Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010)

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (Traditional Chinese : 狄仁傑之通天帝國（臺：通天神探狄仁傑）; Simplified Chinese : 狄仁杰之通天帝国 ) is a 2010 epic mystery film that is a fictional account of Di Renjie, one of the most celebrated officials of the Tang Dynasty. A co-production between China and Hong Kong, the film was directed by Tsui Hark from a screenplay written by Chen Kuofu.

The film stars Andy Lau as the lead role, and features art direction and fight choreography by Sammo Hung. The film's supporting cast includes Carina Lau, Li Bingbing, Deng Chao and Tony Leung Ka-fai.

Principal photography for Detective Dee began in May 2009; the film was shot at Hengdian World Studios in Zhejiang, China. Detective Dee was released in China on 29 September 2010 and in Hong Kong on 30 September 2010.

The film was nominated for the Golden Lion at the 2010 Venice Film Festival. The film also made its North America debut by premiering at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.


The character of Judge Dee was made famous in western countries by Robert van Gulik, who wrote 17 new Judge Dee mysteries between 1946 and 1967. The series is now being continued by French author Frédéric Lenormand.

Casting
For the lead role as Di Renjie, Tsui originally had Tony Leung Ka-fai, along with Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, and Jet Li in mind. Jet Li mentioned while promoting Tsui's other film The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate that he had a chance to read the script though he wasn't able to be part of the project due to some unknown reason.

Tsui commented on choosing an actor to play Di Renjie: "Who said that Di Ren Jie must be plump and old? He could also be very handsome. Wits and looks can balance one another." On 5 January 2009, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Andy Lau would star in the lead role.[4] On 29 April 2009, it was announced that Carina Lau, Li Bingbing, Deng Chao and Tony Leung Ka-Fai would appear in supporting roles.

* Andy Lau plays Di Renjie, an exiled detective of the Tang Dynasty. Lau felt that the character's psychic abilities was one of his greatest traits: "He is a forensic psychologist who knows what you're thinking, from your eyes, your breathing, the pauses in your speech, he could tell what you're withholding, a melancholic detective." To prepare for his role in the film, Lau studied criminal psychology.

* Carina Lau plays Wu Zetian, the Tang Dynasty empress of China. The film marks Lau's first feature film role in four years. On her role in the film, she commented on the strength of the empress: "I feel that Wu Ze Tian is a 'superman', her fate is very tragic, but she would find opportunities to defy her fate, to bring her, step by step, closer to her dreams. She has very strong willpower and is very wise, unlike myself." Lau had to practice horse riding for the film, accepting help from a professional trainer: "I have always been rather afraid of horseriding, afraid of such a large animal; but now I have overcome the mental obstacle and the lessons have been rather smooth."

* Li Bingbing plays Shangguan Jing'er, a highly skilled martial artist, who serves as Wu Zetian's maid and right-hand "man". The character is loosely based on Shangguan Wan'er, who was a poet, writer and politician of the Tang Dynasty. Director Tsui Hark decided to change the character, feeling that a more fictitious character would provide more room for creativity: "There're some things that Wan-er couldn't do, like being a top-notch martial arts expert."


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The Sorcerer And The White Snake (2011)

The Sorcerer and the White Snake (Traditional Chinese:白蛇傳說之法海, Simplified Chinese:白蛇传说之法海, Mandarin Pinyin:Bái Shé Chuán Shuō Zhī Fǎ Hǎi) previously known as, It's Love and Madame White Snake is an upcoming film directed by Ching Siu-tung and starring Jet Li.

It is based on the Chinese Legend of the White Snake. Production started in September 10, 2010 and ended on January 16, 2011. The film will be in 3-D and will be shown out of competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival. It will be released in Hong Kong on 29 September 2011.

