Ip Man 3 – review
Toasty!
Far East versus West
Martial arts movies hardly reach the theaters nowadays. It seems comic book and CGI-heavy flicks outweigh them in the action genre. But it’s ok, I guess. I’m here to talk about Ip Man 3. Even though this awesome film ain’t in all theaters, it’s definitely worth the trip to the closest one. I suggest Shattuck Theaters in Berkeley. You can have a drink in the auditorium, if that’s your thing.
Anyways, I’ve trained myself to not go into any movie, or anything really, with high expectations. I don’t read reviews, but word of mouth sometimes catches my ears, which don’t hold much weight to me.
Don’t get me wrong, but I still get excited about some movies and this is one of them. Not many receive my five-slice Toasty rating, but Ip Man 3 sure did! Alright, enough rambling, here’s why:
Ip Man 3 is now a trilogy, and like many before, the sequels aren’t alwaze as good as the first. Reference the chart below. The closest graph on this chart would be Star Wars (second row, third column). According to IMDB.com, Ip Man rated 8.1/10, Ip Man 2 was at 7.6 and Ip Man 3 is 7.9. In this case, this superb action flick is as on point as the first. Way to close out the trilogy!
Trilograph = trilogy graph
Donnie Yen returns one final time to play the titular character. For those that don’t know, Ip Man was a real person and is the teacher of this guy named Bruce Lee, if that rings a bell for y’all.
In regular Kung Fu movie fashion, Master Ip is just chillen, then enters a villain. Ha! His son’s school becomes under attack by thugs and Ip Man and his crew has to play security guard for some time. Of course, wicked Wing Chun (Ip Man’s Kung Fu) is involved.
Meanwhile, Ip Man’s beautiful and supporting wife, Cheung Wing-Sing (Lynn Hung), is undergoing health issues, which gives the movie a solemn touch, balancing the action. It also displays Ip’s softer side, showcasing him as a dedicated family man and loving husband – a great role model for our time.
Because Ip Man is stopping the bad guys, their leader Frank (Mike Tyson) becomes fed up. He sends cronies to defeat Ip Man and the following fight scenes make for some epic battles. Like clockwork, Ip Man does his Wing Chun thing, son! Ha! And soon enough, he goes after the former heavyweight champion, leading to another gripping fight. It’s certainly a marketing ploy for Americans to see this movie for Mike Tyson, for it’s his first action film, believe it or not. But even without him, Ip Man 3 is a great overall film.
One last thing to mention is a character who also practices Wing Chun. Cheung Tin-Chi (Jin Zhang) is equally a bada** and is a rickshaw puller, but moonlights as an undefeated fighter. He and Master Ip exchange friendly words early on in the film and you can’t help but steadily anticipate them to exchange devastating blows. Now, go see what I’m talking about. You truly will thank me later. Btw, this film is subtitled.
2 Comments
Although there may be legions of Kung Fu enthusiasts that will go see this movie, there probably are as many boxing fans, or should I say Tyson fans, who may want to see this film as well. Former World Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson’s appearance should be an interesting one and an added, if not, a contrived attraction. Tyson’s fights had always been a big box office draw and highly anticipated ones. I, for one, always did and thus became his fan. The film may stand on its own merits without Tyson, but he’s still an attraction in some ways. So I think you’re dead on saying having Tyson on the movie is a marketing ploy. Marketing ploy or not, I wanted to see The Champ fight once again and watch those power throws and killer punches, albeit in a movie. Time to see Ip Man 3!
Very good review.
Thanks! The fight scene between Ip Man and Mike Tyson alone is worth watching the movie. You should watch the first two installments beforehand, which are on Netflix, btw. Check em out!