John Wick 4 (5 Stars)

"John Wick Chapter 4" feels like the moment the series finally confronts the weight of its own mythology; not by expanding it further, but by testing whether it can be broken.

Across "John Wick" and "John Wick Chapter 2", the assassin world evolved from suggestion into structure; by "John Wick Chapter 3", it had hardened into something close to dogma, enforced by the High Table with near-religious authority. "Chapter 4" takes the next logical step; it treats that system not as an unchangeable fact, but as a construct that can be challenged, manipulated and, ultimately, outplayed.

What's striking is how the film reframes the mythology through ritual. The duel that forms the climax is not just a plot device; it's an ancient mechanism embedded within the rules of the High Table itself. After three films of escalation, the idea that everything can be resolved through something so formal, so archaic, almost feels like a loophole in the system. The mythology turns inward, revealing that its rigidity contains the seeds of its own undoing.

This is where John Wick changes most significantly. In earlier films, he was defined by his relationship to the rules; first as a legend outside them, then as a man bound by them, and finally as someone hunted by them. Here, he becomes a strategist within the mythology. He doesn't just fight the system; he learns how to use its language against itself. The coins, the markers, the codes of conduct; these are no longer constraints, but tools.

At the same time, "Chapter 4" subtly demystifies the High Table without ever fully exposing it. Its representatives, particularly the Marquis, suggest that power within this world is not purely ancient or divine, but also political, contingent and, crucially, vulnerable to ego. The mythology shifts from something monolithic to something inhabited by individuals who can make mistakes. That shift matters; it brings the series back from abstraction towards something human, even as it maintains its operatic scale.

Yet the film resists the temptation to over-explain. After the relative over-articulation of "John Wick Chapter 3", this instalment pares back exposition and lets ritual, geography and action carry the meaning. The journey through Osaka, Berlin and Paris suggests a world that is vast but coherent, bound by shared customs rather than explicit rules. The mythology regains some of its mystery, not by shrinking, but by becoming less verbal.

The question of whether John Wick can still be alive sits at the centre of this approach. On a literal level, the film presents his death with a degree of finality; the wounds, the exhaustion, the quiet acceptance. But the staging is deliberately ambiguous. We see a grave, but no body; we hear eulogies, but no confirmation. In a series so concerned with codes and appearances, that absence feels intentional.

More importantly, the mythology itself provides a possible answer. This is a world where identity is fluid, where names carry weight and can be shed or reclaimed. John Wick has already died once, retreating into legend before being drawn back. Within a system that runs on ritual and perception, death does not have to be purely physical; it can be symbolic, a way of exiting the game.

There is also the practical dimension. The High Table operates on recognition and enforcement; if it believes Wick is dead, its pursuit ends. In that sense, death becomes a strategic disappearance, a final exploitation of the rules he has spent four films learning to navigate. The mythology allows for that possibility because it values order over truth; what matters is not whether Wick lives, but whether the system believes he does not.

Still, the film walks a careful line. To insist too strongly on his survival would undercut the thematic resolution; Wick's arc has always been about escape, and death is the only absolute escape the series can offer without contradiction. By leaving the question open, "Chapter 4" preserves both possibilities; the man may be gone, but the legend, as always, endures.

In the end, "John Wick Chapter 4" doesn't just conclude the mythology; it reflects on it. What began as a whisper of a hidden world has become a fully realised system, then a prison, and finally something that can be transcended. Whether John Wick is alive or dead almost becomes secondary. The real question is whether he has finally stepped outside the mythology that defined him; and for the first time, the answer might be Yes.

Success Rate:  + 2.4

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Once upon a time in China 2 (4 Stars)

Once Upon a Time in China II (1992) continues Tsui Hark’s semi-historical portrait of Wong Fei-hung, setting its story against the political turbulence of southern China in the early 1890s, when the Qing dynasty was under intense pressure from foreign powers and internal reform movements.