Cast : Jet Li as Reverend Fahai (法海) , Eva Huang as White Snake (白娘子) , Raymond Lam as Xu Xian (許仙), Charlene Choi as Green Snake (小青), Wen Zhang as Neng Ren (能忍), Jiang Wu as Turtle Devil (龜妖), Vivian Hsu as Snow Goblin (千年雪妖), Miriam Yeung as Rabbit Devil (兔妖), Chapman To as Toad Monster (蛤蟆怪), Law Kar-ying as Mysterious Herbalist (神秘藥師), Lam Suet as Chicken Devil (雞妖), Sonija Kwok as Bu Ming (不明)

Production
Leading actors Ethan Ruan, Peter Ho, Mark Chao and Raymond Lam fought for the lead role in the film. In the end, Lam got the role. It was reported that Ruan and Chow were dropped as they were deemed to be not well known enough in China and Ho's image did not suit the male lead.


Jet Li was announced to be part of the cast during early pre-production however his role was not revealed until September 2010, when some actors' roles were announced including Jet Li as Fa Hai, Eva Huang as White Snake, Raymond Lam as Xu Xian, Charlene Choi as Green Snake and Wen Zhang, whom Li invited to play his disciple Neng Ren.

Regarding the action scenes, Jet Li said he had never been this exhausted before. Li says, "After fighting the White Snake, fight the Green Snake. After fighting the Green Snake, then fight the Demon. After fighting this Demon, then fight another Demon. After fighting this Demon, then fight the Water Monster. Everyday on set I was letting out a big sigh."

Raymond Lam said he was always being hit by others, "Especially Ah Sa, she even requested for the director to add fight scenes. As a result, added scenes to hit me! Furthermore she fought much more fiercely than before !"

Filming wrapped on January 16, 2011. Originally titled Madame White Snake in English, the film logo was unveiled during the production wrap press conference with the new official English title, It's Love.

However, the English title was changed to The Sorcerer and the White Snake when the distributor was announced.

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The Lost Bladesman (2011)

The Lost Bladesman (Traditional Chinese : 關雲長 ; Simplified Chinese : 关云长 ; Pinyin : Guān Yúncháng) is a 2011 Hong Kong historical martial arts film adapted from the story of Guan Yu crossing five passes and slaying six generals in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It stars Donnie Yen as Guan, who also served as the film's action director. Written and directed by Alan Mak and Felix Chong.

Filming began in March 2010 and wrapped up on 30 June 2010.


Plot
The film opens with a scene of Cao Cao attending Guan Yu's funeral - Guan's decapitated head is buried with a wooden statue in place of his body.

The scene then flashbacks to 20 years ago : Guan Yu had been separated from his worn brother Liu Bei, and he temporarily served Cao Cao while he waited for news of Liu's whereabouts.

At the Battle of Baima between Cao Cao and his rival, Yuan Shao, Guan Yu slew Yuan's general Yan Liang and lifted the siege on Baima. As a reward, Cao Cao recommended that the emperor grant Guan Yu the title of "Marquis of Hanshou" (漢壽亭侯) and promote him to the rank of a lieutenant general (偏將軍).


Liu Bei's family and his concubine, Qilan, were staying in Cao Cao's territory together with Guan Yu. Cao Cao constantly presented Guan Yu with precious gifts, hoping that the general will be touched and decide to remain by his side, but Guan refused to renounce his loyalty to Liu Bei.

When there were news that Liu Bei had sought refuge under Yuan Shao, Guan Yu negotiated with Cao Cao to release Liu Bei's family, and Cao agreed, while Qilan remained behind with Guan. As Cao Cao was aware that Guan Yu was secretly in love with Qilan, he tricked Guan into consuming food spiked with aphrodisiac, in hope that Guan would express his feelings to Qilan and rape her as she was put under paralysis. However, Guan Yu managed to remain rational and did not take his sworn brother's concubine for himself. He and Qilan made preparations to leave Cao Cao after he knew Liu Bei's whereabouts from a messenger sent by Liu Bei himself.

Cao Cao's followers strongly opposed his decision to let Guan Yu leave, as they felt that Guan might become a threat to their lord in future. Despite so, Cao Cao gave a strict order that no one was to stop Guan Yu.

