“Ip Man 4: The Finale” Theatrical Poster
Director: Wilson Yip
Cast: Donnie Yen, Scott Adkins, Danny Chan, Vanness Wu, Chris Collins, Wu Yue, Lo Meng, Kent Cheng, Mark Strange, Jim Liu, Nicola Stuart-Hill, Linda Jean Barry
Running Time: 105 min.
By Paul Bramhall
I once read somewhere that there’s nothing wrong with changing your mind, and while I forget exactly where it was, I have a feeling Donnie Yen may have read the same thing too. After 2010’s hyper-jingoistic Ip Man 2, Yen declared he believed he’d done all he could with his portrayal of Ip Man, and would be broadening his horizons to other roles. That all changed in 2015, with the arrival of Ip Man 3, with Yen declaring the script and story just felt right, offering up a true conclusion to the cinematic Ip Man saga. I admit Yen had me fooled with the third, because I went ahead and wrote this, genuinely believing it was a wrap with the trilogy. However it turns out there’s more mileage to be had from Ip Man after all, with a fourth instalment arriving on our screens in 2019.
Apparently this really is the last chapter, and as if to convince us further, the filmmakers have even added additional wording to the title – Ip Man 4: The Finale – a quirk previously reserved for unofficial entries in the franchise, such as Ip Man: The Legend Begins and Ip Man: The Final Fight. Yen once again claimed that the right story had come along, and this time went one step further to say that Ip Man 4 (we’ll drop The Finale for the rest of the review) would be his final kung fu film. A strong statement, but one which could well be true, since having watched Yen’s latest outing as the iconic Wing Chun master, it’s safe to say it is indeed the last entry in the series. It’s also a fitting one.
It was inevitable at some point that the franchises focus would turn to Bruce Lee. The Little Dragon has had a lot of attention in 2019, thanks to Mike Moh’s portrayal in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, and a lot of the marketing for Ip Man 4 has focused on Lee’s role. Thankfully, much like his appearance in Ip Man 3, the marketing is mostly a red herring. Danny Chan once again steps into the role of Bruce Lee, and really his role is only there as a means to bring Ip Man to America, and feature in an extended alley way fight against British powerhouse Mark Strange (Bodyguard: A New Beginning). It may be superfluous fan service, however his inclusion is a welcome one and smartly used, even allowing for some nunchucks action.
That’s good news for Ip Man fans, with a story that continues the melancholy tone from Ip Man 3. After losing his wife, Ip Man learns he’s also been diagnosed with cancer, so under the guise of going to see Bruce Lee perform in the San Francisco Karate Tournament, he heads to America to see if it’d be a suitable place to send his son once he’s gone. It turns out to be far from smooth sailing though, since to even consider applying to schools there, he needs a letter of recommendation from the Chinese Benevolent Association in Chinatown. Comprising of the areas Chinese martial arts experts, they’re not impressed with the way Man’s apprentice, Bruce Lee, has been openly offering to teach westerners kung fu, and the letter is only offered in return for his help in stopping Lee’s non-conformist approach. Will he go against his former student for a chance to benefit his son, or will he stick to his unwaveringly upright principles?
Since I’ve already mentioned Bruce Lee isn’t in it much, the answer is clear. But therein lies the same issue that Ip Man 3 had, in that Ip Man’s personal struggle (the last time it was his shortcomings as a husband) is more compelling than what develops into the main plot. Thankfully this time the narrative is not as rambling as part 3 (although personally I enjoyed that aspect of it), however what turns into a main conflict between the Chinese kung fu masters, and the Karate obsessed racist US Marines (Yes, it’s an oxymoron. No, it’s never addressed) is handled in a ham fisted manner. Escalating from a painfully unnecessary subplot involving the CBA head’s daughter winning a high-school cheerleading competition over her all-American competition, soon the American girl’s military father is involved, and those damn Chinese have nowhere to hide. Bring It On was never this intense. (Disclaimer: I’ve never actually seen Bring It On)
Despite the hokey elements, Yen keeps even the more ridiculous aspects grounded with a heartfelt performance, and he’s more than ably backed-up. The head of the CBA is played by Wu Yue, one of the most underrated martial artists working today and a fine actor to boot. If you don’t know him, watch Paradox, he’s the guy who steals every scene he’s in and makes Louis Koo look like a weak child. Yue brings a sense of dignity to his role as someone who’s spent most of his life feeling oppressed by the racism he’s encountered, and for once it doesn’t feel like we’re getting hammered over the head with it. Other familiar faces from Hong Kong cinema also make welcome appearances, such as Venom alumnus Lo Meng and the portly Kent Cheng.