After the events of the first film, Wong Fei-hung returns to Foshan as a respected physician and martial arts master, but he is quickly drawn into a wider national crisis. China is reeling from humiliation at the hands of Western imperial powers following the Opium Wars and a series of unequal treaties that granted foreign nations trade privileges, extraterritorial rights and control over ports and railways. Anti-foreign sentiment is growing among ordinary citizens, while reform-minded officials and intellectuals argue that China must modernise to survive.

The story introduces Sun Yat-sen, portrayed as a young revolutionary doctor who is secretly organising resistance against the Qing government. Historically, Sun Yat-sen was active in Guangdong during this period and would soon attempt uprisings aimed at overthrowing the dynasty. In the film, Sun arrives in Foshan to raise funds and support for his cause, placing him in danger from both Qing authorities and conservative forces who see reform as betrayal.

Wong Fei-hung initially tries to stay neutral. His philosophy emphasises moral conduct, discipline and harmony, and he is wary of political extremism. However, the situation deteriorates when the White Lotus Sect emerges as a major antagonist. The White Lotus is depicted as a fanatical, anti-foreign cult that claims mystical invulnerability and promotes violent resistance against Westerners and Chinese collaborators. This portrayal draws loosely on real secret societies and millenarian movements that flourished in late Qing China, including groups that would later feed into the Boxer Rebellion of 1899–1901.

Led by the charismatic and ruthless Master Kung, the White Lotus stages public demonstrations, humiliates officials and attacks foreign institutions, particularly Christian missionaries. Their actions provoke brutal reprisals from Western powers, who threaten military intervention if their citizens are harmed. The film shows the mounting tension between foreign legations and Chinese authorities, reflecting the historical reality of gunboat diplomacy and the constant threat of colonial violence.

Caught between these forces, Wong Fei-hung is forced to act when innocent people are endangered. His conflict with the White Lotus is both physical and ideological. He rejects their superstition and cruelty, arguing that blind hatred and false mysticism will only bring further suffering to China. At the same time, he becomes increasingly sympathetic to Sun Yat-sen’s reformist ideals, which are presented as rational, forward-looking and rooted in genuine patriotism rather than xenophobic rage.

The narrative builds toward several major confrontations. Wong repeatedly clashes with Master Kung, whose belief in spiritual invincibility is exposed as a dangerous illusion when faced with modern weapons and disciplined martial skill. These battles symbolise the film’s central theme; traditional Chinese values must survive, but they must evolve rather than retreat into myth.

In the final act, chaos erupts as the White Lotus attempts a large-scale uprising, drawing the attention of foreign forces and threatening catastrophic retaliation. Wong Fei-hung intervenes to prevent a massacre, defeating Master Kung and dismantling the sect. His actions help avert immediate disaster, though the film makes clear that China’s deeper problems remain unresolved.

The story closes on a bittersweet note. Sun Yat-sen escapes to continue his revolutionary work, hinting at the future overthrow of the Qing dynasty in 1911. Wong Fei-hung returns to his medical practice and school, reaffirming his role as a moral guardian rather than a political leader. The film leaves the audience with a clear historical message; China stands at a crossroads, torn between decaying tradition, violent reaction and the difficult path of reform.

In blending real historical figures, secret societies and political tensions with martial arts spectacle, Once Upon a Time in China II transforms its sequel into a meditation on national identity during one of the most volatile periods in modern Chinese history.

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Sakra (5 Stars)

Success Rate:  + 1.6

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Blade 2 (4½ Stars)

What a contrast to "Captain America Brave New World"! That was a boring film which will be the latest in Marvel's series of box office flops. "Blade 2" is an exciting action film that gets everything right. What's gone wrong with Marvel since 2002? Oh wait, I know. It was bought by Disney and put under the control of Bob Iger, a businessman who would rather promote his version of the DEI agenda than make good films. Whenever one of his films flops he shrugs his shoulders and continues on as before, demanding a pay rise for his efforts. Walt Disney must be turning in his grave. Bob is 74, well into retirement age. Shouldn't he be sent to an old people's home, so that he can be replaced by someone who knows what he's doing?

