Ip Man 4: Donnie Yen, Scott Adkins, Grace Englert, Mark Strange, Chan Kwok-Kwan, Jim Liu (2019)

[reason108]

It’s playing here starting Friday. Working Friday. My girlfriend and I are going bed shopping Saturday so it looks like Sunday for me. Can’t wait to see it but keeping expectations really low just in case. But will enjoy the overpriced popcorn either way. 

[thekfc]

9 hours ago, reason108 said:

But will enjoy the overpriced popcorn either way. 

How much is the popcorn in theaters you go to?

 

Last December when I took the wife and kid to the movies this is what I got for them ere:

Combo hotdog/soda for $5 as I had a promo coupon otherwise it would be:

Popcorn about $8 for medium.

Soda about $6 for medium.

 

Then:

Water $5 (99 cents every where else)

Hot dog  $6

Cheese Sticks $8

Chicken tender & Fries about $8

 

We saw 2 movies so there were multiple orders on some of the items - spent over $100 for that outing.

 

Whenever I go by myself,  I usually bring my own.

 

[KUNG FU BOB]

On 1/2/2020 at 2:11 PM, Drunken Monk said:

I've read a lot of people's views on the fourth installment and many seem to be upset with the each of the western actors' characters and dialog. Weirdly, I loved it. It took me back to the 90's era when cheese was ever present in kung fu cinema. And, more importantly, FUN. I get that everyone wanted their solemn Ip Man fight against honorable masters or at least some form of realistic tension. Me? I lapped up the silliness of Ip Man 4 like a kitten to a bowl of milk. I liked the departure from the first three films (whether it was on purpose or not).

Sure, it was flabby and some side-plots went nowhere (I agree with @KUNG FU BOB. Ip Ching just seemed like a petulant dickhead), but I loved it because it did the "evil gweilo" the way they should be done; with a heavy dose of tongue in cheek.

The contrast between the more "straight faced" parts of the film and the goofiness made it feel like a breath of fresh air for me. I got to appreciate the realistic drama as it played out but I also got to titter at Bruce Lee, complete with screams and nunchucks, fighting a dude, in full gi, in a San Francisco alley. The more I think about this film, the more I appreciate that it's not like the first three in every way.

I do understand it won't be everyone's cup of tea though. I agree that the sole black actor in the film was the most cringe worthy thing I've seen in quite some time. I can see why some people might not be able to take this fairly serious franchise mixed with a slice of 90's-style silliness. Me? I loved how daft it was. Give me Scott Adkins chewing scenery any day. Give me Chris Collins yelling at a volume no man should be able to reach. I'm on board for the Ip Man series being shaken up a little. Again, whether on purpose or not, I don't know.

At the end of the day, I appreciate all opinions on this one. I kind of like how some people love it and some people don't. It makes for some interesting talking points.

@Drunken Monk I'm so glad it played well for you, and found your comments very interesting.

 

On 1/2/2020 at 6:25 PM, OpiumKungFuCracker said:

Just got back from the cinemas and I think this is the best Ip Man since the 1st one. Yes the story is completely fabricated and cringe dialogue especially the high school scenes with the principal's office and the cheerleader side story but damn I had fun. Is it just me or the Sound F/X was turned up to about 1000 octaves in this? Every punch and kick felt like WW3 and shit, lmao. All the bruce lee scenes were my favorite, I hope they let Danny play him in the movies.

My Ranking Ip Man, Ip Man 4. Don't even bother with the parts 2 and 3. Those are obsolete now. 

LOL @KUNG FU BOB This movie does feel like a Splice together Tai Seng tv movie. The western actors in this were hilarious.  Please go see this in theaters and have a good time. Forget parts 2 and 3.

Who played Yue Wu's daughter in this movie? I thought she was adorable as all heck.

Again, I'm glad that you enjoyed it @OpiumKungFuCracker. In fact, loved it! I'm still shocked that you weren't impressed at all with IP MAN 3 though. Please check out (at least) the final duel from it again. I think it's top-notch.

And I did see IP MAN 4 in the theater. Actually, I think this was a major detriment to my viewing experience. First, we had to sit kind of far to one side, which sucks, and we had a phone-happy talkative crowd. The the guy two seats over from me in my row shook his leg really hard during every action scene, which caused his seat to make a fast, loud clicking noise (and of course I could feel the movement too as the seats in the row are attached). This might sound petty, but it threw off the rhythm of the action for me, as it was choreographed to a certain tempo, with the music complimenting it. But then this guy's noise over it- imagine listening to a good rock song and trying to enjoy it while someone else is playing a drum solo at a completely different tempo at the same time. Not only distracting, but somewhat maddening. It was most likely a nervous tic or something the guy couldn't control, but sheesh-  hell of annoying. Then right behind me, and behind me and to my left were two couples that talked throughout the entire film. Both appeared to be trying to impress their girlfriends with their, ahem, wealth of knowledge, one speaking in Chinese, the other in English (mixed tempos on top of mixed tempos!). I'm sure the ladies were totally enlightened by such deep comments as "This is Chinatown.", "That's Bruce Lee", "He hit him hard!", and "This guy's been in a lot of movies..." after which he began listing Scott Adkins filmography. Normally I am quick to ask people to be quiet, but it's usually one group or individual. What was I supposed to do here, stand up and explain "Hey folks, none of you are in your living-rooms. This is a movie theater. I didn't pay to hear your mindless banter. Please shut your noise-holes."???

 

On 1/2/2020 at 7:41 PM, One Armed Boxer said:

I think this is one of the worst fight scenes of the decade, a concept which landed so far off the mark its an embarassment to watch.  Ironically, I know some people who love it, with one acquaintance going so far as to say Yen and Sammo Hung's tabletop fight is superior to their fight in 'SPL'.  Insanity!  But indeed, the world would be a boring place if we all had the same opinions.  'Ip Man 2' for me is a jingoistic mess and a stain on the series.

Agreed!  'Ip Man 3' moved away from making Ip Man an avatar for Chinese nationalism, and made him human again.  I really enjoyed the relationship with his wife in this one (a character who's pushed so far into the background in 'Ip Man 2' she should never have bothered turning up to set), but more importantly for a kung-fu movie, the fights are outstanding.  Max Zhang, Simon Kook, and Mike Tyson all shine.

