The Martial Arts Movies You Won't Be Able To Watch On Netflix Anymore

In case you thought great martial arts films were relegated to the 1970s and '80s, there's a franchise that makes it clear the genre is as good as it ever was. The Ip Man series follows Yip, a master of Wing Chun who eventually went on to teach Bruce Lee. In 2008, the martial artist received his due on the big screen with Ip Man, a loosely biographical film that quickly went on to become one of the best action flicks you could watch. Not only did the film increase the legend of the titular character, but it also made a star out of Donnie Yen. He had opportunities over the course of the film series to showcase his martial arts prowess, landing him roles in Western projects like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and 2020's Mulan.

If you're a fan of martial arts movies, then it's safe to say the Ip Man series needs to be on your watch list, but you better get moving fast, if you're a Netflix subscriber: the first three films of the series are leaving the platform by the end of the December 2020. 

The 1970s saw an explosion of martial arts films take over the cultural zeitgeist. In the decades since, the likes of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan became internationally-recognized superstars, and Lee's proficiency was only made possible thanks to the teachings of Ip Man, otherwise known as Yip. 

The first film in the series, Ip Man, showcases the title character's life in the 1930s during the Sino-Japanese War. Yip is a local master of Wing Chun, and, as a result of the war, his family descends into poverty, forcing Yip to take any work he can get. When a gang of ruffians comes to town, it's up to Yip to follow a general's orders and protect a local cotton mill from destruction. The series follows other events in Yip's life — albeit with some dramatization — including eventually becoming Lee's mentor and teaching him the ways of Wing Chun. 

The series has earned mostly positive reviews, with the first film amassing a critic score of 86%  on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as an audience score of 93%. Much of the praise extends to the brilliantly choreographed sequences, providing some of the most exciting action set pieces of any movie in the last decade. Additionally, character development is front and center, as viewers gain a greater understanding of Yip and why he's still highly regarded in the realm of martial arts to this day. 

Anyone wanting to see some fantastic action movies needs to tune into the Ip Man series on Netflix before it's too late. Ip Man and Ip Man 2 leave the service on December 30, 2020 while Ip Man 3 leaves a little earlier on December 17.