On the villain side it’s a different story, with Chris Collins playing the Marines ruthless Karate instructor, and Scott Adkins playing his racist superior. Both are clearly having a hoot, and perhaps aware of the late Darren Shahlavi’s battle stories from Ip Man 2 of how he was constantly asked to go more over the top, they mitigate falling into the same trap by belting out some hilarious lines. Collins spends his whole time shouting about how the power of “real combat Karate” is going to show just how useless “hanky panky kung fu” really is, and Adkins plays his role in a way which is best described as a Cannon Films version of R. Lee Ermey’s drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket. Just swap jokes about being able to suck a golf ball through a garden hose to jokes about a Wing Chun dummy being someone’s wooden girlfriend.
Like Ip Man 3, action duties go to Yuen Woo-Ping, and here he produces his best work since, well, Ip Man 3. It takes a while for Ip Man to spring into action, however this just means that the action doesn’t feel rushed (and the Bruce Lee alley fight tides the audience over). An amicable confrontation with Wu Yue is a highlight, calling to mind Yen’s similar confrontation with Chen Zhi-Hui in the 2008 original, and is remarkably fluid and crisp. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt a sense of awe at watching a modern day fight scene, however this scene brought those feelings right back. We also get a variation on the horrendous table-top fight from Ip Man 2 which is focused on subtly showing the power of kung fu, and almost feels like Woo-Ping is saying “Hey, Sammo, this is how you should have done it.”
Action fans are spoilt with a showdown of kung fu masters, as Chris Collins invites each of them for a one-on-one fight, and each get to show off their own distinctive style. While it would have been great to get a re-match between Wu Yue and Collins after their contemporary face-off in Paradox, we do get to see Yen face off against him, and it’s a suitably satisfying confrontation. Adkins saves himself for the finale, not appearing until 50 minutes in, however gets to fight both Yue and Yen. Ip Man 4 reinforces my opinion that the British star should take on more villain roles, as here like in 2018’s Triple Threat, he makes for an intimidating presence. His fight with Yen should satisfy, and in many ways rectifies the Wing Chun versus Karate finale of the original, in which Yen faced off against non-martial artist Hiroyuki Ikeuchi. Here’s there’s no mistaking that Yen is evenly matched, and you feel every one of the blows Adkins delivers.
Ip Man 4 is arguably director Wilson Yip’s most mature work to date. The tone and pace reflect an understanding that for the audience, the promise of some action, is just as important as the action itself. There’s a confidence in both the direction and the acting performances, indicating a partnership between a director and star that’s reached its peak, almost 15 years since reigniting Hong Kong action cinema with 2005’s Sha Po Lang. As Yen’s final bow playing the role that’s defined his career over the last 10 years, it’s a worthy one, and perhaps more importantly, it’s also an outstanding kung fu movie. Oh, and in case anyone is wondering – yes, there’s chain punches.
Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 8/10
Did the footage of “Seattle Airport” make it into the final cut? That was filmed at Preston Bus Station in the UK!
I’m pretty sure it’s San Francisco Airport (they changed it from Seattle after Hong Kong protesters started targeting Starbucks. Just joking.), in which case yes it’s very briefly in the final cut. Had no idea it was filmed in Preston Bus Station, which is just a stones throw away from my hometown of Liverpool, so it’s nice to see the North West represented!
