusive Clip
    The Grandmaster: The Grandmaster According To RZA
    Clip 3:20
    Watch The Grandmaster: The Grandmaster According To RZA
    The Grandmaster: Rain Fight (US)
    Clip 0:58
    Watch The Grandmaster: Rain Fight (US)
    The Grandmaster: Train Fight (US)
    Clip 0:59
    Watch The Grandmaster: Train Fight (US)
    The Grandmaster: Brothel Fight (Us)
    Clip 1:08
    Watch The Grandmaster: Brothel Fight (Us)
    The Grandmaster: Wong Kar Wai On Ip Man's Legacy
    Featurette 0:22
    Watch The Grandmaster: Wong Kar Wai On Ip Man's Legacy
    The Grandmaster: Zhang Ziyi On The Authenticity Of The Martial Arts In The Film
    Featurette 0:40
    Watch The Grandmaster: Zhang Ziyi On The Authenticity Of The Martial Arts In The Film
    The Grandmaster: Tony Leung On His Character Ip Man
    Featurette 0:36
    Watch The Grandmaster: Tony Leung On His Character Ip Man

    Photos671

    Chang Chen in The Grandmaster (2013)
    Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Ziyi Zhang in The Grandmaster (2013)
    Tony Leung Chiu-wai in The Grandmaster (2013)
    Ziyi Zhang in The Grandmaster (2013)
    Chang Chen in The Grandmaster (2013)
    Ziyi Zhang in The Grandmaster (2013)
    Tony Leung Chiu-wai in The Grandmaster (2013)
    Kar-Wai Wong in The Grandmaster (2013)
    Tony Leung Chiu-wai at an event for The Grandmaster (2013)
    Yann Yann Yeo at an event for The Grandmaster (2013)
    Jane Fonda at an event for The Grandmaster (2013)
    Ziyi Zhang at an event for The Grandmaster (2013)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tony Leung Chiu-wai
    Tony Leung Chiu-wai
    • Ip Man
    • (as Tony Leung)
    Ziyi Zhang
    Ziyi Zhang
    • Gong Er
    Jin Zhang
    Jin Zhang
    • Ma San
    Chang Chen
    Chang Chen
    • Razor
    Cung Le
    Cung Le
    • Iron Shoes
    Qingxiang Wang
    • Master Gong Yutian
    Elvis Tsui
    Elvis Tsui
    • Mr. Hung
    • (as Jinjiang Xu)
    Song Hye-Kyo
    Song Hye-Kyo
    • Zhang Yongcheng
    • (as Hye-kyo Song)
    Kar-Yung Lau
    Kar-Yung Lau
    • Master Yong
    • (as Chia Yung Liu)
    Chiu-Yee Tsang
    • Shorty
    Hoi-Pang Lo
    Hoi-Pang Lo
    • Uncle Deng
    Shun Lau
    Shun Lau
    • Master Rui
    Xiaofei Zhou
    • Sister San
    Mancheng Wang
    • Master Ba
    Ting Yip Ng
    Ting Yip Ng
    • Brother Sau
    Man Keung Cho
    • Cho Man
    Tony Ling
    • Foshan Martial Artist
    Tielong Shang
    • Jiang
    • Director
      • Kar-Wai Wong
    • Writers
      • Kar-Wai Wong(story) (screenplay)
      • Jingzhi Zou(screenplay)
      • Haofeng Xu(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The project was announced almost 10 years before its final release, due to director Kar-Wai Wong's endless perfectionism. Several other motion pictures about the Ip Man that were conceived after this announcement (most famously Ip Man (2008) and Ip Man 2 (2010)) were all released in the meantime.
    • Quotes

      Gong Er: Remember when I told you that there is nothing to regret in life? It's all bullshit. If life had no regrets it would be really boring.

    • Alternate versions
      The original version released in Asia removes a portion of Yi Xintian's subplot. The rain fight sequence between Xintian and Ip Man shown in the trailer, for example, was removed. However, Wong Karwai then recut the movie for a special Berlin Film Festival screening by incorporating the missing scenes back, but editing out several scenes from the original version including a fight sequence between Ip Man and a Hong Kong challenger. Both versions are missing crucial segments that made all three main characters' journey feel incomplete. The actual finished movie was rumored to be 4 hours long. Wong Karwai mentioned he had no intention of releasing the 4 hour version.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Oscars (2014)
    • Soundtracks
      Stabat Mater
      Written by Stefano Lentini

      Performed by The City of Rome Contemporary Music Ensemble

    User reviews157

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Great visuals but cumbersome plot
    This film tells the biography of a martial arts master, whose life is interrupted by love and war.

    "The Grandmaster" starts off very visually stunning, as Tony Leung and the adversaries fight in the rain in an epic style. The water movement is so stylish that the expectation I have for "The Grandmaster" is immediately lifted up. Throughout the film, the sets are lavish and the visuals are consistently captivating. However, I find the plot a bit confusing and the pace far too slow. The romantic subplot feels cumbersome and too restrained, even though I understand that is the intention to parallel Gong's unspoken feelings. I find the story boring as a matter of fact. Tighter editing, and maybe the last half an hour cut would make the story less cumbersome.
    helpful•9
    4
    • Gordon-11
    • Apr 30, 2014

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 30, 2013 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Hong Kong
      • China
    • Official sites
      • Official site
      • Official site (Japan)
    • Languages
      • Mandarin
      • Cantonese
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • Nhất Đại Tông Sư
    • Filming locations
      • Foshan, Guangdong, China
    • Production companies
      • Block 2 Pictures
      • Jet Tone Production
      • Sil-Metropole Organisation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $38,600,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $6,594,959
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $132,617
      • Aug 25, 2013
    • Gross worldwide
      • $73,933,046
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 10 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • Dolby Atmos
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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