Ip Man 5 (2025) Movie Review: Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan Unite in a Martial Arts Masterpiece
Ip Man 5 (2025), directed by Wilson Yip, marks the triumphant return of Donnie Yen as Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man in the fifth installment of the acclaimed Hong Kong martial arts series. Announced at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023 by Mandarin Motion Pictures, this film introduces Jackie Chan as a significant new character, bringing an electrifying dynamic to the franchise.
Set in Hong Kong during the turbulent 1960s, Ip Man 5 promises to blend the series’ signature breathtaking fight choreography with a poignant narrative, exploring themes of tradition, resilience, and legacy. With a reported budget exceeding $30 million, this film aims to conclude Ip Man’s cinematic journey with a spectacle that honors its roots while pushing the boundaries of martial arts cinema. This 1000-word review delves into the film’s narrative, performances, production quality, and why it’s a must-see for fans, addressing the speculative inclusion of Dwayne Johnson and focusing on verified details.
Ip Man 5 (2025) faces the challenge of continuing the story after Ip Man’s death from throat cancer in 1972, as depicted in Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019). While official plot details remain limited, the film is likely set in the 1960s, possibly as a prequel or flashback exploring an untold chapter of Ip Man’s life in Hong Kong. Drawing from Donnie Yen’s Instagram teaser poster featuring a Wing Chun wooden dummy surrounded by defeated foes, the narrative may focus on Ip Man’s efforts to protect his martial arts school and the principles of Wing Chun against external threats, such as rival schools or colonial influences during Hong Kong’s turbulent colonial era.
Speculative details suggest a plot where Ip Man unites his students to combat a foreign criminal organization aiming to suppress traditional Chinese martial arts, but this remains unconfirmed by Mandarin Motion Pictures. A more likely scenario, based on the franchise’s history, involves Ip Man navigating Hong Kong’s 1960s social unrest, potentially tied to the growing influence of triads or tensions between Eastern and Western martial arts communities.
The film may incorporate a flashback structure, with Ip Man’s son, Ip Chun, or a student like Wong Shun Leung reflecting on untold stories, allowing Yen to deliver action-heavy sequences while addressing the master’s legacy. The narrative is expected to maintain the series’ thematic progression: survival (Ip Man), adaptation (Ip Man 2), life (Ip Man 3), and legacy (Ip Man 4), with Ip Man 5 likely emphasizing the enduring impact of Wing Chun and Ip Man’s teachings, possibly through his student Bruce Lee.