However, along the way, Guan Yu encountered resistance and had to fight his way through the passes. Guan Yu slew Kong Xiu, Han Fu, Meng Tan, Bian Xi, Wang Zhi and Qin Qi, consecutively after they attempted to stop him. It was eventually revealed that it was the emperor, and not Cao Cao, who issued the order to kill Guan Yu. Guan Yu agreed to kill Yuan Shao and could not decide whether to stay or leave in favor of their relationship before reuniting with Liu Bei.

However, before Qilan left, she pretended that she loved Guan Yu and said that she would ask for Liu Bei's consent so that they can marry in order to stop Guan from helping Cao Cao. Guan Yu refused and was stabbed by Qilan before the emperor sent assassins to kill him. After a final conversation, Guan Yu turned his back on Cao Cao and the emperor. He headed to reunite with Liu Bei, fighting on Liu's side against the rival states of Wei and Wu for the next two decades until his death.

The scene then turns back to Guan Yu's funeral. Cao Cao is sad and sheds tears for the loss of his friend. Before the film ends, Cao Cao makes some final remarks on how not him, but others such as Sun Quan, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, are responsible for Guan Yu's death. In a post credits scene, Guan Yu is seen wielding his Green Dragon Crescent Blade upright and stroking his long beard.

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Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by John Wayne Stevenson and Mark Osborne and produced by Melissa Cobb, and stars the voice of Jack Black along with Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Randall Duk Kim, James Hong, Dan Fogler and Michael Clarke Duncan.

Set in a version of ancient China populated by anthropomorphic animals, the plot revolves around a bumbling panda named Po who aspires to be a kung fu master. When an evil kung fu warrior is foretold to escape from prison, Po is unwittingly named the chosen one destined to bring peace to the land, much to the chagrin of the resident kung fu warriors.


Although the concept of a "kung fu panda" has been around since at least 1993, work on the film did not begin until 2004. The idea for the film was conceived by Michael Lachance, a DreamWorks Animation executive.

The film was originally intended to be a parody, but director Stevenson decided instead to shoot an action comedy Wuxia film that incorporates the hero's journey narrative archetype for the lead character. The computer animation in the film was more complex than anything DreamWorks had done before.

As with most DreamWorks animated films, Hans Zimmer (collaborating with John Powell this time) scored Kung Fu Panda. He visited China to absorb the culture and get to know the China National Symphony Orchestra as part of his preparation. A sequel, Kung Fu Panda 2, is in production and set for release on May 26, 2011.

Kung Fu Panda premiered in the United States on June 6, 2008, and has since received very favorable reviews from critics and most of the movie-going public, including Chinese audiences who were impressed with the film's faithfulness to their culture.

The film currently garners an 88% "Certified Fresh" approval rating from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Kung Fu Panda opened in 4,114 theaters, grossing $20.3 million on its opening day and $60.2 million on its opening weekend, resulting in the number one position at the box office.

The film became DreamWorks's biggest opening for a non-sequel film, highest grossing animated movie of the year, the fourth-largest weekend for a DreamWorks animated film at the American and Canadian box office, behind Shrek the Third, Shrek 2, and Shrek Forever After, and the 49th highest-grossing film of all time.

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The New Shaolin Temple (2011)

Shaolin also known as The New Shaolin Temple (Chinese : 新少林寺
Pinyin : Xīn Shàolín Sì) is a 2011 Hong Kong action film. It is to be an updated version of Jet Li's movie debut, The Shaolin Temple. Filming started in October 2009 with a jubilant ceremony held inside the Shaolin Temple. News first spread of the project when the films co-star Jackie Chan announced on his official website that he was involved with the project but wasn't able to talk about it due to contract restrictions.

There is a quotation from Buddhism as this movie prologue : "The Three Poisons - Greed, Hate and Ignorance - are the primary causes of evil (akusala)"

Production
Jackie Chan and his crew built their own "Shaolin Temple" in Zhejiang Province that cost 10 million yuan (US$1.47 million) to avoid damaging the actual temple. The cast members shaved their heads bald for filming, whereas Chan, who wore a hat, shaved around his head where his hair was sticking out.


Andy Lau's left hand was injured while he was filming a fight scene.

