The Correct Order To Watch The Ip Man Movies

The “Ip Man” movies represent some of the most fun you can have with the martial arts genre. The franchise is loosely based on the life of the actual Ip Man (or Yip Man), a Chinese martial arts grandmaster who specialized in the art of Wing Chun, and whose most famous student was Bruce Lee, the star of the incredible martial arts action film “Enter the Dragon.” The main movies in the property are directed by Wilson Yip and star Donnie Yen as the titular character. Yen played Ip Man for more than a decade in-between giving us one of the best “Star Wars” characters ever in Chirrut Îmwe from “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” as well as one of the best fights in the “John Wick” films.

So far as martial arts cinema goes, it rarely gets better than the “Ip Man” movies, which manage to actually create tension despite the audience knowing full well that Ip Man is never going to fully lose any particular fight. In addition to its phenomenal action scenes and stunts, it’s also a franchise known for being refreshingly character-driven, in addition to having some interesting depictions of the Second Sino-Japanese War and British colonialism in Hong Kong. They are not just fight-scenes wrapped by a plot, but movies with actual stories to tell that feature great action scenes to boot.

With a fifth “Ip Man” movie reportedly on the way, it’s never a bad time to check out the property. Whether it’s been a minute since you’ve seen these films or you’ve never had the pleasure of watching “Ip Man” obliterate 10 dudes in a fight and wonder where to start, here’s your guide to the best watching order for the “Ip Man” franchise. 

The correct order to watch the “Ip Man” movies is to simply go by the order of release. Though the movies have a pretty straight-forward naming convention, there is the exception of a spin-off movie that takes place in the timeline of the movies, making it important to just go by release date, like so:

• “Ip Man” (2008)
• “Ip Man 2” (2010)
• “Ip Man 3” (2015)
• “Master Z: Ip Man Legacy” (2018)
• “Ip Man 4: The Finale” (2019)

This order also follows the thematic throughline of the franchise, with each film focusing on a different theme. The first film is about Ip Man trying to survive in the face of oppression, while the second is about adapting to a new reality and trying to make a living. Likewise, the spin-off movie and the fourth film are about legacy. As for the third movie in the franchise, it’s really all about Ip Man fighting Mike Tyson while a young Bruce Lee watches.

Going by this order allows you to experience a full story with a beginning, middle, and end. Or, at least that’s the way it was until 2023. That’s because it was announced that a new “Ip Man” movie, titled “Ip Man 5” is in development by Mandarin Motion Pictures, with Donnie Yen involved at least insofar as sharing the teaser poster on Instagram at that time. How and if Yen will actually reprise his role is a very interesting question given the finality of the character’s story in the very aptly titled “Ip Man 4: The Finale.”

Still, it’s hard not to get excited at the prospect of more “Ip Man.” These movies are nationalistic propaganda at its finest, and a chance for China to prove its superiority to the world via the most ludicrous and over-the-top martial arts showdowns.