You should be even more chuffed to know that Pensby High School stood in for the US school.
I know the anti-western sentiment has been growing stronger and stronger in some of these big Chinese movies; but man, even ignoring the actual movie and just watching the trailers alone, you can tell they’re really pulling out all the stops for this one.
Not that I really mind. More than anything, I think it’s funny. Hearing Chris Collins exclaim “YOU YELLOW BITCHES” is just cartoonish and silly. I’m glad that both him and Scott Adkins were able to have a good time with it.
In fact I’m excited to see most of the cast in this movie, it looks like a great line-up with lots of talented people. Definitely looking forward to it.
We also get a variation on the horrendous table-top fight from Ip Man 2 which is focused on subtly showing the power of kung fu, and almost feels like Woo-Ping is saying “Hey, Sammo, this is how you should have done it.”
Sometimes being illiterate must be a blessing.
As it must be having “two left hands”. 😛
This movie also talks about cancer. Looks like I won’t be watching it anytime soon because I had cancer too.
Great review Paul, would you like to see the series carried on with another actor taking centre stage?.
You mean like Vincent Zhao? 🙂 On a serious note though, I think it’s time to lay Ip Man to rest. Since 2008 we’ve had Tony Leung, Dennis To, Anthony Wong, Kevin Cheng, and Michael Tong all have a crack at the role, and while each have their respective merits, it’s been Donnie Yen’s take on the character that’s most resonated with audiences.
I saw some clips of the fight scenes and… daaaaaammmnnnn…!!!! The choreography is dope as hell! Every blow, every strike is viciously raw. Beside this, they finally put a chinese master to fight toe-to-toe with Ip Man, because even Tin Chi wasn’t so powerful, althought very skilled. But now in the match between Ip and master Wan, the Tai Chi master was giving to Ip Man a rough time until the earthquake comes.
I just got out of today’s showing, and I’m pleased!
I can’t help but think how a big part of this movie is a response to those YouTube videos of Wing Chun practitioners getting beaten up by MMA fighters. The movie seemed like a middle finger to people who think Chinese martial arts are impractical.
Even though it was identified as Kyokushin Karate, weren’t the villains showcasing American Karate? I figured that would explain the oxymoron for how racists love an Asian martial art. (Or they’re hypocrites. Who knows?)
Who was that woman who fought Chris Collins? I was glad that she handled herself well and got a few hits in before she was defeated. I’d like to see her in larger roles.
Wue Yue’s Tai Chi was portrayed marvelously. I felt like it did more for the martial art than Man of Tai Chi attempted, and I wouldn’t be opposed to a spin-off with Wue’s character delivering more of it.
It was great to see the multiple martial arts on display and how they gelled together. Donnie’s defense against MMA moves was a real standout in the final fight, and it’s always nice to see little details like that.
Sounds like you enjoyed it as much as I did Andrew! The woman Chris Collins fights against is Zhou Xiao Fei, a real martial artist, she’s had supporting roles in the likes of ‘Legendary Amazons’, ‘The Grandmaster’, and (your favorite) ‘Europe Raiders’. 🙂
I’ve gotta say, it seems every new Chinese action/drama which involves Western “gweilo” utilizes the same evil white man tropes, churning out one-dimensional, over-the-top cartoonish racist villains who exploit and persecute the poor, innocent Chinese. That is until the one righteous super-nationalist Chinese firebrand comes along to teach the arrogant foreigners the true power of Chinese kung fu.
None of these movie portrayals of Ip Man or Bruce Lee are even remotely historically accurate. Ip Man never visited the US. In fact, he fled to HK to escape from communism. Bruce pretty much discarded his prior classical kung fu training after his fight with Wong Jack Man which exposed how phony and ineffective it really was, hence developing JKD. Bruce didn’t attend Ip Man’s funeral. Ip Man never fought with US military, let alone anyone of merit.