Cast :* Jackie Chan as Cook * Andy Lau as Hou Jie * Nicholas Tse as Cao Man * Fan Bingbing as Yan Xi * Wu Jing as Jing Neng * Yu Shaoqun as Jing Hai * Xing Yu as Jing Kong * Yue Hoi as Abbott * Hung Yan Yan as Sou Xiang Tu


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The Swordsman (1990)

The Swordsman or Swordsman (Chinese : 笑傲江湖, Pinyin : Xiào Ào Jiāng Hú) is a 1990 Hong Kong martial arts-action film. King Hu was credited as the director but he had allegedly left the project, and the film was completed by a team led by producer Tsui Hark. The film is based on Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. The theme song of the film, Chong Hoi Yat Sing Siu / Cang Hai Yi Sheng Xiao (滄海一聲笑) or "A Laugh At The World" aka "Hero of Heroes" aka "A Single Laughter in the Sea"), was written by Wong Jim and performed by lead actor Sam Hui.

Swordsman is a film that can stand on its own, but it works even better as a prequel for viewers who have only seen Swordsman II and/or III. The film provides a lot of helpful backstory, such as how Ling learned his distinctive swordplay style, how he became friendly with the Sun Moon Sect, why he and his buddies are retiring from the martial world in II, where the song "Hero of Heroes" ("A Single Laughter in the Sea") comes from, and ultimately how much blood was shed in pursuit of the Sacred Scroll before it fell into the hands of Asia the Invincible.

Though Fennie Yuen is the only actor who appears in both films as the same character, the difference in casts shouldn't be a turnoff for the uninitiated. Sam Hui and company acquit themselves quite nicely in their respective roles, turning in several noteworthy performances.

One of the more interesting aspects of the film is the fact that Swordsman has the peculiar distinction of having six different directors! Though rumors of "creative differences" abound, the official story is that original director King Hu became ill and had to be replaced midway through shooting. To complete the film, Tsui Hark split up directorial duties between himself, Ching Siu-Tung, and Raymond Lee. Though uncredited, Ann Hui and Andrew Kam also lent helping hands to finish the movie. In all this confusion, it's a miracle that Swordsman is even a coherent film, but even more amazing is the fact that it's a pretty good one, too.

As the opening statement of the film suggests, this film has an underlying message. One character laments, "Another lot of victims under the sword. We are all made of flesh and blood. Why do we make such a mess of our own world?" As evidenced by the unrelenting quest for the Sacred Scroll, the film suggests that all the problems of the world can be traced back to the guiding principle embraced by many of the film's characters, the obsession with "Name" recognition. The movie shows that the true "Hero of Heroes" is the one who does not seek recognition for his actions. It is remarkable that Swordsman, a film that could be written off as mindless HK entertainment, can still retain some moral resonance. (Calvin McMillin 2002)

Plot
During the Ming Dynasty, the Sunflower Manual (葵花寶典) was stolen from the Chinese palace and a team of Jinyi Wei is sent to retrieve it. They attack Lin Zhennan and his son, Lin Pingzhi, and the Lins separate to avoid their pursuers. Lin Zhennan meets Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan from the Mount Hua Sect, requesting them to inform his son about where the manual is hidden. Just then, Zuo Lengchan appears and a fight ensues, but Linghu and Yue manage to escape.

They journey to meet Yue Buqun at a retirement ceremony and encounter Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang along the way. Linghu strikes up a friendship with them and they perform their musical piece Xiaoao Jianghu (笑傲江湖). On the day of the ceremony, Zuo shows up and attempts to force Liu to hand over Linghu, accusing Liu of conspiring with the Demonic Cult. Liu and Qu manage to fight their way out despite being surrounded by several enemies. At the same time, Linghu is wounded by Zuo and he escapes and hides near the river. He hears Liu and Qu playing their musical piece and finds them. Liu and Qu present Linghu with their instruments and the music score.