I don't think the blame can be entirely laid at the feet of Hong Kong directors.  The Chinese film landscape has changed a lot in the 10+ years since the first 'Ip Man' came out, with China really becoming a box office juggernaut in the early 10's.  Having caricatured villains was an easy way to get a pass from the SARFT censorship board once Mainland distribution became a must, and since it became the NRTA a couple of years ago (making it an official department of the Chinese Propoganda Office), the foregin devils now need to be even more black and white than ever before.  Chinese audiences don't want to see subtle villains, the louder and brasher the better.  It could be a cultural difference, however we need to remember that, regardless of it it makes a good movie or not, as westerners we're not the primary audience for this movie the same way Hong Kong movies used to give consideration to overseas markets.

Ha ha, love ya back!  Differences in opinion are half the fun of watching movies.

If I could give 'Ip Man 4' a 3-line review, for me Drunken Monk nails it -

 

Okay @One Armed Boxer I may have thrown up in my mouth a little after reading that someone you know prefers IP MAN 2's Sammo vs Donnie Yen table-top fight to their SPL battle. I'm trying to respect this, um... different opinion, but it makes my head spin a bit. Personally I think the IP MAN 2 fight between them is 85% shit, 10% passable, and with 5% great. I definitely agree with you about this scene. As for the jingoistic stuff, that doesn't bother me. I don't mind watching films from other countries, or this country, that are overly patriotic or touting their superiority.

Agree again- I missed Lynn Hung Doi-Lam's performance of Missus Ip and the life she brought to the first film, so it was good to see her getting more to do in part 3. Early in the film the action is good, but it seems to get better and better as the film goes on, climaxing with that excellent hand-to-hand and weapons duel.

Okay, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks for taking the time to share this info. Sometimes knowing the "why" can help me appreciate the finished product more. For instance, when I watched HARD TARGET 2 I thought "Well that left a lot to be desired." But then I watched the "making of", and after finding out how tight the budget and time schedule was, I appreciated the final product a lot more for what they had managed to accomplish under the circumstances.

 

On 1/3/2020 at 12:31 PM, SamSeed said:

I just saw this and catching up with this thread, wow! I had no idea it would polarise opinion so sharply. As for me? I am in the camp that absolutely loved it, to this extent I would easily put it above 2 and 3 but still below 1. @KUNG FU BOB  I must say I do agree with your points about the tension in the relationship between Ip and his son, it was forced (and as far as I'm concerned, the brat deserved a lot more than the slap Ip gave him!).

Now. The fights. I don't know about anyone else, but for me these fights were some of the best in the series. Why? Quite simply, because the caricature racists were so over the top despicable, nasty and outright evil that seeing them get pummelled by Ip was the most satisfying thing in the whole series. Collins was probably my favourite fight in terms of how deserved the takedown was given what we saw him do. I know Adkins was the big bad, but Collins was the first time we saw Ip genuinely fight to disable and maim in the film, and it was just a punch the air moment (and yes I know some people here don't like them, but the lightning fast chain punches are awesome and I will never get tired of Donnie dishing them out). Speaking of Donnie, this was his most restrained performance yet. The contemplative scenes at the start as he remembered his wife, the internal suffering as he dealt with his diagnosis and his frustration at not being able to connect with his son, perfect. I'm also going to state that I loved the round glass table scene. It's a cliched way of showing how strong they are, but I actually thought 'Oh here we go, round table of masters, come on group fight scene' but I didn't expect the spinning table and it just seemed like a nice touch.

I think the one handed fight is probably my favourite one as a whole because of the dexterity and creativity of the choreography, but then again I am a sucker for scenes where bullies get their asses handed to them so the scene where Ip saves the girl is equally great. In fact, it struck me then - THAT is what the Karate Kid scene with Jackie taking on the kids should have been. Ip actually had to take some serious pain in his arm and he was totally defensive, only swatting with the sticks for comedic effect, and it really distilled Ip's ethical stance.

Now. Adkins. I don;t know how he was directed by Wilson Yip but I assume every scene went like this: "Hey Scott, you know how you just did that line? Is there any chance you could dial it up. Then, once you've got there, could you disregard that and pretend you're in a pantomime, and act as though you have to be seen and heard by people a few miles away? And action!"! I don't think I've seen an actor enjoying himself in a role more this year, I haven't seen the Q&A video with Adkins yet but I'm looking forward to it. And yes, again his character is so awful that when the big brawl finally happens, I thought it absolutely delivered. I don't think we've ever seen Ip suffer as much in a fight and it added a whole extra element of danger and intensity, I was literally on the edge of my seat, and man when Ip decides to go brutal, I felt it in my bones! @Drunken Monk I agree about the choreography too, Yip just known how to film a fight scene with dynamism and make it exciting and pacey whilst retaining fluidity of motion.

Absolutely intend to rewatch as soon as the DVD's out, probably binging all four to compare.

Yeah, Ip's son was really being a little asshole (especially with no context as to what his problems were).

I do enjoy seeing a racist get pummeled. 😊 I also agree that Donnie gave a great performance, dug the glass table bit, and love the chain-punches.

I absolutely don't blame Chris Collins and Scott Adkins for their OTT acting, I'm sure they were instructed to do it that way, and I think they both played it as well as could be expected under the circumstances.

Despite all the things that bothered me about it, I will be purchasing this on Blu-ray. Hopefully I'll like it more upon a second viewing. At the very least I won't have an audience of thoughtless assholes distracting me.

 

On 1/5/2020 at 3:57 PM, DiP said:

There's already rumors of spin-offs to the official series. A sequel to Master Z, one spin-off that will focus on Yue Wu's character, and most popular one that will turn into a Bruce Lee biopic continuing Bruce Lee's progression in America to his success in Hong Kong. Don't take my words for it, these are just rumors.

I'm down to see all of these happen. More (relatively) modern kung fu tales? Yes please!

