Ip Man (2008)

Ip Man rewrites history so freely that the real Ip Man would probably ask for a fact check, and its villains are so flat they barely count as people. The shift from breezy kung fu comedy to wartime misery is a hard gear change. Donnie Yen makes all of it worth it. He plays Ip as the gentlest man in Foshan, a guy who’d rather pour you tea than fight you, and then he moves so fast his punches look like someone typing at top speed. The early bouts are comedies of manners: a rival master knocks on the door for a friendly duel, and Ip apologizes while he wins. Later, under the occupation, the fighting turns desperate, and a scene where Ip takes on a whole room of opponents at once is the movie’s signature. It made $22.1 million worldwide. A 7.8 because Yen is magnetic and the action is spectacular. $8,871 says you try chain punches on a couch cushion tonight and feel it in your shoulder by breakfast.

What works: Donnie Yen’s calm, lightning-fast performance and fight choreography that makes Wing Chun look both elegant and fierce.

What doesn’t: The villains are flat cartoons, and the swing from light kung fu comedy to grim wartime drama is jarring.

Who it’s for: Martial arts fans, and anyone who likes a hero who apologizes before he wins.