Cast
* Sam Hui as Linghu Chong
* Cecilia Yip as Yue Lingshan
* Jacky Cheung as Ouyang Quan
* Sharla Cheung as Ren Yingying
* Fennie Yuen as Lan Fenghuang
* Lau Siu-ming as Yue Buqun
* Yuen Wah as Zuo Lengchan
* Lam Ching-ying as Qu Yang
* Wu Ma as Liu Zhengfeng
* Lau Shun as Gu Jinfu

Awards
10th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards
• Winner - Best Action Choreography (Ching Siu-Tung)
• Winner - Best Song ("A Single Laughter in the Sea", performed by Sam Hui Koon-Kit)
• Nomination - Best Supporting Actor (Jacky Cheung Hok-Yau)
• Nomination - Best Supporting Actor (Lau Shun)
• Nomination - Best Editing (David Wu Dai-Wai, Marco Mak Chi-Sin)
• Nomination - Best Art Direction (Leung Wah-Sang)
• Nomination - Best Original Score (James Wong Jim, Tai Lok-Man)

27th Annual Golden Horse Awards
• Winner - Outstanding Feature
• Winner - Best Supporting Actor (Jacky Cheung Hok-Yau)
• Winner - Best Song ("A Single Laughter in the Sea", performed by Sam Hui Koon-Kit)

Box Office
The film grossed HK $16,052,552 at the Hong Kong box office.

From Wikipedia, LoveHKFilm.com

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Legend of the Fist : The Return of Chen Zhen (2010)

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (traditional Chinese: 精武風雲－陳真; simplified Chinese: 精武风云－陈真) is a 2010 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by Andrew Lau. The film is a continuation of the 1995 television series Fist of Fury, with Donnie Yen reprising his role as Chen Zhen, a role made famous by Bruce Lee in the 1972 film Fist of Fury.

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen is set during the Second Sino-Japanese War in Japanese-occupied Shanghai, seven years after the events of the series. Principal photography for the film began in November 2009 and ended in early February 2010; filming took place in Shanghai.

The film was shown out of competition during the opening night of the 67th Venice International Film Festival, and 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. The film was released theatrically in Hong Kong on 23 September 2010.

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen is a continuation of the 1995 television series Fist of Fury, with Donnie Yen reprising his role as Chen Zhen. Yen will also serve as the film's fight choreographer.

The film will be directed by Andrew Lau, who will also co-produce the film and serve as a cinematographer alongside his frequent partner Ng Man-Ching; Gordon Chan will co-write and co-produce the film; John Chong will serve as an executive producer. The film is a co-production between Hong Kong film distributor Media Asia Films, Lau's production company Basic Pictures, and Chinese film producer Enlight Pictures.


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The Legend is Born – Ip Man (2010)

The Legend is Born – Ip Man (simplified Chinese: 叶问前传; traditional Chinese: 葉問前傳) is 2010 Hong Kong martial art movie. Herman Yau is director of the “The Legend is Born: Ip Man”. Dennis To plays lead role as Ip Man in this film. Sammo Hung is the movie’s action director and choreographer, also makes an appearance as Chan Wah-Shun, Ip Man’s master and teacher, at the beginning of the movie. The viewers are little confused those who watched Ip Man 2 in which Sammo plays martial arts Master Hung.

Movie review:
The Legend is Born: Ip Man movie starts in Foshan, southern China in 1905. Ip Man (Dennis To) and adopted stepbrother Tien-Chi (Fan Siu-Wong) become students of Wing Chun Master Chan Wah-Shun (Sammo Hung). Then a year later the master dies and the school is acquired by his old friend Ng Chun-Sui (Yuen Biao).

In 1915, Ip Man captures the heart of Cheung Wing-Sing (Crystal Huang) while defending her in a fight, prompting jealousy from his childhood friend and fellow student Lee Mei-Wai (Rose Chan), who is secretly in love with him. Then Ip Man goes to Hong Kong for further his studies at a university where he meets old Wing Chun master Leung Bik (Ip Chun), who trains him new and powerful moves which never seen before in Wing Chun. But Ip Man is then punished as these new moves were considered unauthentic to Wing Chun. In the meantime of film, Japanese businessman Kitano (Louis Cheung) leads a group of Japanese smugglers. When the president of Tien-Chi’s company is assassinated with Ip Man recognizing Tien-Chi as main suspect, stir up trouble, and tension between the Chinese and Japanese reaches boiling point.

