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Reviews
Yip Man 3 (2015)
Ip Man 3 is the most profound of the Ip Man Trilogy, with many details overlooked by General Audiences
Let's face it, many of us knew about Ip Man because of Donnie Yen. While there have been many other "Ip Man" movies produced by other film companies, other teams and directors, Peagasus Motion Pictures have declared that these have no relations to Donnie Yen's Ip Man trilogy. The other Ip Man movies have been mediocre at best, in terms of both critical and commercial success.
The truth is the Ip Man trilogy is like the Dark Knight trilogy. While Dark Knight(2008) was so good, people were thinking how Dark Knight Rises(2012) can surpass that, and expectations were Sky-High. Similarly, our expectations of Ip Man 3 is at an all time high, due to the hugely enjoyable Ip Man(2008) and Ip Man 2(2010).
Was the Dark Knight Rises a good movie? Definitely. But when expectations are high, and compared to Dark Knight(2008), people left the cinema disappointed.
This is where the difference comes in, director Wilson Yip and Producer Raymond Wong took a risk. They decided to go for a different direction with Ip Man 3, a stark contrast from Ip Man 1 and 2. Instead of Nationalist Pride, the main focus of Ip Man 3 is human emotion and melodrama. Instead of just realistic fight scenes, Yuen Woo Ping(Iron Monkey, Matrix, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) was brought in to add "beauty" and "detail" into every fight scene? So what is the result? A beautiful film in its own right, which may spark differences in opinion between people who understood the film, and people who don't.
Fans who are not used to Yuen Woo Ping's style will find the action weaker than Ip Man 1 and 2. But fans who look at details, and understanding of Martial Arts will enjoy Yuen's style much more than Sammo Hung, be it water droplets fading upon reaching the ground, glass causing balloon string to snap, "One-inch punch" finish, we are looking at extreme details and incredible beauty of martial arts, which have NEVER been present in Ip Man 1 and 2.
Director Wilson Yip's way of expressing his ideas in Ip Man 3 is that much deeper than previous films. Be it hinting "Be like water", or the first scene of "Butterfly"(a Chinese mythology of a returning spirit of a love one, key hint to subsequent events in the film), there are many details which ordinary viewers might overlook, but observant viewers will fall in love with the film.
Now, refocusing back on Donnie Yen. Many fans will be watching Ip Man 3 simply because Donnie is back as Ip Man, and to many people... "Donnie Yen IS Ip Man", and there have been voices of boycott of other unrelated Yip Mun films starring other actors.
For fans of Donnie Yen, his performance will not disappoint you. His performance as a grounded, highly-skilled martial artist continue to impress, but its his work as a father and as a husband that will stay in our hearts forever. Ip Man is willing to give up his cigarette addiction for his family, and to give up any prestige and reputation for his son(when he was kidnapped) and his wife(to spend more time with her).
Donnie's performance in his movie alone, is capable of leaving audiences in tears in the cinema. His jokes in the films are excellent, while his emotional scenes touch the hearts of every audience.
To sum it all up, Ip Man 3 is the excellent and perhaps perfect ending to the Ip Man trilogy. But one needs to use his/her heart to understand, and use their eyes to observe.. not just the fight scenes, but every emotional scene.
Ip Man 3 has improved dramatically from the previous 2 installments, due to the additional of love stories and humour, besides incredible action by Yuen Woo Ping.
While many is claiming that Ip Man 3 is the best of the trilogy, I will not go so far as that. I personally felt that Ip Man 3 is definitely better than Ip Man 2, and is definitely on par with Ip Man(2008).
Ip Man 3 and its previous 2 installments will definitely become classics, and Ip Man 3 will be a film we still talk about for decades to come, just like the Dark Knight Trilogy.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
The Turtles are back! Cowabunga!!
I went into the Cinema, not knowing what to expect, the funny thing is online reviews seem to be negative while word-of-mouth is very positive.
The movie was unexpectedly good, it is not a typical superhero movie, it is a movie filled with fun, laughter and action and it made me, a non-tmnt fan become a TMNT fan.
The four turtles are extremely realistic, yes, they may look ugly but this is very down to earth because it shows why humans are afraid of them, they are no longer the cute, cuddly turtles we see on TV or on previous movies, they are mutated turtles which are not pleasant looking and packs a mean punch.
Raphael seems to be the main character of the movie, showing huge emotional struggles and physical abilities throughout the movie, while Mikey often steals some limelight with his light-hearted jokes. Leonardo as usual, does his job well as the leader while the genius Donatello can always be counted on in terms of finding an escape route.
Megan Fox's April O'Neal is surprisingly well-acted, she has matured as an actress, and her acting chops have improved. She is no longer the sex icon, and can be charismatic while fully cloth.
Shredder is extremely terrifying yet still close to the roots as he is Asian and possesses extreme martial arts skill, other than his very advance armor.
All in all, a very entertaining movie, where tense action sense is always accompanied with humour, jokes which sets the theater laughing every few minutes.
The snow scene is extremely good, and easily the best action scene in a movie this whole summer.
The Turtles are back, DUDE! True to the origin, with some new twist, which can create new fans(like myself) yet remind old fans of their childhood! Let's hope that there will be a sequel!
Gap tung kei hap (2014)
Watch it not just as an Action Film but as a Comedy and you will definitely love it.
A short review so that I don't give out too many spoilers.
A Donnie Yen movie, hence there are many unreasonably high expectations from people, including myself. As a regularly movie goer, who watches Movie every weekend, i compare this movie to other movies I have watched, not just Donnie Yen movies.
This is not a Ip Man, Flashpoint style movie where Yen plays a serious character with strong motivations. In this movie, He Ying(Yen) is a curious, daring and powerful martial artist trying to understand 21st Century Hong Kong, adapting to the current world while being chased after by his sworn brothers.
With the inclusion of Wang Bao Qiang, arguably China's most talented comedic actor, one must understand that this is more of an action comedy than a dark and gritty action film(Wuxia 2012).
Go into the cinema and this movie brings you tremendous joy.
This is a 2 part movie, and coming out from the cinema, i can hear people saying they can't wait for the 2nd one. Neither can I.