Chinese cinema has devolved into a megaphone for the Chinese communist propaganda. I’m going to say something controversial here but I believe that Chinese kung fu is worthless in a real life situation. Looks good on celluloid, sure, but that’s it.
You sound like the over the top Western gweilo that the films describe. Good job. And Kung Fu is far from useless, but it’s a waste of time explaining that to someone who sounds like they’ve never even trained.
You sound like the over-the-top anti-white propagandists like what Chinese film-making has devolved into.
Kung fu has proven itself to be useless by the countless real matches where its practitioners repeatedly lose to moderately experienced boxers and MMA fighters. Note that I don’t say all Chinese fighters are useless because that is a red herring. There are good Chinese practitioners of various martial arts, but styles like wing chun aren’t suitable for practical application because they’re ineffective, drilling nonsensical forms which never work. Even moderately seasoned fighters would win. If wing chun worked then you’d see every MMA fighter incorporate it into their regimen, but they don’t. The only place kung fu works is on cinema because it looks good in front of the camera.
Chinese cinema has reduced itself to being a propaganda outlet for Beijing against the West, reducing everything to a binary ‘righteous Chinese vs evil Westerner’ stereotype. One-dimensional live action cartoons. This is what you’re defending.
1000% AGREE Michael!
KUNG-FU IS DEAD!!!!
ALL BECAUSE THE CHINKS NEVER DO FULL CONTACT!!!
If you don’t do full contact sparring or full contact drilling –> then you CAN’T FIGHT FOR SHIT!!!
I’m a pro level cruiser weight boxer ( no money for the license though.. ) 20 years I train non stop!
6-7 years I only train bare knuckle!
Like 6 years I train brawl&sprawl MMA!
And 10 and a half years that I train this very unique style of kung-fu! ( In fact, I am THE ONLY ONE this Chinese master taught in the whole World / he taught a black guy in 1995 but he didn’t make it! )
SO I AIN’T PULLING OUT WHAT I’M SAYING FROM MY ASS!!!
The chinks just RECENTLY started to bring back FULL CONTACT ( sanshou / mma / kickbox ) — before that, they were FUCKING USELESS!!!
Scott Adkins SHOULDN’T even waste his talents with shit movies like this, feckin’ WIRE-FU!!!!
Shameful and ridiculous!!
China would have a huge mass of TALENT, because the numbers… BUT YOU MUST TRAIN FULL CONTACT OR EFFIN’ FORGET IT!!!
Chinks are generally horrible athletes and WEAK AS FUCK!!!
( The one like who taught Me is like —>> 1 in every 100 million Chinese! ) So technically non existent!
They either TRAIN FULL CONTACT or forget it!
THAT chink female ( ?? ) who won the UFC title is in My opinion not even a female!!!!!!!!!! BUT A DRUG FILLED STEROID CHEATER TRANSVESTITE!!!
Doesn’t even look female!
Chinks are FUCKIN’ RACIST, ETNOCENTRIC, CHEATERS, EVERYTHING IS FAKE OVER THERE AND 99.99999% THEY CANNOT EVEN FIGHT THEIR WAYS OUT FROM A WET PAPER BAG!!!!!!!!
Yip Man was a tiny, I mean FUCKING TINY opium addict, less than 50 kilos CHINK, like HALF THE SIZE OF Donnie Yen! And Donnie Yen is not bigger than like 67 kilos at his biggest!
Mike Tyson WOULD MURDER Donnie Yen and the real Ip Man in like 3 SECONDS with the first jab!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Osu!!
Agreed except I’d rather not call them “chinks” or anything derogatory.
Ip Man weighed around 100lbs so there’s no way he would stand half a chance against even a moderately trained boxer, wrestler, muay thai fighter, etc. Wing chun doesn’t work except in the movies.
