Here's David Peterson's Region 3 DVD review of IP MAN: THE FINAL FIGHT from the current Issue No. 13 of Wing Chun Illustrated. Like this? Then please spread the word by clicking the “Like” or "Share" link. Thanks! #wingchunillustrated#ipman #wingchun #anthonywong
IP MAN: THE FINAL FIGHT is the second “unofficial” Ip Man film from director Herman Yau and, fortunately, this time around he manages to redeem himself after the poorly received prequel film, THE LEGEND IS BORN: IP MAN (2006).
Instead of presenting Wing Chun patriarch Ip Man as a young spy-fighting superhero, we see him as a humble, unassuming older man experiencing the latter part of his life, running a school in 1950s Hong Kong. What really makes this film work well, in ways that previous interpretations didn’t manage, is the outstanding performance of veteran actor Anthony Wong (THE FOUR) in the titular role. In many ways, this is the Ip Man film that we have been waiting for all along.
Playing very much against type, Wong gives one of the finest performances of his long career, capturing the real essence of the man himself, as opposed to the romanticised legend, giving him both humility and inner calm.
Spending months preparing for the role by training in Wing Chun, Wong isn’t slack in the action sequences either and he more than holds his own against his on-screen opponents, including a short but memorable exchange with his fellow screen veteran Eric Tsang (INFERNAL AFFAIRS). He is also the only actor so far to adopt Ip Man’s real Foshan accent, thus really bringing a sense of authenticity and reality that has not previously been seen.
As in previous outings, there is a certain degree of exaggeration and embellishment in the way that events in Ip Man’s life are presented. However, even though we know that we are heading for the obligatory climactic martial showdown, in this film there is none of the over-the-top nationalism or blatant gwailo-bashing that has often prevailed before. Instead, we are taken on a journey back to Hong Kong in troubled post-war times (shot on a remarkable purpose-built set that is incredibly realistic) where we see Ip Man trying to forge a new life for himself, his beginnings as a Wing Chun teacher, and ultimately how he made his mark by being humble, unassuming and quietly forthright in his dealings with all those he encounters along the way.
