IP MAN 3 (2015)

Genre: Action / Drama
Running Length: 1:45
Cast: Donnie Yen, Mike Tyson, Lynn Hung, Max Zhang, Patrick Tam, Kent Cheng, Danny Chan
Director: Wilson Yip
Screenplay: Edmond Wong

I was expecting IP MAN 3 to be another excuse of a film to showcase our grandmaster's patriotism but I was very surprised with the dramatic direction the film took. It explores more of Ip Man's family life than his reputation as the master of the martial art of Wing Chun. It is a bold move by Donnie Yen to move from his current superstardom as the go-to actor for all things kungfu and to focus more on his acting chops. And it paid off.

Blame the trailers for just highlighting the fight scenes and the hype surrounding "Mike Tyson vs Donnie Yen". The biggest highlight for me is the tender relationship between Yen's Ip Man and his wife, played once again by Lynn Hung. If there is one complain I had with the earlier Ip Man films is the underutilisation of Hung's character but in this film, her portrayal of the quiet, understanding and supportive spouse is finally fully developed. The best scene in the movie is a juxtaposition of Yen and Hung and a house full of martial artists (with a fun "Bruce Lee" cameo).

Ip Man 3 is set in 1959, where our grandmaster is settling into a low-profile life in Hong Kong after decades of struggling against the Japanese oppression (shown in the previous two instalments). It's a very different world now where Hong Kong is starting to rise as one of the best places to make money. And with money, comes extortion and criminal activities and the depreciation of values like innocence, purity, virtue and honour. And thus, that sets the canvass for Ip Man to face-off with a group of HK thugs, a corrupted American businessman (Tyson), a jealous Wing Chun proponent (Zhang) and a Thai fighter (??!). Frankly, it's just an excuse to showcase a collection of martial art battles.

So are the fight scenes any good? It's serviceable. In fact, it feels overly choreographed. But what about the Yen vs Tyson showdown? Well, that's probably the best hand-to-hand fight scene in recent years. It feels fresh and energising as it's a battle of different styles; the speed of Wing Chun vs the sheer brute force of boxing. The high impact punches from the burly frame Tyson looks deadly.

In the end, what stood out the most is Ip Man's closing message; that is to always put family first, ahead of the service and duties of the community.

Rating: 7.5/10