As for Donnie Yen, I’ve heard he is trained in various styles (not just Chinese) and that he’s a proficient martial artist. Supposedly he got into a real fight outside some bar or club and knocked someone out, but who knows whether it was just some belligerent drunkard or what. I still respect Donnie Yen and Scott Adkins for their skill and athleticism.
The HK film industry is rewriting history and bending reality in order to manufacture a Ip Man legacy solely because he taught wing chun to a young Bruce Lee. But they conveniently leave out the fact that Bruce disregarded wing chun after his fight with Wong Jack Man proved that kung fu didn’t work.
The irony is that I’m willing to bet that Donnie Yen is a much more skilled and capable martial artist than Ip Man.
Proof that MMA breeds brain dead f’tards.
I agreed a 100 percent that traditional Kung Fu doesn’t work in a real combat situation. Anyone with some common sense should know that. But come on Kung Fu movies are fiction so you watch it for entertainment so why take it so seriously. Every should know that Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan are Martial Arts actors not real fighters. That doesn’t mean that they are not good martial artists. In fact they are exceptional martial artists who can make martial arts movements look good on celluloid where people pay millions to watch and be entertained. On the other hand, real fighters don’t don’t necessary make good martial arts movies. There are some exceptions off course. As for Ip Man , he was a good and successful Wing Chun teacher not a fighter. Anyone with some common sense know that he had zero chance against Mike Tyson, but successfully in life come in many different forms, not just know how to fight.
We also get a variation on the horrendous table-top fight from Ip Man 2 which is focused on subtly showing the power of kung fu, and almost feels like Woo-Ping is saying “Hey, Sammo, this is how you should have done it.”
I loved this scene as well. The witty dialogue, Donnie Yen’s entrance, all good stuff. Yes, Woo-Ping does the table thing better, but as far as actual fight scenes go, Sammo Hung’s choreography in Parts I and II still seem to be a few hairs above in the ‘crisp’ department – though not in the realm of being even far from a deal breaker.
What I really liked about Ip Man 4 are the set designs. More than anything, they just stood out. At times, they did look fake, but that’s why they were so charming. I couldn’t help but think about the possibilities of a Chinatown Kid remake seeing the recreation of 60’s Chinatown in San Francisco. It’s too bad there isn’t a ‘martial arts star’ that matches Fu Sheng’s charisma…
Danny Chan as Bruce was good, as long as he didn’t fight or speak. lol BUT, he totally killed it with the one inch punch demonstration. Very good.
What you said about Adkins playing his role like a Cannon Films version of R. Lee Ermey’s drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket is 100% accurate lol Again, as you stated, they were just having fun playing the over-the-top bad guys. It’s a rule in HK flicks. =)
Couldn’t agree with you more about Wu Yue. He was great in this.
That said, as an absolute whole, I think Ip Man 4 is the best one since the original. And who knows? Maybe they’ll make an Ip Ching movie next?
read a lot of interviews with “Chris Collins” where he talks extensively about his Marine Corps career and his tours of duty, active service, talks about being shot and blown up on missions and something never rang true..same ways his claims of “being forced to fight the Sammo Hung stunt team to prove his worth” etc… and the whole “Ip Man 4 is based on my life and how i introduced Wing Chun to the US Marines”…never seen or heard any ‘real’ info on US Marines doing any Wing Chun…
No it would seem according to the STOLEN VALOR guys, that while Chris was in the marines and served 6 months as a radio operator is about all he did, no combat service, no tours of duty as per his claims, which is somewhat disrespectful and disgusting to those who did serve and lost their lives etc….
