Action and martial arts superstar continues to excite viewers worldwide, and one of his most popular series is now available to stream on in full. This means that fans of the genre, and of Yen himself, will soon be able to enjoy a truly impressive martial arts action movie marathon.
Starting in 2008, Donnie Yen stars in Ip Man, a film that recounts the life of the Wing Chun grandmaster who later trained Bruce Lee. The first Ip Man movie focuses on Ip Man’s early years during the Sino-Japanese War and his struggles against breaking with established norms. It received positive reviews from both critics and viewers.
Directed by Wilson Yip and featuring Donnie Yen in the lead role, alongside Simon Yam, Lynn Hung, Lam Ka-tung, Xing Yu, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, and Tenma Shibuya, Ip Man boasts martial arts choreography by the renowned Sammo Hung. The film received overwhelmingly positive reviews when it was released, currently holding an 86% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and an even higher 93% audience score on the Popcornmeter. Critics applauded Ip Man for both respecting the traditions of the genre and offering a surprisingly fresh take, calling it “the most exciting and refreshingly character-driven martial arts films in years.”
The ‘Ip Man’ Franchise Reaches Heights of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes
© Well Go USA / courtesy Everett Collection
Although Donnie Yen has worked in action films for a long time, many fans first discovered him through the success of Ip Man. The initial film led to a series, and in 2011’s Ip Man 2, the martial arts expert moves to Hong Kong hoping to establish a school and share his fighting skills with students. However, he quickly realizes he’ll need to use his fighting abilities to overcome challenges and achieve his ambitions.
The Ip Man series continued with 2016’s Ip Man 3, and concluded with Ip Man 4: The Finale. In the final film, Yen’s character faces off against action star Scott Adkins after Ip Man moves to the United States in search of a better life. The Ip Man films have consistently received excellent reviews; Ip Man 2 boasts scores of 97% from critics and 84% from audiences. While Ip Man 3 saw slightly lower scores of 77% and 73%, the series ended strongly with Ip Man 4: The Finale achieving 85% from critics and an impressive 95% from audiences. Ip Man, Ip Man 2, Ip Man 3, and Ip Man 4: The Finale will all be available to stream on Netflix starting October 5, 2025.
Even though the fourth Ip Man film is called The Finale, there’s a chance it wasn’t the end after all. Donnie Yen hinted in 2023 that Ip Man 5 is currently being developed. He shared a preview poster for the martial arts sequel, and fans are hoping he can fit it into his schedule alongside his lead role in a John Wick spin-off and the action sequel Flash Point: Resurgence, to bring Ip Man back for another film.
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2025-10-05 18:00