I described the plot in my last review, so I'll only add a few words here. My readers who aren't Marvel fans might be excited to see Donnie Yen's name in the credits. Don't get too worked up. He has a minor role and can easily be missed. His potential is wasted. We only see him performing one kick in the whole movie. He was the film's fight choreographer, so he was probably slotted in as an actor at the last minute. He was already on the set, so it saved the trouble of hiring someone else.

This is a better movie than "Blade", and the main reason is that Blade himself is a more likeable character. In the first film he was very remote, but now he's a more sympathetic person. He even smiles. Even if a character is remote and emotionless in comics, he has to show more emotions in a film to win over the audience. In "Blade 2" Wesley Snipes wins me over.

Success Rate:  + 0.9

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John Wick 4 (5 Stars)

I watched this film two days ago, but I didn't write much because I was getting ready to go away for a weekend holiday. I took the Blu-ray with me because I wanted to watch it again. Now I'm not writing much because I'm away from home and have even less time. It's a terrific film, probably the best in the series. I say probably because it's difficult for me to make up my mind. Visually, it's in a class of its own. New York, Morocco, Osaka, Paris, Berlin. The action switches from country to country like a James Bond film.

Donnie Yen plays Caine, a blind assassin who's an old friend of John Wick. He enjoyed making the film so much that he's asked to return, either in a sequel or a spin-off. No decision has been made yet. I hope he's given a chance.

Success Rate:  + 2.4

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John Wick 4 (5 Stars)

Farewell to Charon, as played by Lance Reddick. In "John Wick 4" he's executed in a senseless act by the Marquis de Gramont. A short while after making the film the actor himself died of a heart disease.

This is truly a wonderful film. I don't know why I only gave it a four star rating when I saw it in the cinema last year. The only thing negative is that I'm annoyed by Scott Adkins' bloated appearance. I barely recognise him. All I can say is that I'm glad he was killed, because it means I don't have to see him in a future sequel.

Or do I? John Wick was killed, but the fifth film in the series has already been announced. You can't keep a good man down.

Success Rate:  + 2.4

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Hero (5 Stars)

My mother-in-law used to say, "If you haven't held something in your hand for a year, throw it away". That was her advice to prevent a house being cluttered with unwanted items. I can see the sense in her words, but it doesn't apply to me. I haven't held my "Hero" Blu-ray disc in my hand for ten years. It would have been a tragedy if I'd thrown it away, or even sold it on Ebay. It's a wonderful film.

It has a prominent place on the top shelf in my film collection. Most of my collection (over 2000 films) is in alphabetical order, but my top shelf is reserved for films that are special to me. They're the first films I see when I look at my shelves. Why haven't I watched it all these years? I honestly don't know. I didn't think it was that long. If it weren't for my blog acting as an infallible film diary I wouldn't have known.

"Hero" is a majestic film. Despite the frequent fight scenes, it's slow and philosophical. Jet Li plays a nameless warrior. His lack of a name is significant in itself. A man doesn't become a hero to have his name remembered in history books. A true hero does what's right, even if nobody will ever know what he did.

The film takes place in 227 BC. China was divided into seven kingdoms. Qin was ruled by a tyrant who was waging war against the other six kingdoms. The nameless warrior trained for ten years to assassinate the king, but when he had victory in his grasp, he refused to carry out his mission and walked away. He came to the conclusion that it's better for China to be united under a tyrant than divided.

Calligraphy plays an important part in the film. Before challenging a rival swordsman, the nameless warrior asks him to draw the symbol for sword on an eight feet canvas. He says that there are 19 ways to draw the symbol, but there's a 20th way. By looking at the canvas he'll understand his opponent's fighting skill.

While waiting to be slain, the king meditates on the canvas.

"I have come to a realisation. This scroll contains no secrets of swordsmanship. What it reveals is the highest ideal.

In the first stage, man and sword become one; even a blade of grass can be used as a lethal weapon.