How come IP MAN 4 was able to do so much with Bruce Lee? I thought they had a lot of problems from the Bruce Lee Estate when depicting him in IP MAN 3?

 

On 1/6/2020 at 2:22 PM, thekfc said:

They released Zhang Yimou's Shadow in UHD last year.

I picked that release up, though I still haven't watched it yet. Curious about both the film and how Well Go USA do with 4K. I don't have a 4K player yet, but my son does, so I'll watch it with him at his place.

On 1/6/2020 at 8:47 PM, Ramji said:

Good news regarding the 4k release.

I watched the film with my girlfriend at the cinema on Saturday, was playing at Leicester Sq but on a pretty small screen. I enjoyed it, but probably the weakest of the series for me.

It did have some great moments, the Chinatown section with the karate vs Kung fu masters was amazing, Donnie vs Chris Collins was the best fight in the film for me. Stunning.

I was actually slightly disappointed with the Scott Adkins final duel, it was good but not to the same standard as the fight previously mentioned. I think Scott Adkins struggles with true HK choreography, he’s too big and bulky (don’t hang me for saying that as I’m a fan of his).

If they focused on the Chinatown plot and Ip Man’s relationship with his son it would have been a much stronger film but instead we get comic book evil Gwailo’s. I don’t mind that but they did the drama so well in part 3 I felt it was a step backwards.

Still had some tears in my eyes at certain moments and looking forward to seeing it again!

I'm looking forward to seeing "the Chinatown section with the karate vs Kung fu masters" again. That had some solid choreo and strong looking strikes from Chris Collins.

Hmmm, interesting point, but I disagree about Scott Adkins being able to handle HK choreo. Have you seen him in EXTREME CHALLENGE (2001)? He's amazing, and that was his first (or maybe this came after ACCIDENTAL SPY? So possibly his second) time doing it. I think that in IP MAN 4 he is acting like the character he is playing, showing a less dexterous style of movement. But that's just my take on it. Perhaps when I see it again without the hellish accompaniment of the shaking leg/chair I will see what you mean. 😄

Yes, more of Ip and his family would've been great. I did feel a bit during a few scenes, but nothing like in the previous entries. Hope I dig it more next time.

 

9 hours ago, reason108 said:

It’s playing here starting Friday. Working Friday. My girlfriend and I are going bed shopping Saturday so it looks like Sunday for me. Can’t wait to see it but keeping expectations really low just in case. But will enjoy the overpriced popcorn either way. 

I hope you fall on the "loved it" side of the fence @reason108. And yeah, you can always depend on the overpriced popcorn. $9.00 for a large popcorn at the theater where I saw this! I treated my son, so bought us two large popcorns and two waters and it was $31.00! 😣 Forget anything in the movie, clearly this was the most brutal move I experienced that day. 😋

[KUNG FU BOB]

1 hour ago, thekfc said:

How much is the popcorn in theaters you go to?

 

Last December when I took the wife and kid to the movies this is what I got for them ere:

Combo hotdog/soda for $5 as I had a promo coupon otherwise it would be:

Popcorn about $8 for medium.

Soda about $6 for medium.

 

Then:

Water $5 (99 cents every where else)

Hot dog  $6

Cheese Sticks $8

Chicken tender & Fries about $8

 

We saw 2 movies so there were multiple orders on some of the items - spent over $100 for that outing.

 

Whenever I go by myself,  I usually bring my own.

 

Yikes!

We used to go to the dollar store around the corner from the theater we frequented, and pick up a couple boxes of candy for about a third of what they cost in the theater. Stopped eating candy, so that's not a problem anymore. The waste of buying water bottles is enormous, so we usually carry our own refillable water bottles with us (which is both environment and wallet friendly), but IP MAN 4 was playing at a theater we don't typically go to and we weren't sure if they'd ask to look in my son's backpack, so we had to buy drinks there. Movie theater popcorn is one of my favorite snacks, so I always spend the outrageous asking price for it. The good thing is that I usually don't finish it, and they have free refills. So I get it refilled and take it home. It'll last me for two more movies at home, or one if my wife and I share it while watching something together. But we never buy pizza, hot dogs or chicken fingers at the theater as they are ridiculously priced. Fortunately with mine and my son's schedules we usually have time to eat dinner before seeing a movie, so they only "get us" with the popcorn.

I rarely go to the city (Philadelphia) anymore to see stuff, but when we do, there's also the cost of parking. And according to which theater you go to, it can also be fairly steep.

Anyway, paying nearly $60 for tickets, water and popcorn to sit with rude cretins and watch a mess of a movie makes Bob a dull boy. 😐

[Drunken Monk]

2 hours ago, KUNG FU BOB said:

And I did see IP MAN 4 in the theater. Actually, I think this was a major detriment to my viewing experience. First, we had to sit kind of far to one side, which sucks, and we had a phone-happy talkative crowd. The the guy two seats over from me in my row shook his leg really hard during every action scene, which caused his seat to make a fast, loud clicking noise (and of course I could feel the movement too as the seats in the row are attached). This might sound petty, but it threw off the rhythm of the action for me, as it was choreographed to a certain tempo, with the music complimenting it. But then this guy's noise over it- imagine listening to a good rock song and trying to enjoy it while someone else is playing a drum solo at a completely different tempo at the same time. Not only distracting, but somewhat maddening. It was most likely a nervous tic or something the guy couldn't control, but sheesh-  hell of annoying. Then right behind me, and behind me and to my left were two couples that talked throughout the entire film. Both appeared to be trying to impress their girlfriends with their, ahem, wealth of knowledge, one speaking in Chinese, the other in English (mixed tempos on top of mixed tempos!). I'm sure the ladies were totally enlightened by such deep comments as "This is Chinatown.", "That's Bruce Lee", "He hit him hard!", and "This guy's been in a lot of movies..." after which he began listing Scott Adkins filmography. Normally I am quick to ask people to be quiet, but it's usually one group or individual. What was I supposed to do here, stand up and explain "Hey folks, none of you are in your living-rooms. This is a movie theater. I didn't pay to hear your mindless banter. Please shut your noise-holes."???

