72
Metascore
14 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88RogerEbert.comSimon AbramsRogerEbert.comSimon AbramsSo really, what's great about "Master Z" isn't the way that its creators transcend their chosen formula, but rather how they perfect it.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterElizabeth KerrThe Hollywood ReporterElizabeth KerrThe lush production design by Raymond Chan, Joyce Chan’s swanky ’60s costuming and some astoundingly clever set pieces — a duel between Tin-chi and one of Kit’s thugs atop of a strip of neon signs, a brilliantly old-school four-way fight at Cheung Kok’s offices, a whiskey glass tango with Yeoh — more than make up for any plot flaws, with the exception of the shameful underuse of Tony Jaa as a mysterious assassin.
- 80The New York TimesGlenn KennyThe New York TimesGlenn KennyA lively, fun one.
- 75Philadelphia Daily NewsGary ThompsonPhiladelphia Daily NewsGary ThompsonYeoh’s fantastic as usual, making an impressive series of moves while not disturbing a single hair on her period Joey Heatherton hairdo.
- 75Original-CinLiam LaceyOriginal-CinLiam LaceyThe studio set recreation of Hong Kong’s famous Bar Street, along with the gaudily delectable costumes throughout, give Master Z a dreamy heightened artifice. More than once, the film seems on the verge of breaking into a vintage Hollywood musical.
- 70VarietyRichard KuipersVarietyRichard KuipersTop-class fighting and fabulous production design overcome the stale plot.
- 70Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranLos Angeles TimesKenneth TuranMaster Z: Ip Man Legacy, like any old-school popular entertainment, contains sentimental moments and broad comedy as well as all that action. If you don’t already have the Ip Man habit, it’s a fine place to start.
- 63Slant MagazineJake ColeSlant MagazineJake ColeThe film is a reminder of the potential of these films before they became weighed down by blockbuster-ready excesses.
- 50Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreBut you know what they say about most martial arts movies, come for the fights, stay for the fights.
- It’s a charming throwback to the martial-arts films of the ’70s and ’80s, with dazzling combat sequences punctuated by stiffly delivered exposition and hammy acting.