In the next stage, the sword resides not in the hand, but in the heart; even without a weapon the warrior can slay his enemy from 100 paces.

But the ultimate ideal is when the sword disappears altogether. The warrior embraces all around him. The desire to kill no longer exists. Only peace remains".

That's a lot to learn from a painted symbol. The King of Qin may look like a tyrant, but he's a very spiritual man. He embraces death, not knowing he will be spared.

Success Rate:  + 3.7

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In the Line of Duty 4 (5 Stars)

Cynthia Khan returns as the Hong Kong policewoman Rachel Yeung. Almost. In this film she's called Yeung Lai-Ching, but that's close enough. The film begins with her in Seattle pursuing cocaine dealers. It seems strange that Hong Kong police are allowed to work in America. Let's just assume they're acting legally.

She's accompanied by her fellow officer Donnie Yan, who's played by Donnie Yen. They weren't very imaginative naming the characters. Donnie was 25 at the time he made the film. I've never seen him looking so young.

After one of his fights he does a Bruce Lee imitation. Please, Donnie, it doesn't suit you. It didn't even suit Bruce Lee. Is it supposed to be a look of anguish or regret after killing or maiming an opponent?

This film's plot is that a high ranking CIA agent is selling cocaine and other drugs. There's only one witness, a Chinese dock worker called Luk Wan-Ting. After a fight with drug dealers he's caught with a gun in his hand, and the American police assume he's a criminal, so he flees to Hong Kong with a forged passport. Donnie Yan (not Yen) and Inspector Yeung pursue him. Donnie is convinced he's a crook, whereas Yeung trusts him. But crooked policemen in both countries are trying to kill Luk.

The action is just as exciting as in the previous film, but there's a difference in style. There are less gunfights and more martial arts action. I like Cynthia Khan as a fighter, but Donnie Yen outclasses her. He was an incredible fighter, even at his young age.

Raging Fire (5 Stars)

Hong Kong police films are a genre of their own. The action is faster and more thrilling than police films made anywhere else. "Raging Fire" is one of the best films in the genre. I find it difficult to say much about it. The words elude me. It's a film that has to be seen to be believed.

Cheung Bong (played by Donnie Yen) is a stereotypical good policeman. For him it's all about law and justice, When a criminal offers him a handful of bank notes, he throws it back in his face. Bribes are out of the question. But he has problems with his bosses in his police station. Bong isn't a team player. When his bosses ask him to rewrite his report and not mention the son of a wealthy businessman, he refuses. He tells the truth, whatever it may cost him.

His honesty also put him at odds with his colleagues. He was the only witness of five police officers beating a criminal to death. He testified against them in court. After five years in prison they can't return to the police force, so they've become criminals. They're planning a big bank robbery. Their intimate knowledge of police procedures gives them an advantage.

Gunfights, fist fights, car chases. "Raging Fire" has it all. We don't see Donnie Yen using as much of his martial arts skills as we do in other films, but when he's forced to fight he's impressive. If you like action films, this is a film you must see.

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There's a curious difference in marketing from country to country. In America the film has been released on Blu-ray and DVD. That's normal. In Germany it's also been released on a 4K disc. Thank you, Germany. But in England it's only been released on DVD. That's poor.

Sakra (5 Stars)

This is the eighth film in the Stuttgart Nights Festival.

It's a historical film that takes place in the 12th Century AD. The Song Dynasty ruled most of China, but it was under constant attack by the Khitans. A baby is found abandoned after a battle. A poor family adopts him, and he grows up to be a mighty warrior, Qiao Feng. He becomes the leader of the Beggars Gang.

One day he's accused of murdering a regional chief. The chief's wife claims to have seen him. A letter is produced claiming that his real parents were Khitans. The beggars eject him as their leader. Qiao Feng goes home to his adoptive parents, and he finds them dead. One of the beggars sees him and accuses him of murdering them. Qiao Feng visits a Shaolin master for advice, but he finds him dead, and he gets the blame again.