I would have literally screamed. I suffer from social anxiety and a trip to the movie theater is a serious chore for me. Before I even get my ticket, I'm always 90% of the way towards a panic attack. If the movie goers end up being noisy, obnoxious, looking at their phones etc. it completely ruins the experience for me. I get sweaty, irritable and sometimes close to tears. Yup...a 38 year old man with tears in his eyes over some dude checking his texts partway through a film.

I simply cannot handle it. My meds work for a number of things in my life, but this is one they can't fix. This is why I only go to iPic theaters. Because it costs $50 and so most attendees are about getting their money's worth. So they watch the movie.

Sorry if this was TMI about my weird mental health. I just wanted to empathize with you, @KUNG FU BOB There's nothing...NOTHING...worse than an obnoxious movie theater crowd.

[Rodolphe Dux]

54 minutes ago, Drunken Monk said:

I would have literally screamed. I suffer from social anxiety and a trip to the movie theater is a serious chore for me. Before I even get my ticket, I'm always 90% of the way towards a panic attack. If the movie goers end up being noisy, obnoxious, looking at their phones etc. it completely ruins the experience for me. I get sweaty, irritable and sometimes close to tears. Yup...a 38 year old man with tears in his eyes over some dude checking his texts partway through a film.

I simply cannot handle it. My meds work for a number of things in my life, but this is one they can't fix. This is why I only go to iPic theaters. Because it costs $50 and so most attendees are about getting their money's worth. So they watch the movie.

Sorry if this was TMI about my weird mental health. I just wanted to empathize with you, @KUNG FU BOB There's nothing...NOTHING...worse than an obnoxious movie theater crowd.

I understand that, I have ASD myself and I can’t bare to attend a movie screening. And French audience is probably the most moronic and arrogant in the universe. But nowadays with modern flat screens one can enjoy great movies peacefully. But obviously we can’t do much against that douch-o-craty, the empires of morons except avoiding as much contacts as we can. That being said, since movie theater are digital I won’t go, because real cinema was on real film for me, digital sucks. Can’t wait to watch Ip Man 4 anyhow.

[massa_yoda]

8 hours ago, KUNG FU BOB said:

Then right behind me, and behind me and to my left were two couples that talked throughout the entire film. Both appeared to be trying to impress their girlfriends with their, ahem, wealth of knowledge, one speaking in Chinese, the other in English (mixed tempos on top of mixed tempos!). I'm sure the ladies were totally enlightened by such deep comments as "This is Chinatown.", "That's Bruce Lee", "He hit him hard!", and "This guy's been in a lot of movies..." after which he began listing Scott Adkins filmography.

Well, isn’t that...special.  

Edited January 10, 2020 by massa_yoda

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

On 1/5/2020 at 2:57 PM, DiP said:

There's already rumors of spin-offs to the official series. A sequel to Master Z, one spin-off that will focus on Yue Wu's character, and most popular one that will turn into a Bruce Lee biopic continuing Bruce Lee's progression in America to his success in Hong Kong. Don't take my words for it, these are just rumors.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

22 hours ago, KUNG FU BOB said:

@Drunken Monk I'm so glad it played well for you, and found your comments very interesting.

 

 

And I did see IP MAN 4 in the theater. Actually, I think this was a major detriment to my viewing experience. First, we had to sit kind of far to one side, which sucks, and we had a phone-happy talkative crowd. The the guy two seats over from me in my row shook his leg really hard during every action scene, which caused his seat to make a fast, loud clicking noise (and of course I could feel the movement too as the seats in the row are attached). This might sound petty, but it threw off the rhythm of the action for me, as it was choreographed to a certain tempo, with the music complimenting it. But then this guy's noise over it- imagine listening to a good rock song and trying to enjoy it while someone else is playing a drum solo at a completely different tempo at the same time. Not only distracting, but somewhat maddening. It was most likely a nervous tic or something the guy couldn't control, but sheesh-  hell of annoying. Then right behind me, and behind me and to my left were two couples that talked throughout the entire film. Both appeared to be trying to impress their girlfriends with their, ahem, wealth of knowledge, one speaking in Chinese, the other in English (mixed tempos on top of mixed tempos!). I'm sure the ladies were totally enlightened by such deep comments as "This is Chinatown.", "That's Bruce Lee", "He hit him hard!", and "This guy's been in a lot of movies..." after which he began listing Scott Adkins filmography. Normally I am quick to ask people to be quiet, but it's usually one group or individual. What was I supposed to do here, stand up and explain "Hey folks, none of you are in your living-rooms. This is a movie theater. I didn't pay to hear your mindless banter. Please shut your noise-holes."???

 

 

 

 Dang bro, sorry to hear about your theater experience. I saw this movie on a thursday at 2pm, maybe about 15 people showed up and the auditorium was massive. Felt like walking into a little league park.  I had one lady behind me that reacted to every scene and it didn't bother me because she was cracking me up. How was your  sound system in the theater? My shit was loud af, I swear I think I might need a hearing aid or maybe I'm old? 

[KUNG FU BOB]

19 hours ago, Drunken Monk said:

I would have literally screamed. I suffer from social anxiety and a trip to the movie theater is a serious chore for me. Before I even get my ticket, I'm always 90% of the way towards a panic attack. If the movie goers end up being noisy, obnoxious, looking at their phones etc. it completely ruins the experience for me. I get sweaty, irritable and sometimes close to tears. Yup...a 38 year old man with tears in his eyes over some dude checking his texts partway through a film.

I simply cannot handle it. My meds work for a number of things in my life, but this is one they can't fix. This is why I only go to iPic theaters. Because it costs $50 and so most attendees are about getting their money's worth. So they watch the movie.

Sorry if this was TMI about my weird mental health. I just wanted to empathize with you, @KUNG FU BOB There's nothing...NOTHING...worse than an obnoxious movie theater crowd.

Okay, I'm going to go off on a tangent here. Please excuse my temporary derailing of the thread...

