The Grandmaster

PG-13

Released Aug 23, 2013

2h 10m

Biography

Drama

List

78%

Tomatometer

139 Reviews

59%

Audience Score

10,000+ Ratings

The fall of China's last dynasty, a time of chaos, division and war, is the golden age of Chinese martial arts. Legendary kung fu master Ip Man, who will eventually train Bruce Lee, finds his peaceful life interrupted by vengeance.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Apple TV

Rent The Grandmaster on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Critics Consensus

Though its storytelling is a tad muddled, Wong Kar Wai's The Grandmaster still exhibits the auteur's stylistic flourishes in gorgeous cinematography and explosive action set pieces.

Read Critics Reviews

J. Hoberman

ARTINFO.com

The Grandmaster strikes me as Wong's strongest film since In the Mood for Love and surprisingly credible as an exercise in kung fu stylistics as well as temps perdu.

Feb 25, 2019

Full Review

Mark Kermode

Observer (UK)

The Grandmaster interweaves themes of ancient loyalty and modern betrayal around a narrative predicated upon the interplay between the differing schools, traditions and movements of myriad martial arts disciplines.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 7, 2014

Full Review

Vadim Rizov

Sight & Sound

Each punch, kick and impact is captured cleanly and coherently, Wong serving the spectacle of a big brawl rather than resisting its adrenalised charms.

Dec 5, 2014

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Yuen Wo Ping provides the choreography, which Wong turns into something more like a dance on screen. To Wong, the power of the movement is not just in its effect upon a rival fighter but in the way the man moves through the world.

Aug 19, 2023

Full Review

Iván Kazi

EscribiendoCine

Captivating. With the absorbing ghost of the biggest export in the history of China: Bruce Lee. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 7/10

Apr 11, 2023

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

A case of style over substance. But, oh my, what style.

Rated: 3.5/4.0

Sep 9, 2020

Full Review

Read all reviews

Marit Risto F

Despite all the fighting, I think this is the best film I've ever seen. Unbelievable images. Strong artistic and poetic appeal

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/24

Full Review

John A

Wong Kar-Wai doesn't seem so concerned with the truly fascinating historical/character aspects surrounding Ip Man's life however I can't help feverishly fixating on such a masterfully crafted film with CGI-free martial arts action scenes.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/25/23

Full Review

Andre G

Beautiful cinematography. Many scenes are like paintings.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Every scene and every primary actor in this movie is amazing. Plus, one of the only films I know that addresses the Japanese occupation of China.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/16/23

Full Review

Steve C

This is Wong's artist take on the Ip Man's story, starring one of his favorite leading man from his other movies. So don't bother comparing it to Donnie Yen's action counterpart series of 4 movies, it's like comparing apples and oranges.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/25/23

Full Review

我七岁学拳，四十之前，未见过高山。到第一次碰到，发现原来最难越过的是生活。

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/03/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Kar-Wai Wong

Director

Tony Leung Chiu Wai

Ip Man

Zhang Ziyi

Gong Er

Chang Chen

Razor

Qingxiang Wang

Gong Yutien

Zhang Jin

Ma San

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Jobs

27%

40%

Jobs

Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World

42%

96%

Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World

TRAILER

for Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World

Invictus

76%

75%

Invictus

TRAILER

for Invictus

The Social Network

96%

87%

The Social Network

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story

74%

79%

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

New on Netflix in September 2019: New Movies, TV Shows, Netflix Original Series

Yuen Woo-Ping’s Five Favorite Fight Scenes

Travis Knight’s Five Favorite Films

View more photos

Synopsis

The fall of China's last dynasty, a time of chaos, division and war, is the golden age of Chinese martial arts. Legendary kung fu master Ip Man, who will eventually train Bruce Lee, finds his peaceful life interrupted by vengeance.

Director: Kar-Wai Wong
Producer: Jacky Yee Wah Pang
Screenwriter: Zou Jingzhi, Xu Haofeng
Distributor: Weinstein Co.
Rating: PG-13 (Language|Brief Drug Use|Some Smoking|Violence)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 23, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 15, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.6M
Runtime: 2h 10m

Most Popular at Home Now