Ip Man 4 : The Finale
I admitted back in February, while recording our Watchmen episodes, that I didn’t entirely understand racism. I didn’t necessarily understand how one individual could hate another for something like the color of their skin. My co-host, for this particular episode, was an African American gentleman himself. His response was quite profound. He said that it’s not necessarily about hating someone for their race, it’s about power. His exact words were “racism isn’t just someone calling you a slur term. Racism is about power. Racism is about “hey, I can do this to you. I have control over your life.” (Caless Davis, Victims and Villains “HBO (Part One): Watchmen, Chapter One”). He’s not wrong.
Look at our blood-stained history. History consistently points to the power that one race has flaunted over another. I would love to sit here and say that we’ve grown past such hatred, but we haven’t. In some circles, racism is still as real as ever. The most recent report I could find states that there are over 40 active chapters in the Ku Klux Klan. More than twenty of those chapters are their infancy. In March of this year, NBC reported that Anti-LGBTQ groups were on the rise. We’re seeing a steady number of people identifying under the LGBTQ banner and equally a number of rising hatred coming with it. Division seems like an all too common thing for us. We wonder why suicides continue to grow. Hatred and prejudice can result in a few things. The individual will fight back, grow apathetic and consider it a new norm or escape to drastic measures like suicide.
Heroes like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X prove that not all heroes wear capes. These men and women stood their ground and forever changed the landscape of life as we know it today. You can now add Donnie Yen to that list. Well, at least fictionally. Yen returns as Master Ip Man for the fourth and final installment into the Ip Man franchise started back in 2008. For his final film, Yen travels to America to appeal to schools for his son. While in the states the growing issue of racism will pull Master Ip in for one last ride. The Finale is the perfect conclusion to the trilogy that proceeds it. While the story is compelling, the true star of the movie remains the fan-favorite: the fight choreography.
I’ll be honest I don’t watch a whole lot of Kung Fu films. They are a rare breed to find me personally watching. However, with Ip Man 4, there is an elegance that comes with the fight choreography. There is a grace that comes with each sequence. When musicals are done right, the musical numbers of the films have a natural grace that flows them in and out of the narrative. That’s the same thing here for Ip Man. The cinematography that accompanies these sequences are mouthwatering. The fight sequences have been what make Ip Man such a popular film series – its’ finale is no different. Yen returning as the titular is something else that boasts well for the film. There is a weathered and worn element to his performance that matches his arc through not only the film but the series as a whole. Yen masterfully handles himself throughout the film. Proving that just as much as Kung Fu has been a focal point for this series, its’ equally been family.
The themes of Ip Man 4 are incredible. While the film begins driven by family and honor, it naturally offshoots to the prejudice in a couple of different ways. First, there is the Marines argument of karate vs kung fu and which is more effective. Which in the long run, slowly, becomes the focal point of the third act. Then you have the hatred of Caucasians against other races and nationalities. While the discussion on racism is such a potent theme throughout the film. It also may be one of the biggest issues the film is facing. Unlike the other three Ip Man movies, there is no one central villain here. At any given time, there are 2-3 arcs taking place, on top of the main arc. Each one of these arcs has its own antagonist. All of which eventually converge together in the end. However, having multiple arcs with multiple villains not only weighs the film down but gives it a busy feeling.
Overall, Ip Man 4: The Finale, is THE finale fans of the series have been waiting for. The film serves as the perfect conclusion to the fan-favorite Kung Fu series. Donnie Yen returns in the role of titular hero one final time. Man, he does not disappoint. He also gives us something new to the character, while still remaining true to the hero we’ve loved since 2008. The fight choreography, once again, returns as the true star of the film. Serving as the perfect half to the breathtaking cinematography in a beautiful marriage. The film boasts strong themes of racism & prejudice making it not only a fun film but an important one as well. The film can be a bit busy at times with multiple storylines taking place at once. Each with its’ own hero and villain. While most of them do resolve in the final act, the damage is a bit done by that point. Ip Man 4 is a gorgeous closure but overstuffed throughout.
RORSCHACH RATING:
If you or someone you know is reading this right now and you are struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message or tweet to us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!
Victims and Villains is written and produced by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey. Music by Yuriy Bespalov & Beggars. Ip Man 4: The Finale is property of Mandarin Motion Picture Limited & Well Go USA Entertainment. We do not own nor claim any rights. You can pick up your copy of Ip Man 4: The Finale by clicking here.
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