Hey @Drunken Monk, thanks man. And no, not TMI at at all. I appreciate your openness and the fact that you take the medications that you can to regulate your condition. To me, any medical problem/imbalance of the brain is, and should be considered by all, to be exactly like any other kind of physical ailment. If someone has high blood pressure and needs medication to keep it in check, everyone takes that at face value, thinks it is normal, and understands. But there is often a stigma when it comes to accepting mental health conditions. The less thoughtful among us don't seem to understand that it's simply another physiological, or "body" problem. So I applaud you speaking freely about it and sympathize that you must go through such stress to enjoy what you love so much.

Though I have not been properly diagnosed, it has been suggested by a few knowledgeable people that I may in fact be living with something similar (though to a much lesser degree than you endure). I was always very anxious around people outside of my family, and overcome with nearly crippling shyness. Where I grew up if you were a boy and didn't like football or other sports then you were immediately shunned by your peers. I was bullied as a kid for being a weirdo, as I liked monster movies, comic-books, reading and drawing. Then when I was a teenager I got jumped by a group of guys that beat me up for a long time. Most people would've eventually shaken it off, but after this violent attack I was emotionally traumatized and filled with the constant fear that it could happen again at any time, from anybody. I had seen the darker side of people , realized what they were capable of, and found it terrifying. Fear soon developed into anger. I had never been cruel or hurt anyone, but now I had to worry about being attacked by others? I was filled with resentment and withdrew from going out in public. Then, my kind-hearted boss Carl, who was also a terrific friend, suggested I try training in martial arts to feel safe and build up my confidence. But I had never been an athletic person- instead spending my days buried in a novel, drawing robots and creatures, and watching movies- and the thought of being in a group of tough jocks made my head spin with even more anxiety. He started talking about Bruce Lee, trying to give me confidence, but though I vaguely knew who Lee was and had seen his picture on T-shirts, I hadn't ever seen one of his films. Despite my protests that I wasn't interested, Carl insisted I watch ENTER THE DRAGON, so I rented it that night. It may sound like I'm being overtly dramatic, but it changed my life. Not only did it 100% inspire me to train in the martial arts, but it also sparked my enormous love for martial arts (and eventually, all genres of Asian) cinema. Training in the beginning was extremely difficult because of my mental and emotional obstacles, so I tried to focus my attention on the lessons and techniques and shut off the fear-based parts of my brain. I applied the same methods I'd taught myself to keep my attention focused as I worked on drawings while my hyper-active little sister was constantly screaming and doing gymnastics off the furniture around me. Visualizing the goal was the key. With a drawing I had an image in my head that I wanted to get onto paper. With learning the skills I imagined a clear, empty version of myself, and that I would fill and color that shell with what I learned from each lesson. I had only begun to train as a means to an end- to be able to defend myself and feel safe- but to my surprise I became very excited about and had a natural (heretofore unknown) affinity for learning and utilizing techniques. (you never know what you'll be good at until you try new things.) Unfortunately I didn't suddenly get over how I felt on the inside, and that meant that I was still very angry and becoming dangerous. I went through... lets call it "a bad phase". Still paranoid, and now with a burgeoning arsenal of martial arts skills and a complete lack of tolerance for any bullying (of myself or others) or anybody doing me (as I perceived it) wrong, I became a fighter with a hair-trigger. I had several years of acting a bit like "a psycho" and solving any problems with jerks via violence. One of the reasons I brought all this up is because as I went to the movies constantly, there were many incidents revolving around me losing my shit on thoughtless theater patrons. This was the place where I could be set off the easiest, as it was simply a matter of thoughtless, selfish, asinine people that refused to behave like adults and had no problem with ruining every other person's experience with their noise and nonsense. I was completely intolerant, considered their behavior a form of bullying (especially when it was big groups who thought no one would dare call them out because they'd be too intimidated) and would tell people talking/ acting up during a movie to "shut up" in a most tactless and harsh manner. If they persisted, it would often wind up with me threatening them or telling them to step outside. Fortunately, once they were confronted by a fearless (I was too mad and stupid to be afraid) guy willing to come to blows over it, a lot of these assholes would be quiet, or apologize. Sadly, some of these imbeciles would not back down, indignant that their obnoxious behavior wasn't being tolerated. I'm so very, very lucky that I never killed anybody, got killed or seriously injured, or wound up in jail. Still, causing bodily injury to someone because they lessened the degree to which I enjoyed my entertainment while watching a film... uh, not acceptable. 😞 Thankfully, after several harrowing years of my friends and loved ones having to deal with my problem, and living in my own haze of negativity, I wound up overcoming my anger, found inner peace, began to develop a profound understanding of the true meaning of martial arts (hint: it ain't f**king people up) and started feeling properly alive again. I put my fighting skills in my back pocket to use in case of emergency (instead of walking around with clenched fists waiting to go nuts), continued to train, and tried to become a more tolerant and compassionate person- the kind of person I had been before I was attacked. These days I have the confidence to politely ask people to be quiet if they are being annoying. Why politely? Well, I'm a father now, not some crazed, young, loose cannon, and I want to model behavior my son can look up to, not be embarrassed by. Also, you can't expect to model poor behavior/manners and hope to influence better behavior/manners in others. I understand that, as aggravating as it is to tolerate, that not everyone was raised the same way, with the same standards that I perceive as "correct", nor do all of us have the same social and emotional intelligence or self control. Letting myself get caught up in their problems is a choice I try not to make. Still, my patience is certainly tried in situations like the IP MAN 4 screening, as it was too much to simply ignore, and the poor behavior of those people had a big effect on my experience. So even though I tried to see that in context, it was just a drop of water in the ocean of life and let it go (one movie, no big deal), I did wind up complaining about it here on the forum. Thanks for listening BTW. 😁 I can only control me (usually... my lack of self control around Mom's Christmas cookies says otherwise ), and it's a losing game to try to control others. I try to live and let live, and speak up for myself (or others) only when needed and in a thoughtful (not angry) manner. And it's important to keep in mind that even when we experience something bad, it can lead to something good. Look, if I hadn't been jumped I wouldn't have trained in martial arts, perhaps would never have got into Asian cinema, wouldn't have met all the wonderful friends I have here, and that means @SMK and I likely wouldn't have met, hosted the Forum when it lost it's home... A lot of incredible things came to be because of that one beating I took. Totally worth it! 😊

On a side note, we saw 1917 last night. Great audience, fantastic film.