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJE-utKrEGUKgnwW775hp-6WW1YCPYVN6VzvfU0/
Its interesting to see that Collins initial response was to close his instagram account, then reopen it with a series of responses that basically confirm “hey I was in the marines for 6 months, so that counts right, and everything i said in various interviews was a complete and utter crock of shit’….
stolenvalor___thetruth
This posc individual has been publicly claiming 9 years enlisted in the Marine Corps : specifically 3rd Force Recon.He claims being stationed in South East Asia( Philippines), followed by “multiple combat deployments”in: South America, a few years in Africa,(Kenya, Somalia, Nigeria )Prior to 9/11,he claims,he was deployed in Afghanistan, after 9/11 to Iraq, then back to Afghanistan.All during the timeframe 1995-2003.
In detail,he claims hes been “shot at/ blown up /stabbed and thrown off a building, more than once.” He established a tacticool business in the Philippines and Kenya,”G1 Tactical Solutions”,based on his “combat experience”.
In 1997 he also claims “living in Hong Kong” where he was working bar security when he got involved in acting in the HK film industry. He has since been employed as a “military consultant”in films, and even claims a character he played in IP MAN4, Colin Frater, was based on his real life experiences in the Marines.( quoted)”My history in the Marines provided the backdrop for the movie. I actually incorporated Wing Chun into the Marines hand-to-hand combat training at my unit of 400 marines including 5 Recon platoons.”
He further established a Wing Chun training center in Hong Kong with affiliates worldwide.”ChrisCollinsAction dot com.” In business and extensive interviews/ podcasts, he always references his Marine/ combat experience.He even has a Marine Corps tattoo.
HIS TRUTH: Marine Corps 01/22/1996-08/03/1996 ONLY. (6months 12 days)NOTHING MORE. MOS-2531-Field Radio Operator. NEVER DEPLOYED.NEVER IN COMBAT. HE IS STOLEN VALOR.
#HonorTheFallen#NeverForget#WingNut#USARMY#USMC#USNAVY#USAF#USCoastGuard#Marines#SEAL#Rangers#GreenBeret#VietnamVets#Integrity#PEWPEW#2A#YouKnowWhoYouAre#WeKnowTheLiesYouTell#WeWillGetToYouAllEventually#FOIA#FactsOverMemes#ThreatsInDMArePointless#SpecialNeedsOperators#IPostWhatIWant#FairUseCopyrightLaw#TheTruthIsOutThere
Oh yes, Mike Leeder dropped a bomb on him for this!
Such a shame. The guy had good screen fighting ability, and he just threw his reputation away.
oh shit where did Mike drop the bomb on this ? :O can I get a link 0_0
Head over to his Facebook page, he’s made a number of posts on the subject over the last week.
I’m not a military man, never have been, never said i was, but i do have friends and family who have served and suffered and this absolute bullshit disrespects them all
https://www.instagram.com/stolenvalor___thetruth/
talk to them
Now you do wonder what else from Chris Collins incredible life story is true
47 KFMG Podcast Chris Collins
‘On this episode, listen to Chris share his fascinating life story; from being the bullied son of Chinese-American parents growing up in a predominantly white neighbourhood in Ohio and Florida, to joining the army and fighting in some of the US military’s most intense conflicts. ‘
In this interview Chris talks about bring in combat as a US Marine in Afghanistan & Iraq after 9-11 and so much more utter bullshit…… in reality 6 months as a radio operator in 1996 being stationed in America was the only time he spent in the Marines, and to then claim he was misquoted and the various interviews where he talks about his combat service etc are being manipulated to make him look bad, utter bullshit and now he has re-edited a post again to now contain a throwaway admission “ther are interviews in which i talk about being in combat as a US Marine. I didn not”….what you mean you lied about all that?
So what about ?
‘We also discuss his love of Hong Kong, and how the movies saved him after he stepped away from the competitive fighting circuit”
I wonder if the claim “i had to fight Sammo Hung’s stunt team before they would allow me to work with them” is just as true as the othe rclaims
Trying to promote yourself is one thing, blatantly lying is something else, and STOLEN VALOR is a criminal offence and a most disrespectful thing to do
sad to see there’s still no public apology from Collins who continues to backpedal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=ZO658oIXSWY&feature=youtu.be