More Than Just Martial Arts (We Hope)

Wong Kar Wai has something to prove.

Amid delays, speculation and the very real potential of oversaturation, the teaser for his first martial arts film, The Grandmasters (a biopic on the legendary Yip Man starring Tony Leung), hit the Internet this week. None were spared.

While the trailer is intriguing, it’s difficult not to wonder if Wong Kar Wai is late to the party. Donnie Yen, star of 2008’s Ip Man, has divorced himself from any future project having to do with Yip Man due to the number of extant and in-production films on the subject. If we have indeed reached the Yip Man oversaturation point, is this preview anything to get excited over?

I say yes. Wong Kar Wai has been profiled next to Kubrick, Bergman and Tarkovsky, three directors who have had no problem crossing genres without sacrifice to their genius or insight. If Wong Kar Wai can remain focused and lend some serious insight into the history and mythology of his chosen subject and not simply pump out an action movie based (loosely) on the guy who trained Bruce Lee, The Grandmasters has the potential to be one of the best martial arts films of our generation

He just has to prove it, first.

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