In the film, speaking of the fight scenes, there are lots of them sprinkled in the whole movie, demonstrating some of Wing Chun’s lesser-known moves, like wrestling and leg moves. Other martial arts like Karate, Jiu-Jitsu and boxing are also showing, all brilliantly choreographed by Hung.

The whole plot of the movie might be cheesy to some while the fight scenes are entertaining. It is almost a “boy meets girl” situation, when Ip Man infatuates the deputy mayor’s daughter Cheung Wing-Sing after he protects her from harm in a street fight. Then she tries to court him against the wishes of her father, but her efforts are hindered by Lee Mei-Wai, who has a crush on him.

As a part of the love story, the rest of the plot is entertaining and well paced, except for the ending, which feels slightly rushed, and rather clichéd and boring.

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Ip Man 2 (2010)

Ip Man 2 (traditional Chinese: 葉問2:宗師傳奇; simplified Chinese: 叶问2:宗师传奇; ) is a 2010 semi-biographical martial arts film based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of Wing Chun martial arts. A sequel to the 2008 film Ip Man, the film was directed by Wilson Yip, and stars Donnie Yen, who reprises the leading role. Continuing after the events of the earlier film, the sequel centers on Ip's movements in Hong Kong, which is under British colonial rule. He attempts to propagate his discipline of Wing Chun, but faces rivalry from other practitioners, including the local master of Hung Ga martial arts.

Producer Raymond Wong first announced a sequel before Ip Man's theatrical release in December 2008. Ip Man 2 was intended to focus on the relationship between Ip and his most famed disciple, Bruce Lee. The filmmakers, however, were unable to finalize film rights with Lee's descendants and decided to briefly portray Lee as a child.

Principal photography for Ip Man 2 began in August 2009 and concluded in November; filming took place inside a studio located in Shanghai. For the sequel, Yip aimed to create a more dramatic martial arts film in terms of story and characterization; Wong's son, screenwriter Edmond Wong, wanted the film to portray how Chinese people were treated by the British, as well as the Western perceptions towards Chinese martial arts.

Ip Man 2 premiered in Beijing on 21 April 2010. The film was released in Hong Kong on 29 April 2010. Ip Man 2 was met with positive reviews; critics praised the film's storytelling, as well as Sammo Hung's martial arts choreography. Other critics ultimately agreed that the sequel was not as good as its predecessor. The film grossed over HK$13 million on its opening weekend, immediately surpassing Ip Man’s opening weekend gross. During its theatrical run, Ip Man 2 brought in over HK$43 million domestically, and an estimated US$14 million worldwide.

Film title
The Chinese title of the film (traditional Chinese: 葉問2:宗師傳奇; simplified Chinese: 叶问2:宗师传奇; ), literally means Ip Man 2: Legend of a Grandmaster. The title is a play on the first film's working title which was Grandmaster Ip Man, a title that was changed when Wong Kar-wai clashed with producers, while trying to make his own Ip Man biopic. Wilson Yip explained that the title of the film as being purely coincidental rather than intentional: "The sequel is about Ip Man being elevated from a master, a hero to a grandmaster, so we have 'grandmaster' in the title."

Release
Ip Man 2 was released in select Asian countries and in Australia on 29 April 2010. Prior to its release, Mandarin Films publicly launched the film's official website in Beijing on 6 April 2010. The film held a premiere press conference in Beijing on 21 April 2010, only seven days after the 2010 Yushu earthquake. Guests were asked to wear dark-colored clothing in show of mourning; there was a moment of silence for the victims of the disaster. The film’s cast, Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Huang Xiaoming, Lynn Hung, and Kent Cheng attended the premiere, and donated a total of ¥500,000 (US$73,200) to relief efforts helping in the disaster recovery. The film held private screenings in Chengdu on 21 April 2010, and in China on 27 April 2010, receiving positive reactions from audiences. Mandarin Films has sold North American distribution rights for the film to distributor Well Go USA. Ip Man 2 will receive a 2011 theatrical release in the United States.