Anyway, again, sorry to everyone for derailing the thread! 😇

 

18 hours ago, Rodolphe Dux said:

I understand that, I have ASD myself and I can’t bare to attend a movie screening. And French audience is probably the most moronic and arrogant in the universe. But nowadays with modern flat screens one can enjoy great movies peacefully. But obviously we can’t do much against that douch-o-craty, the empires of morons except avoiding as much contacts as we can. That being said, since movie theater are digital I won’t go, because real cinema was on real film for me, digital sucks. Can’t wait to watch Ip Man 4 anyhow.

@Rodolphe Dux I'm sorry to hear that.

Wow, really? I hadn't ever heard that about French audiences. But have you ever been to a theater in Philadelphia or New York? I wonder if you experienced that if you might be shocked and realize French audiences are actually quite angelic in comparison. LOL Or, you might say "These people are so tame and quiet!" Who knows.

I hear you on the whole digital "film" thing. So strange that now getting to see real film is the exception to the rule, and considered a special event.

IP MAN 4 is out on Blu-ray here on the 21st of April. Hope you get to see it soon and that you are one of the people that thoroughly enjoys it.

 

14 hours ago, massa_yoda said:

Well, isn’t that...special.  

Hahahaha... Right? 😄 Only members of a certain age are going to get that reference.

 

25 minutes ago, OpiumKungFuCracker said:

LOL

Is that Spanky from The Little Rascals?

[KUNG FU BOB]

2 hours ago, OpiumKungFuCracker said:

 

 Dang bro, sorry to hear about your theater experience. I saw this movie on a thursday at 2pm, maybe about 15 people showed up and the auditorium was massive. Felt like walking into a little league park.  I had one lady behind me that reacted to every scene and it didn't bother me because she was cracking me up. How was your  sound system in the theater? My shit was loud af, I swear I think I might need a hearing aid or maybe I'm old? 

Glad it was a nice experience for you.

Yeah, the film's sound was very loud. I was told by a theater manager that some theaters will play films at a higher volume these days to try to discourage patrons from talking. It didn't work at my IP MAN 4 screening- they just spoke louder to hear each other over it. 😝

Occasionally I do find it uncomfortably loud at screenings. Yup, we're getting older bro.

[Drunken Monk]

11 minutes ago, KUNG FU BOB said:

Okay, I'm going to go off on a tangent here. Please excuse my temporary derailing of the thread...

Hey @Drunken Monk, thanks man. And no, not TMI at at all. I appreciate your openness and the fact that you take the medications that you can to regulate your condition. To me, any medical problem/imbalance of the brain is, and should be considered by all, to be exactly like any other kind of physical ailment. If someone has high blood pressure and needs medication to keep it in check, everyone takes that at face value, thinks it is normal, and understands. But there is often a stigma when it comes to accepting mental health conditions. The less thoughtful among us don't seem to understand that it's simply another physiological, or "body" problem. So I applaud you speaking freely about it and sympathize that you must go through such stress to enjoy what you love so much.

Though I have not been properly diagnosed...

Hey, thanks for sharing your story. My tale is a similar one to an extent and then you went one way while I another. As a kid, I was the shy, reader-type too. I lacked any ability to play sports and was considered a geek or a nerd. It caused me to be somewhat ridiculed by the "cool kids."
Now, where you got beaten up by bullies (a terrible thing. I fucking hate bullies), I was a victim of rape. That's really where my trauma stemmed from. I was consistently sexually abused for about a year and a half of my life (early teens). After that, I also got angry. I was filled with both rage and confusion. But me? I turned to booze. Lots and lots of booze.
My drinking got overshadowed by my brother's heroin use so no one really noticed. Although, in a heroin fog one day, he did knock on my door and hand me a VHS of Drunken Master. So I can't fault him a hundred percent.
I locked all the upset, trauma and hate i had and drank it away. From about the age of fifteen to the age of 34. That's when I had a suicide attempt and ended up in a psychiatric program.

Now that I'm two and a half years sober, I'm happy. 2019 saw me married, starting my own podcast etc. I've come a long way.

Anyway, sorry for joining in the derailing of the thread. I'm glad you're in a better place now, @KUNG FU BOB Here's to coping!

So...yeah...Ip Man 4. Good, huh?

[Rodolphe Dux]

3 hours ago, Drunken Monk said:

Hey, thanks for sharing your story. My tale is a similar one to an extent and then you went one way while I another. As a kid, I was the shy, reader-type too. I lacked any ability to play sports and was considered a geek or a nerd. It caused me to be somewhat ridiculed by the "cool kids."
Now, where you got beaten up by bullies (a terrible thing. I fucking hate bullies), I was a victim of rape. That's really where my trauma stemmed from. I was consistently sexually abused for about a year and a half of my life (early teens). After that, I also got angry. I was filled with both rage and confusion. But me? I turned to booze. Lots and lots of booze.
My drinking got overshadowed by my brother's heroin use so no one really noticed. Although, in a heroin fog one day, he did knock on my door and hand me a VHS of Drunken Master. So I can't fault him a hundred percent.
I locked all the upset, trauma and hate i had and drank it away. From about the age of fifteen to the age of 34. That's when I had a suicide attempt and ended up in a psychiatric program.

Now that I'm two and a half years sober, I'm happy. 2019 saw me married, starting my own podcast etc. I've come a long way.

Anyway, sorry for joining in the derailing of the thread. I'm glad you're in a better place now, @KUNG FU BOB Here's to coping!

So...yeah...Ip Man 4. Good, huh?

I was beaten and raped many many times during my childhood (because in France back in the day molesting child was considered as freedom in the name of sexual revolution), mostly because I was different due to my ASD. But back to the topic, Bruce Lee and John Woo made me stronger. I couldn’t throw a punch but the simple thought of a scene of « the way of the dragon » or « hard boiled » helps me to say no and resist. I never got into heavy booze, I just play piano instead. As an autistic person, I will never have friends or be married, but I will have kung fu movies and piano, thanks to many people.