Qiao Feng becomes a fugitive. He wants to find out who's framed him for the murders while fleeing from his former friends. At the same time he searches for clues about the identity of his biological parents. Were they really Khitans?

On his journey he rescues a Khitan woman, A Zhu. She's been badly injured in an attack, and he only knows one man capable of healing her, a doctor in his home province. Despite the danger, he carries the woman into the midst of his former friends and asks for her to be healed.

As Qiao Feng says several times in the film, "I'm not a hero, I'm a man who tries to do the right thing".

The action is spectacular, if you don't mind wire fu battles. It's Donnie Yen at his best.

John Wick 4 (4 Stars)

After the third John Wick film was made, the director Char Stahelski said there would be at least another two films. That was before the Corona pandemic. Everything was put on hold. The fourth film now seems to be the last film in the series. Keanu Reeves is getting older, and he can't carry on as an action hero forever.

At the end of the third film, John Wick's death was faked. That was the only way to free him from the domination of the High Table. He could have got away with this, but he makes the foolish decision to assassinate the unnamed leader of the High Table. When it's known that he's still alive, the High Table holds the Continental Hotel manager Winston responsible, and the hotel is destroyed.

This leads to an escalating spiral of revenge and counter-revenge.

As in the previous films, the lines between friend and foe are unclear. John has friends who're now compelled by duty to kill him.

It's an exciting action film, but the pacing is unusual. The film starts very fast. Then there's a long quiet passage in the middle. Then there's action again, but the final scene is calm, almost anti-climactic. I've rated it lower than the previous films, but I might change my mind after watching it again.

And there's an after-credits scene. Don't miss it!

Shanghai Affairs (4 Stars)

This is a 1998 martial arts film starring Donnie Yen. I watched it on YouTube, where it's included in the Wu Tang Collection.

Two young doctors, Tong (Donnie Yen) and Bond, set up a small medical centre in Shanghai after receiving medical training in England. Both men are expert fighters, Tong being slightly better, but they have different attitudes. Bond wants to fight to defend the local people, whereas Tong prefers not to fight, because he might get injured and be unable to continue his work as a doctor. It's a tricky question: should you heal injured people or take steps to prevent them being injured in the first place?

The place where the two brothers live is called Shanghai, but it's a small village community. Shanghai is a city with a population of more than 20 million, but maybe it's divided into smaller sections. This is possibly a community on the outskirts of Shanghai that has a village character. The villagers are being terrorised by the Axe Gang, led by Yue Lo-Chi. He wants them to move out so that he can demolish their homes and build a casino. He's impatient. He only gives them one hour to leave. Bond rushes into battle, and he's the only one who can withstand the Axe Gang until the police arrive. This wins him recognition as a skilled fighter. Tong stands and watches.

Lo-Chi's sister Susie has been unable to speak since childhood. Tong examines her and says that it's a simple illness that can be cured with an operation. Lo-Chi doesn't want his sister to be operated, because he doesn't trust western medicine. He says that only the Fox God can cure illnesses. Susie goes ahead with the operation and is cured, but this isn't enough to make Lo-Chi accept the new doctors.

At the same time there's a serial killer murdering young children and stealing their inner organs. Tong requests Lo-Chi's assistance in finding the killer.

It's obviously a low budget film, using a minimum of film sets, but it's a very exciting film. It's not  an original film, but as I often say, a film doesn't have to be original to be good. It follows the pattern of a reluctant fighter who gets into multiple one-against-a-hundred fights. Donnie Yen stands with a wooden stick knocking out dozens of men rushing at him with axes. Is it realistic? Not at all, but who cares? The fight scenes are brilliantly choreographed.

Like most of the Wu Tang films, "Shanghai Affairs" is out of print and can only be watched online, either on YouTube or on the Wu Tang web site.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (4 Stars)

Netflix Thursday #9

When I watched this film six years ago I gave it five stars. Watching it again today, it's difficult to understand why. It's true that it has a lot in its favour. Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh are two outstanding actors. The film contains many spectacular fight scenes, more than "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" itself. And yet something is missing, something that's only apparent when watching the two films back to back. "Sword of Destiny" (I prefer to shorten the title) lacks the spiritual depth of the original.

