What more is there to say about Ip Man: The Final Fight? The legendary martial artist, who has been captured in various mediums over the last few decades, has experienced a pretty involved couple of years, serving as the subject for a number of martial arts films. In fact, one needs multiple hands to count the Ip Man movies that have been made over the last five years, a time period that director Wong Kar-Wai spent shooting his meticulous The Grandmaster. While the recent Ip Man efforts lean towards genre efforts with a spotlight on combat theatrics (the two offerings with Donnie Yen in the lead are especially recommended), The Grandmaster is an epic, swooning, graceful film, one that lingers like poetry in a way that reduces the other recent projects about the man to appetizers in lieu of a full meal.
Suffice to say, after The Grandmaster, any further films about Ip Man, an iconic kung fu educator who thrived during politically-tumultuous times for China, will suffer in comparison. So is the fate for Ip Man: Final Fight, a low-key but overly simplistic programmer that takes a look at the man in his later years. Anthony Wong now steps into the character’s slippers, and he moves with considerable grace and force. But with his advanced age, his Ip Man is a man of measured movements and gestures, as if he is conserving a reservoir of energy. Wong plays him like a thinly-coiled bear, ready to bust out at any minute, but always aware that only a couple of quick blows is all that’s needed.
While the American subtitle Final Fight suggests a grim inevitability to the story, in fact this is a fairly small-scale narrative, with a few standout fight scenes that resist outright brutality. The focus is mostly on Wong’s portrayal, which is deeply empathetic for those around him, and full of both wisdom and stubbornness. This Ip Man understands that the fight is best served without him, and he seems without ego. But his selflessness also hides financial struggles (he forbids a sign in front of his school, which would too-heavily stress the notion that he accepts money in order to train), and his health (look out for those mysterious unexplained coughing fits).
Final Fight is based mostly on the memoirs of his son, Ip Chun. As such, this is an overly reverential take on the legend, with a considerable lack of nuance. Even though the son narrates the film, most of his insights of his father are superficial remembrances and flattering hyperbole. When the economy tightens and Ip Man is forced to move in with his son, the elder opens a school that trains on his son’s rooftop, and careerist Ip Chun has no problem with this fairly loud incursion into his own lifestyle. Ip Chun barely says anything about his own profession, and as the years go on, not a word is said about how his famous father has either overshadowed, or even boosted, his life goals. Like the attitude of the rest of the film, he seems determined to simply be along for the gleeful Ip Man ride.
Most of the heavy lifting is done by the class that Ip Man teaches, Chinese students of varying class and age. There’s noticeable tension between some, particularly the troublemaking street criminal and the cop, both of whom struggle with their differences given the bond they’ve formed from being a part of a class. Indeed, they look upon Ip Man like a father figure, and often end training by going out to dinner together. Any tension that arises dissipates with some soft words of advice from the regal problem solver, who never met a problem he couldn’t solve with some doe-eyed shoptalk. When he speaks, Wong gives him an air of authority, but he also comes across as a bit of as shaggy dog with his sagging cheekbones. You listen to him because he sounds like he knows what he’s talking about, but also because you’d feel bad to disappoint kind eyes like his.
There isn’t much depth to the relationships either, even as Ip Man goes through two marriages. He is loyal and loving to his first wife, particularly as she grows ill and leaves him behind. He dotes on her until she passes, and when she departs, an entire community mourns. Later, he meets a local singer, and when she flirts, Ip Man demurs. When she begins stalking and following him, showering him with gifts, it takes a while before he relents and lets her into his life. One friend angrily claims this new bride isn’t up to the standards of the old one, an unusual argument that Ip Man respectfully honors; you’d think the new wife would be upset her husband didn’t stand up for her. But this girl is so mooney-eyed in love that nothing can interfere with the flame of passion. That Ip Man, what a guy, said everyone.
By the third act, a predictable conflict emerges about the “right way” to utilize kung fu, with Ip Man learning of an underground fighting ring bringing illicit glory and false idol-ism to his profession. Not only are the brawls brutal, but they are often rigged, with pugilists poisoned before they step into the ring. The picture builds to a hectic free-for-all, with Ip Man and his students descending upon the illegal brawlers and creating a massive battle that provides most of the action highlights. Final Fight isn’t light on the action, though several fights occur between friendly combatants, ending with a smile and a respectful bow. By the close, it’s time to stop fooling around, and each member of Ip Man’s class displays a unique form of Wing Chun specific to their physicality. It has the simplicity of a children’s film, but also the clarity.
Den of Geek Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars