Friday 29 June 2018

Ip Man: The Final Fight (4 Stars)


This is a biographical film about the life of Ip Man in Hong Kong after the Second World War. It's very different to the Ip Man films starring Donnie Yen in both content and style. When I asked a Chinese friend of mine how historically accurate the Ip Man films are he answered, "The first film is a true story. The second film is only half true. The third film is completely fictional". In contrast, "Ip Man: The Final Fight" tells a very factual, unglamorised version of Ip man's life, based on the recollections of his son.

To name just a few details absent from the Ip Man Trilogy:

  • Ip Man was separated from his wife in their latter years.
  • Ip Man had a mistress after his wife's death, and his students disapproved of his relationship.
  • Ip Man suffered from gastric pain in his later years.

That doesn't mean I like the films with Donnie Yen any less. I still prefer them, because they portray him as a powerful man with super-heroic qualities. "The Final Fight" shows him as a normal man with faults and weaknesses. I prefer fantasy.

It all comes down to what my readers want. I recommend that you watch all the films and decide for yourself what you like most.

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