"Sword of Destiny" takes place 18 years after the events of the first film. Shu Lien has lived as a recluse since the death of Li Mu Bai. Now she returns to Peking to see the legendary jade sword that used to belong to Li Mu Bai. It was in the house of Sir Te, who has recently died. Now a bandit called Hades Dai wants the sword for himself. He sends Wei Fang, his adopted son, to steal the sword. Wei Fang is captured in a fight with Shu Lien, so he sends a larger force to free him and take the sword.

Five warriors unite to defend Te's house. The leader is Silent Wolf, Shu Lien's former fiancé, who she thought was dead. He reveals that he faked his death because he knew Shu Lien loved Li Mu Bai, and he wanted them to be together. That didn't work out, as we know from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".

Shu Lien has a student, a young woman called Snow Vase. She's the daughter of Hades Dai, but her mother switched her with Wei Fang after her birth, because she wanted to give Hades a son. All her life Snow Vase has been searching for her half-brother (or whatever the relationship is called), not knowing his name, but she can recognise him by a birth mark.

I wouldn't say this is a bad film, but it's not a masterpiece like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". Curiously, it's a fake Chinese film. It looks Chinese, but it was filmed in English. With the exception of Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen all of the main actors are Americans or Australians of Chinese descent.

Ip Man 4 (5 Stars)

I only wanted to watch one film today, but after I laid "Ip Man 4" on my table for tomorrow, I couldn't resist. I had to watch it immediately!

Unlike the previous films, "Ip Man 4" takes place in America. In 1964 Ip Man travels to San Francisco to arrange a school place for his rebellious son, Ip Ching. The main enemy he has to face in America is racism. The white Americans despise the Chinese, and the feeling is mutual. Chinese girls are bullied in school, and Chinese adults are attacked by American soldiers.

There's less martial arts action than in the previous films, but there's a magnificent fight between Ip Man and gunnery sergeant Barton Geddes, who's played by the actor Scott Adkins from Sutton Coldfield. It's always good to see combat between fighters with different styles. Scott has black belts in ten different martial arts, but he uses Karate against Donnie Yen's Wing Chun.

It's interesting that the racist soldiers consider Karate to be the superior American fighting style. Have they forgotten that it comes from Japan?

Danny Chan appears as Bruce Lee, who's now taken up residence in San Francisco. He already appeared in "Ip Man 3",  but this time he has a fight scene.

The Chinese schoolgirl Yonah Wan is attacked as she's leaving school. It takes four boys to overcome her. Luckily Ip Man is walking by and can intervene.

"Ip Man 4" is an excellent film. I agree that it's not up to the quality of the first three films, but it still deserves a five star rating. The film ends with Ip Man's death, so it really is the finale.

Success Rate:  + 2.6

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Ip Man 3 (5 Stars)

You probably noticed that I didn't include the Ip Man films in my series of true stories. That's because I didn't consider them accurate enough to be included. After I watched "Ip Man 3" in the cinema on New Year's Eve 2015 I asked a Chinese friend how accurate the films are. He'd obviously given the matter some thought, because he answered without hesitation: "The first film is mostly true, the second film is half true, the third film isn't true at all". I haven't spoken to him since leaving England in 2016, so I don't know his opinion about the fourth film.

There's a development in Ip Man's social status from film to film. That would be worth a whole post, if I ever watch all four films back to back. He began as a wealthy man, living in a magnificent villa. Then he collapsed into poverty after the Japanese invasion. In the second film he still lived in modest accommodation. In the third film he had a better house, though nowhere near the level of his first house. In the fourth film he lived in a small but comfortable apartment.

Maybe I should correct my friend's judgement of the third film's accuracy. One important event in Ip Man's life is correctly reported. The film ends with the death of his wife Wing Sing in 1960. The film's fabricated events take place in the 12 months before her death.

