In a nutshell, this movie was great and met all of my expectations. Doesn't it make you wonder where Wing Chun has been all this time and why a movie can be almost solely based on one style of kung fu. You don't see Hung Gar movies being produced. Of course, being the master of one of the most famous kung fu actors in the world probably helped. But in this respect, Ip Man is becoming a superstar in his own right. Not bad for someone who didn't even act.
The Weird
I am pretty sure everyone agrees with me but the number of faces that have been recycled can be just a bit too much. It is weird looking at Fan Siu Wong playing an honorable gentleman here when just a moment ago in Ip Man 1, he was playing the classic big bully. And Sammo Hung doesn't even look different from what he played in Ip Man 2. The one that takes the cake is the actor playing Ip Man's father. Wasn't he the one getting his ass handed to him by Donnie Yen?
To be fair, the rest of the Hong Kong movie industry is dominated by a few names and not many come through the ranks. Most Hong Kong movies recycle quite a few actors, such as Simon Yam and Tony Leung, to name a few. But the number of actors who are being reused from the first two Ip Man movies is startling. You almost thought you might see Donnie Yen making a cameo appearance.
The Good
Having said all that, you know these guys are true martial arts exponents. How else do you explain why actors like Sammo Hung and Fan Siu Wong both know multiple forms of martial arts?
The multiple kung fu scenes with plenty of good plot lines for fighting and the variations that come along with it make every fight scene a different and refreshing story. Although at times, when the Wing Chun disciples are sparring with each other, it tends to look more like a slapping contest. But my favorite part is when Ip Man is fighting off those Japanese with his pole, even when he had his pole sliced off, he managed to switch to another fighting style to use the remaining pieces of the pole like a double dagger.
The meeting with Master Ip Chun is also a good 2 in 1 story line where not only does Ip Man get to learn a different version of Wing Chun, but also learns more about family history and moral character.
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