Box office
In Hong Kong, Ip Man 2 faced competition with the international release of Iron Man 2, which premiered in Hong Kong one day later than Ip Man 2. During its opening weekend, Ip Man 2 grossed HK$13 million (US$1,736,011), surpassing Ip Man’s opening weekend gross of HK$4.5 million (US$579,715). The sequel claimed first place at the box office, grossing HK$1 million more than Iron Man 2. The film's revenues decreased by 28.1% in its second weekend, earning HK$9,719,603.56 (US$1,248,996) to remain in first place. The film dropped 45.7% in its third week, bringing in HK$5,293,401 (US$678,613) while still remaining in first place. Ip Man 2 continued to stay at number one at the box office, dropping an additional 39.4% in its fourth week and grossing HK$3,199,567 (US$411,115). During its fifth week, the film moved to fifth place at 79.3%, grossing HK$664,535 (US$85,325). Ip Man 2 grossed HK$43,268,228.72 (US$5,558,704) domestically. The sequel's domestic gross in Hong Kong puts it ahead of Ip Man’s total box office gross of HK$25,581,958.69 (US$3,300,847).

Ip Man 2 has also broken box office records in Singapore. The film is currenty the highest-grossing Hong Kong film to be released in the country, beating a five-year record held by Kung Fu Hustle. On its opening weekend Ip Man 2 came in second place behind Iron Man 2, grossing SG$1.74 million (US$1,264,919). The film’s opening weekend gross surpassed Ip Man’s 2008 weekend gross of SG$827,000 (US$463,946).

In total, Ip Man 2 has grossed an estimated $14,546,583 worldwide during its theatrical run.

Source : Wikipedia

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Confucius (2010)

Confucius (Chinese: 孔子 ; Pinyin : Kong Zi) is a Chinese biographical film first released in Beijing on 14 January 2010. Directed by Hu Mei, the film stars Chow Yun-fat as the titular philosopher.

Production on the film began in March 2009 with shooting on location in China's Hebei province and in Hengdian World Studios in Zhejiang.

The film was scheduled to screen later in 2009 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, as well as the 2,560th birthday of Confucius himself. However, the release date was later moved to January 2010.

Theme music
Faye Wong sang the theme song for the film. Her "soothing and ethereal voice" was considered appropriate for the lofty spirit of the song, "You Lan Cao", which is based on an ancient work by Han Yu.

Wong, a Buddhist, stated that she recorded the song "for Confucius" as his writings still provide the answers to modern questions.

Screening
During the film's launch in China, the Hollywood blockbuster Avatar is reportedly being pulled from nearly 1,600 2-D screens across China, to benefit the wide release of this film. Instead, Avatar will continue to be shown on the fewer, but more popular 900 3-D screens throughout China, which has generated over 64% of the film's total ticket sales in China.

The Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily speculates that the Chinese authorities were worried Avatar had seized the market share from domestic films and noted that many of the vacant cinema slots will be replaced by Confucius, and the film would be "drawing unwanted attention to the sensitive issue" concerning forced evictions of Chinese homes. However, China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television responded by stating it was a "commercial decision", and because the "box office performance of the 2D version has not been great." However, due to low attendance for Confucius, and high demand for Avatar, the Chinese government reversed their decision, and allowed Avatar to remain on some 2-D screens in China. This choice appeared to be at least partly based on the financial performance of the two films, with Avatar grossing nearly 2.5 times more money per day.

Source : Wikipedia

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Ip Man (2008)

Ip Man (read : Yip Man) (Simplified Chinese: 叶问; Traditional Chinese: 葉問; Mandarin Pinyin : Yè Wèn) is a 2008 semi-biographical martial arts film based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun and the first person to teach Wing Chun openly. One of his students was the widely influential and acclaimed martial artist and filmmaker Bruce Lee. The film focuses on events in Ip's life that took place in the city of Foshan during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The film was directed by Wilson Yip, and stars Donnie Yen as Ip Man, with martial arts choreography by Sammo Hung. The supporting cast includes Simon Yam, Lynn Hung, Lam Ka-Tung, Xing Yu and Hiroyuki Ikeuchi.