The film shows Bruce Lee requesting to become Ip Man's student and being refused. This is one of the film's fabrications. He actually began to study with Ip Man years earlier, in his mid teens.

When the film was first planned, it was announced that Bruce Lee would be a CGI character. That excited me. It would have been the first time that a dead person returned on screen as a computer animation. I was anxious to see how realistic he would look. It was later decided to use a real actor, Danny Chan, for the role. It was claimed that the technology was sufficient to create him as a 100% realistic character, but maybe it would have cost too much.

Ip Man has two main opponents in the film. The first is an American property developer called Frank, played by Mike Tyson. I don't believe that he's based on any particular person. He's just one of many foreign devils who came to Hong Kong after World War Two to become rich while the Chinese populace struggled to make ends meet.

The other opponent is Cheung Tin Chi, who's supposedly based on the martial artist Sum Nung. He's not a bad man. When he first meets Ip Man they're friends. Tin Chi's problem is that he's arrogant. He's jealous of Ip Man's fame, so he beats up other Kung Fu masters to gain recognition.

I don't judge the film on its historical accuracy. For me it's all about the action and the story quality. I voted it the best film of 2015. In retrospect I prefer "The Walk", which I put in second place, but they're both excellent films.

Success Rate:  + 2.4

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Raging Fire (4 Stars)

This is the sixth film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

"Raging Fire" is a fast paced police thriller. Cheung Bong and Yau Ngo were colleagues and close friends in the Hong Kong police force. After the kidnap of a bank owner, Ngo and four other policemen beat up a suspect to make him tell them where the bank owner is being held. Bong arrives just in time to see them beating the suspect to death. Bong testifies against them in court, and they go to jail for five years. When they come out the five police officers become criminals.

The action is breath-taking as the film rushes from one action scene to the next. There are big shoot-outs in the streets of Hong Kong. There isn't as much martial arts action as I would expect in a film with Donnie Yen, but that's only a slight criticism. Highly recommended.

Legend of the Fist (5 Stars)

Dancer's Top Films #48

In 2008 and 2010 Donnie Yen made the first two Ip Man films. As far as he was concerned, that was the end of it. He didn't want to play the character again. Now it was time for him to move on. Ip man was one of the most legendary figures in the history of martial arts, second only to his student Bruce Lee. Who else could Donnie Yen play?

There was one other figure: Chen Zhen. Unlike Ip Man, Chen Zhen was a fictional character. He was first introduced in the 1972 film "Fist of Fury", played by Bruce Lee. He embodied the Chinese resistance against the Japanese occupation. This inspired the Chinese so much that many Chinese believed that the film was based on a true character. Unfortunately, it wasn't.

Even though Chen Zhen was killed at the end of "Fist of Fury", many other films and television series were made about him over the following years. Most were sequels, claiming that he had survived. There were also remakes, like "Fist of Legend" in 1994, starring Jet Li.

"Legend of the Fist" was made as a direct sequel to "Fist of Fury". It begins in 1917, a few years after Chen Zhen's supposed death. He just says that he survived and the reports of his death are untrue. This causes a problem in continuity. In "Fist of Fury" the exact date of the events isn't stated, but it's during the Japanese occupation, so it would have to be in the 1930's. "Legend of the Fist" claims that Chen Zhen fought against the Japanese in Hong Kong shortly before World War One began. Is that possible? Hong Kong was a British colony at the time. Did the Japanese wield that amount of influence? I don't have enough knowledge of Chinese history to answer that question.

In 1917 Chen Zhen is part of a group of Chinese who have gone to Europe to aid the British in the First World War. Chen Zhen's best friend, Qi Tianyuan, is killed, so Chen Zhen adopts his name out of respect. He returns to Shanghai. In 1925 it's a divided city. It has different sectors run by the Chinese, the British, the Americans and the Japanese. Despite being nominally part of China, everyone fears the Japanese.

The film has the aura of a spy thriller. It's centred around the night club Casablanca, where Chen Zhen works as a piano player. The owner is a rich Chinese man called Master Liu, but the guests are of all nationalities. The Japanese frequent the club in full military uniform, bullying the Chinese employees.

In this nest of intrigue nobody is what he seems. The beautiful singer Miss Kiki is the lover of first Master Liu, and then Chen Zhen.

But Kiki is really Captain Yamaguchi of the Japanese army.

The biggest deception is carried out by Chen Zhen himself. Apart from calling himself Qi Tianyuan, he also puts on a mask and a leather outfit, calling himself the Masked Marauder.

He stands on the rooftops at night, watching over the city, waiting to strike fear into the hearts of the Japanese. His stance is that of Batman, but he reminds me more of the Green Hornet's sidekick Kato, who was played by Bruce Lee in the 1960's television series. I'm sure that the resemblance is intentional.

I would like to have seen Donnie Yen return as Chen Zhen in a sequel, but alas, it wasn't to be. He was persuaded to play Ip Man another twice. But I'm sure that Chen Zhen, the character, isn't dead. He'll return again, played by new generations of actors as long as cinema exists.

Success Rate:  - 0.9

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Ip Man 2 (5 Stars)

Dancer's Top Films #66

"Although people have different statuses in life, everybody's dignity is the same. I hope that we can start to respect one another".

This is the second Ip Man film starring Donnie Yen, made in 2010, two years after "Ip Man". One thing that's obvious when you watch the four Ip Man films is that each film was supposed to be the last. Each film reaches a logical conclusion, and if the series had ended there, nobody would have complained. Of course, in the fourth film Ip Man dies, so it really must be the end. Unless, of course, there's a "Ghost of Ip Man" or "Franken-Ip-Man".

Donnie Yen claims that "Ip Man 2" is the best film in the series. I disagree. I find the first film better. It depends on what you want from a film. Maybe Donnie prefers the second film because of the fight scenes. There are fighters with different styles fighting against Ip Man, in particular the three masters who Ip Man has to defeat in Hong Kong. Maybe someone who knows more about kung fu than me can tell me the name of their styles. The third master, played by Sammo Hung, uses the Hung Kuen style, but the styles of the other two masters aren't named.

Ip Man's fighting style is Wing Chun. It's claimed that it was invented in the 18th Century by a woman called Ng Mui who observed the martial arts while working in a Shaolin temple, and then passed on her knowledge to a young woman called Yim Wing Chun. Many scholars doubt this story and dismiss it as a legend, but the film states it as fact. The martial artists who give interviews in the Blu-ray's extra features also accept it as fact.

Marie Sia Lonero has no doubt that Wing Chun was invented by a woman. It's not just because of her sympathies as a woman, it's because of Wing Chun's nature. She says that it's particularly useful for fighters who are smaller and lighter.

As in the first film, it's interesting to see Ip Man eating. He isn't as poor as he was during the Japanese occupation, but it's still a simpler meal than what he was used to in 1935. He never regained the wealthy status that was ripped away from him by the Japanese.

Maybe we should be glad that he lost his riches. Before the war he refused to found a martial arts school. In 1950, when the film takes place, he needs to open a school in order to pay his bills. If Ip Man had remained rich there might never have been a Bruce Lee.

One interesting thing about the Ip Man films is to see characters from previous films return under different circumstances. One example is Jin Shan Zhao, who was an adversary of Ip Man in the first film. When they meet again they become friends. Jin dismisses his former actions as the folly of youth. Now he's older and wiser.

Master Hung, played by the legendary Sammo Hung, doesn't need another film to change his ways. He begins the film as Ip Man's enemy, but he becomes his friend as the film progresses.

Ip Man reaches Master Hung's heart by impressing upon him the value of family. He certainly has a beautiful family: six daughters and a son. He's wealthier than Ip Man, but he still has to use newspapers as a tablecloth.

All four of the Ip Man films are excellent, but only the first two films have made it into my top 100 films list. Nevertheless, I'll try to rewatch the other two films soon, when I have time.

Success Rate:  + 1.9

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