Fearless or Ip Man?

I'm surprised no one brought up this topic before, or maybe I just didn't see it. Those who liked Fearless, have probably seen Ip Man by now. Those who haven't seen Ip Man yet, would probably like it at least as much as Fearless if not more so.

So many similarities between Fearless (2006) and Ip Man (2008), inviting comparison:

Both were biopics about real martial arts masters.

Both stories mostly occurred during the subject's middle-age or so in life.

Both were costume-period pics set in an earlier time in China (Ip Man was set a few decades later than Fearless however).

Both featured Japan as an adversary nation from China's POV. Both featured themes of Chinese national pride in the face of Japanese oppresssion (the degree of Japanese oppression differed).

Both featured top notch Chinese martial arts stars of our generation--Jet Li and Donnie Yen respectively, both of which actors primarily come from a wushu background, and are widely considered of similar caliber. Which one is "better" is an open question that is much debated.

Both had wicked nice, masterfully choreographed and executed action scenes.

Both featured fight scenes pitting Chinese martial arts versus other martial arts, esp. Japanese. (also true for Ip Man 2, except not Japanese.)

Neither film went crazy on the wire-fu that I recall, if any. (I'd have to watch them again to be reminded whether any wires were utilized in either one. Ip Man 2 had some wire-fu in one scene but I'm talking about Ip Man 1)

Both films featured a one-on-one public duel at the end.

both films featured the hero facing off at the end against a "main" Japanese antagonist who had sympathetic/noble qualities, or at least was shown as somewhat less than absolutely evil or psycho, as opposed to a "secondary" (and arguably the "real" villain) Japanese antagonist who the hero never fights directly and is much worse than the "main" bad guy.

both films presented its hero (eventually, in the case of Fearless) as an example of not only martial arts prowess but also wisdom, courage, patience, mercy, and other virtues, thus a symbol of Chinese pride and a role model for martial artists and people in general everywhere.

Both films ended with a Japanese person murdering, or attempting to murder, the hero, and the hero becoming a martyr or near-martyr for the honor of the Chinese people/nation, and for the cause of liberty versus oppression everywhere.

Which one do u choose? I really liked Fearless but I have to go with Ip Man by a small margin:

(a) Huo Yianjia's character was to be admired by the end, but I found Ip Man more likeable throughout the movie, and his wife's facial expressions of disapproval during the first half were priceless. and the little kid was great too, with the tricycle interrupting that one duel inside the Ip house.

(b) Ip Man was special among other martial arts movies because of its Schindler's List/Life is Beautiful tone during the second half. I like to call Ip Man the "Schindler's List" of kung fu movies. To me, Fearless was the "Gandhi" of kung fu movies. However, that kinda reminds me of other kung fu movies such as Chinese Connection a/k/a Fist of Fury, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Hero and others in which the hero gets killed at the end


PS Ip Man 2 was the "Rocky IV" of kung fu movies.




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