The idea of an Ip Man biopic originated in 1998 when Jeffrey Lau and Corey Yuen discussed the idea of making a film based on Bruce Lee's martial arts master. However, the studio producing the proposed film closed, and the project was abandoned.

Producer Raymond Wong decided to develop his own Ip Man film with full consent from Ip's sons, and had filmmakers head to Foshan to research Ip's life. Ip Chun, Ip Man's eldest son, and several other Wing Chun practitioners served as technical consultants for the film. Principal photography for Ip Man began in March 2008 and ended in August; filming took place in Shanghai, which was used to architecturally recreate Foshan.

During filming, conflicts arose between the producers of Ip Man and filmmaker Wong Kar-wai over the film's working title. Wong, who had been developing his own Ip Man biopic, clashed with the producers after learning that their film would be titled Grandmaster Ip Man (traditional Chinese: 一代宗師葉問), which was too similar to the title of Wong's film. The producers of Ip Man agreed to change the title, despite Wong's film being in development hell.

Ip Man was released theatrically in Hong Kong on 19 December 2008, receiving widespread acclaim from critics and audiences. Prior to the film's release, Raymond Wong announced that there would be a sequel; a second installment, titled Ip Man 2, will be released in April 2010. Ip Man grossed over US$21 million worldwide, despite not being released in North America and most of Europe. Following its success, the film was nominated for 12 Hong Kong Film Awards, winning awards for Best Film and Best Action Choreography.


Release
Ip Man was first released in China on the week of 8 December 2008 to 14 December 2008. The film was later released in Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand on 18 December 2008, one day prior to its release date in Hong Kong. The film was released in the United Kingdom on 2 October 2009. In 2010, Mandarin Films sold North American distribution rights for the film to distributor Well Go USA.

Box Office
Ip Man grossed ¥14,948,157 ($2,188,982) on its opening weekend in China, and went on to stay in second place for four consecutive weeks. On its fifth week, the film moved down to fifth place with a total of ¥91,783,626 (US$13,439,486). At the end of its theatrical run in China, Ip Man grossed ¥100 million (US$14,705,882).

The film was released in Hong Kong on 19 December 2008. On opening weekend, it came in first place at the box office, grossing HK$4.5 million (US$579,715). At the end of its box-office run in Hong Kong, Ip Man had grossed HK$25,581,958.69 (US$3,300,847). In total, the film had grossed $21,888,598 worldwide, despite not being released in North America and most of Europe. To date, Ip Man is the highest-grossing film featuring Donnie Yen in a leading role.

Sequels
Ip Man is the first film in a planned trilogy. Donnie Yen will reprise the lead role in the forthcoming sequel Ip Man 2, the second feature film based on the life of Ip Man. The film will focus on Ip's movements in Hong Kong as he attempts to propagate his discipline of Wing Chun martial arts; it will also focus on a young Bruce Lee prior to becoming one of Ip's most famed disciples. Ip Man 2 will be released theatrically in Hong Kong in late April 2010. Lynn Hung, Lam Ka-Tung, and Fan Siu-Wong will reprise their supporting roles, while martial arts choreographer Sammo Hung will appear as a master of Hung Ga martial arts.

Yen has expressed his disinterest in making a third film, feeling that, "Ip Man 2 will incontrovertibly become a classic, bettering the first."[36] Yen later stated that after Ip Man 2, he would no longer be involved in a film based on Ip's life. While both Donnie Yen and Raymond Wong are not keen on making a third Ip Man film, director Wilson Yip has expressed interest in making one that would focus on the relationship between Ip and Bruce Lee. While Ip Man 2 will focus on Lee as a child, Yip hopes to find a suitable actor to portray Lee as an adult for the third installment.

Awards
- Won Best Film Category, Best Action Choreography (for Sammo Hung, Tony Leung Siu-Hung)in 28th Hong Kong Film Awards
- Won Best Picture, Best Action Choreography (for Sammo Hung, Tony Leung Siu-Hung), Best Actor (for Donnie Yen)in 2nd Iron Elephant Awards
- Won Best Action Choreography (for Sammo Hung, Tony Leung Siu-Hung) in 46th Golden Horse Film Awards

Source : Wikipedia

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