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Ip Man 4: The Finale

Surprisingly lyrical and social but still nectar for martial arts enthusiasts.

IP Man 4: The Finale

Grade: B

Director: Wilson Yip (IP Man, 2008)

Screenplay: Tai-lee Chan (IP Man), Lai-Yin Leung (IP Man)

Cast: Donnie Yen (IP Man)

Rating: NR

Runtime: 1h 45m

By: John DeSando

Having just seen one of the few Indian Bollywood spectacles of my life, I witnessed a jewel of the Asian martial arts films, Ip Man 4: The Finale. Both countries should be justifiably proud of the technical and sometimes lyrical characteristics of genres they have fostered, and in many cases improved.

Ip Man 4 is a fine example of a thriller export worthy of its powerful country. Kung fu master Ip (Donnie Yen) travels to the US to get a recommendation letter for his rebellious son to attend college there. As to be expected, the ‘60s provide more examples of bigotry against Asians, specifically in the Marines still tied to karate as the exotic martial art of choice.

No secret that Ip will change their minds about the superiority of kung fu, and along the way make the case against racial bias in a world that still sees Asians as inferior.

While the film is eye-candy for martial arts enthusiasts, it also tries to chronicle in literary form the prejudice in America against Asians. Yet, it makes the case for the US being a place to study for self-improvement but still a place where people of color will suffer.

It’s a better place now, and a better film experience for those of us used to Jackie Chan’s sometimes tone-deaf attitude to racial abuse in favor of slapstick and the charm of its lead. Yen has not half of Chan’s charm, but he has a resolutely virtuous attitude toward fairness and equality.

If you’re into the cinematic beauty of kung fu, Ip4 is for you; if you’re interested in the cultural resonance, it is also for you. It’s a surprise to me how entertaining this genre can be.

"I want to make a good, solid kung fu movie." Keanu Reeves
 

John DeSando, a Los Angeles Press Club first-place winner for National Entertainment Journalism, hosts WCBE’s It’s Movie Time and co-hosts Cinema Classics. Contact him at JDeSando@Columbus.rr.com

John DeSando holds a BA from Georgetown University and a Ph.D. in English from The University of Arizona. He served several universities as a professor, dean, and academic vice president. He has been producing and broadcasting as a film critic on It’s Movie Time and Cinema Classics for more than two decades. DeSando received the Los Angeles Press Club's first-place honors for national entertainment journalism.