3 hours ago, KUNG FU BOB said:

I hear you on the whole digital "film" thing. So strange that now getting to see real film is the exception to the rule, and considered a special event.

For sur many modern movies would have been masterpieces in 35mm. Starting with true legend, which is a good movie but in 35 mm oh boy...

I’m not a big fan of the ip man series, I always felt that’s a failure as an old school movie revival trying to make some cash out of Bruce Lee’s Legacy. But with Adkins involved I’m thrilled. I’m just waiting for an Hk movie with Mike Möller!

[KUNG FU BOB]

4 hours ago, Drunken Monk said:

Hey, thanks for sharing your story. My tale is a similar one to an extent and then you went one way while I another. As a kid, I was the shy, reader-type too. I lacked any ability to play sports and was considered a geek or a nerd. It caused me to be somewhat ridiculed by the "cool kids."
Now, where you got beaten up by bullies (a terrible thing. I fucking hate bullies), I was a victim of rape. That's really where my trauma stemmed from. I was consistently sexually abused for about a year and a half of my life (early teens). After that, I also got angry. I was filled with both rage and confusion. But me? I turned to booze. Lots and lots of booze.
My drinking got overshadowed by my brother's heroin use so no one really noticed. Although, in a heroin fog one day, he did knock on my door and hand me a VHS of Drunken Master. So I can't fault him a hundred percent.
I locked all the upset, trauma and hate i had and drank it away. From about the age of fifteen to the age of 34. That's when I had a suicide attempt and ended up in a psychiatric program.

Now that I'm two and a half years sober, I'm happy. 2019 saw me married, starting my own podcast etc. I've come a long way.

Anyway, sorry for joining in the derailing of the thread. I'm glad you're in a better place now, @KUNG FU BOB Here's to coping!

So...yeah...Ip Man 4. Good, huh?

@Drunken Monk I'm so sorry to hear that you went through all that horror and trauma. Rape is arguably the most insidious form of violation that humans can enact upon one another, and I know it leaves deep scars on a person's soul. It's truly wonderful to hear that you've survived this, come out the other side, and found love and sobriety. Congratulations on surviving and thriving.

Yes, here's to coping.

 

47 minutes ago, Rodolphe Dux said:

I was beaten and raped many many times during my childhood (because in France back in the day molesting child was considered as freedom in the name of sexual revolution), mostly because I was different due to my ASD. But back to the topic, Bruce Lee and John Woo made me stronger. I couldn’t throw a punch but the simple thought of a scene of « the way of the dragon » or « hard boiled » helps me to say no and resist. I never got into heavy booze, I just play piano instead. As an autistic person, I will never have friends or be married, but I will have kung fu movies and piano, thanks to many people.

For sur many modern movies would have been masterpieces in 35mm. Starting with true legend, which is a good movie but in 35 mm oh boy...

I’m not a big fan of the ip man series, I always felt that’s a failure as an old school movie revival trying to make some cash out of Bruce Lee’s Legacy. But with Adkins involved I’m thrilled. I’m just waiting for an Hk movie with Mike Möller!

So @Rodolphe Dux, you have also suffered at the hands of some of our species sickest individuals. My deepest sympathies to you. Fascinating and illuminating to hear that these films also helped you rise above such adversity. It's good that you didn't get caught up in addiction and that you have a musical outlet. But please don't say you "will never have friends or be married". I think you CAN have these things, though they might be somewhat different than the relationships a non-ADS person has, it is still possible. I've seen people struggling with many different kinds of diversity still manage to form relationships, both with friends and romantically, everything from interracial, physically and mentally handicapped, the loss of mobility, brain damage... Please keep your mind open to the possibilities. You have friends in us. Having them outside of the internet is the same but with some adjustments. Strive towards what you may be able to do if you try, and not on what you think you can't do that you haven't tried. Interacting with people can be like trying to find the right key on the piano that goes with the previous and the next that you touch. It's another form of music for you to play.

As for film... yes, big difference. My son went to see THE HATEFUL EIGHT in 70mm and couldn't stop talking about the difference. I'm lucky I got to grow up when I did, and that my parents took me to see so many films throughout my life. You mentioned Woo- I've been fortunate to see HARD BOILED, A BETTER TOMORROW, HEROES SHED NO TEARS, THE KILLER (twice), A BULLET IN THE HEAD, BROKEN ARROW, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE II, FACE-OFF and HARD TARGET in 35mm. Amazing experiences! I did see RED CLIFF too, at a film festival, but sadly not Part 2. I'm not 100% this last one was a 35mm print though- it may have been a digital projection.

Oh, I'm surprised you aren't a fan of the Ip Man films. For me they hold up even after repeated viewings (sans that damn tabletop fight 😣). You won't be let down by Adkins in IP MAN 4- he's a beast!

Agree completely about Mike Moeller. He'd have ruled the scene as a top gweilo fighter in the '80s. Fingers crossed he gets a shot in something good shot in HK soon. I've had a little interaction with Mike, and found him to be just as nice as he is talented at martial arts. A good dude.

[thekfc]

On 1/6/2020 at 2:22 PM, thekfc said:

They released Zhang Yimou's Shadow in UHD last year.

 

On 1/6/2020 at 1:33 PM, DiP said:

Looks like Well Go USA will be releasing the movie in UHD format! Not sure if WGU has released other titles in UHD. But if not, then this will mark their first UHD release and adapting to the current home video format.

https://www.amazon.com/Ip-Man-4-The-Finale-4K-Blu-ray/dp/B0833XLZD3?tag=bluray-000-20&linkCode=xm2&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Well Go USA is also releasing Ne Zha in 4K  on March 3rd.

I saw it in IMAX 3D, so hopefully the 4K release will also be awesome.

[reason108]

Of course the other annoying thing is when someone asks the ticket booth person for a ticket to see I. P. Man. Get it right people. Makes me wonder what movie they are in line to see. And the guy brought his kids.

At least the audience was pretty decent. One guy in front of me kept talking to his friends up until the movie started. But, thankfully stopped talking once the movie started. Weirdly, some strange dude came up and sat by me for the last 30 minutes of the movie. I have no idea why. Guessing the guy got lost coming back from the restroom unless he paid a ticket just to watch the ending. Who knows? Theater was pretty full, thankfully. Gives me hope that future Kung fu films might be given a chance too. This theater never showed martial arts movies probably up until Yip Man III roughly. They did well with that and they showed a sold out Jackie Chan Police Story double feature and even the movie Shadow. 

 

REVIEW:

I would place the movie as either 2nd or 3rd in the series. Overall, it’s more focused/engaging than 3 but loses me a bit because of the extreme anti racism message that ends up being racist itself. For the love of God, I get it! It’s like every white American person in this movie is a racist bastard or bitch.. 😁 It’s like a jackhammer with this movie; really freaking annoying. Everything else I really like about it. Though, I think they got Bruce Lee’s message wrong. Even though Bruce did promote Chinese gung fu, he was anti bullshit Kung fu. 

I was surprised to see Ip Man almost taking a backseat in this movie and Bruce Lee getting arguably the best fight scene in the whole movie other than the school yard fight. Both end fights were very good and they kept the wire work down to a minimum. Thankful this movie was as good as it was but could have been a lot better without all the racist anti racism. Overall, this is like a slightly better, more focused Ip Man 3. 

Ip Man

Ip Man 4/Ip Man 3

ip Man 3/Ip Man 4

Ip Man 2

On 1/9/2020 at 9:44 AM, thekfc said:

How much is the popcorn in theaters you go to?

 

Last December when I took the wife and kid to the movies this is what I got for them ere:

Combo hotdog/soda for $5 as I had a promo coupon otherwise it would be:

Popcorn about $8 for medium.

Soda about $6 for medium.

 

Then:

Water $5 (99 cents every where else)

Hot dog  $6

Cheese Sticks $8

Chicken tender & Fries about $8

 

We saw 2 movies so there were multiple orders on some of the items - spent over $100 for that outing.

 

Whenever I go by myself,  I usually bring my own.

 

 

Like normal around these parts, popcorn and soda was more expensive than the movie; it was $9.50. Movie was only $7.25. Thankfully it wasn’t playing at the local cineplex as it would have cost even more.

 

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

7 hours ago, reason108 said:

Of course the other annoying thing is when someone asks the ticket booth person for a ticket to see I. P. Man. 

 

People like this should not be allowed out in public.

[One Armed Boxer]

8 hours ago, reason108 said:

Ip Man

Ip Man 4/Ip Man 3

ip Man 3/Ip Man 4

Ip Man 2

The million dollar question, where does 'Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy' fit into this list?

8 hours ago, reason108 said:

Of course the other annoying thing is when someone asks the ticket booth person for a ticket to see I. P. Man.

Reminds me of when I lived in the Philippines, the bootleg DVD sellers were always flogging the latest kung-fu movies, and they'd always wave the third one in front of my face asking "What about I.P. Man 3?"  Good times.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

11 hours ago, reason108 said:

 Weirdly, some strange dude came up and sat by me for the last 30 minutes of the movie. I have no idea why. Guessing the guy got lost coming back from the restroom unless he paid a ticket just to watch the ending. Who knows? 

Lmao, I'm dying man! dude, I'd rather have people talkin on their cell phone than some random sitting right next to you for the remainder of the movie. Maybe it was one of our kung fu brethren and he recognized you? 

[reason108]

19 hours ago, TibetanWhiteCrane said:

People like this should not be allowed out in public.

 

Ha. Well I just wonder why people are still referring to the movie as I. P. Man instead of Ip Man? Either they think it’s funny or they just aren’t paying attention. 

 

17 hours ago, One Armed Boxer said:

The million dollar question, where does 'Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy' fit into this list?

Reminds me of when I lived in the Philippines, the bootleg DVD sellers were always flogging the latest kung-fu movies, and they'd always wave the third one in front of my face asking "What about I.P. Man 3?"  Good times.

 

I don’t know where Master Z sits. It’s not a bad movie but perhaps a slight letdown. But I was just rating the core Donnie releases cause then if we consider Master Z then we have to consider the two non Donnie films. 

15 hours ago, OpiumKungFuCracker said:

Lmao, I'm dying man! dude, I'd rather have people talkin on their cell phone than some random sitting right next to you for the remainder of the movie. Maybe it was one of our kung fu brethren and he recognized you? 

 

Yeah it’s really odd but I didn’t recognize the dude. And he bounced by the time the credits were rolling. 

[One Armed Boxer]

1 hour ago, reason108 said:

But I was just rating the core Donnie releases cause then if we consider Master Z then we have to consider the two non Donnie films. 

I'd disagree, 'Master Z' is an official spin-off of the Donnie 'Ip Man' universe, whereas the other two (five if we're counting 'The Grandmaster', 'Ip Man and the Four Kings', and 'Ip Man Kung Fu Master') are unrelated to Yen's movies.

[CT KID]

People have been posting the fights on youtube with Yen vs Collins and Adkins and they looked good with power and energy but seemed short to me for a kungfu movie. Looking forward to watching the whole movie in better quality when it comes to disc or on demand.

[reason108]

9 hours ago, CT KID said:

People have been posting the fights on youtube with Yen vs Collins and Adkins and they looked good with power and energy but seemed short to me for a kungfu movie. Looking forward to watching the whole movie in better quality when it comes to disc or on demand.

Oh but several fights in this movie. The Bruce Lee fight being one of the longest; or so it seems. It’s no The Raid but there’s lots of fights. Donnie actually takes somewhat of a fighting backseat here but I’m guessing due to the nature of the story. 

[reason108]

On 1/14/2020 at 12:26 AM, One Armed Boxer said:

I'd disagree, 'Master Z' is an official spin-off of the Donnie 'Ip Man' universe, whereas the other two (five if we're counting 'The Grandmaster', 'Ip Man and the Four Kings', and 'Ip Man Kung Fu Master') are unrelated to Yen's movies.

Ok I will agree it’s an official spin-off but it is still a spin-off and not an official Donnie Yen Ip Man movie. But, I would place it above Ip Man 2.

[DragonClaws]