I've spent the 1992 year in Beijing, People's Republic of China. While I was there to work as a foreign expert, I had the chance to work for China Films, where they were writing subtitles for Chinese movies which were exported to abroad customers. Most of the films were Kung Fu movies, and in all of them, the dialogues were so dumb it was laughable. it's not the case with this film. This a well-made movie, with nice battle scenes, but also with an interesting story about a real character. This Master of Wung Shin was the teacher of Bruce Lee. The story is going on from 1949 to the end of the 1960's. It's rather interesting. The version I've watched was in Cantonese, with subtitles, and I recommend it.

For the record, it is not a sequel to Donnie Yen's 'Ip Man' duology. This movie tells the story of grandmaster's last few years of life especially his personal life problems. Where he stayed alone in a rented rooftop house teaching martial arts to the young generation. Actually it won't tell anything about Bruce Lee-Ip Man's relationship. I kinda expected that and got disappointed. This story was mainly narrated by Ip Chun's perspective about his father. That he struggled his new livelihood in Hong Kong who was apart from his wife. As usual good in making friends who visited him often. After his wife's death his son joins him who witnesses a local singer who had affair with his father but that he resisted it. More likely a fine sentimental drama with the couple of fights now and then.This movie was not impressive like other movies based on this man did. Movie's like 'The Legend is Born' and 'Bruce Lee, My Brother' had some good portrait of Ip Man life and events which left nothing for this movie. Everyone likes Ip Man after Donnie Yen's movie so the other filmmaker making benefit of it and that's where 'The Final Fight' born. Although the movie was okay but the problem with it was the sentiments were not touching and also the lack of some fine stunt sequences.On the technical side of the movie it had no flaws. Camera works, the giant sets of 50s Hong Kong, musics, editing, costumes all were simply good, even the performances were appreciable. But the movie did not travel on the path as I expected. It may disappoint some people for its lack of some good actions and some people for not strong enough emotions. Still good to go for it only if your expectation are low, especially not to expect on the level of Donnie Yen's movie. Then only it will justify to your watch.6/10

This is another exaggerated movie about Ip Man. This movie may seem more down to earth and realistic with it's direction. But it's boring and fictitious. If they were doing a fictitious movie about Ip Man at least make it entertaining. Although there is no doubt that Ip Man is a wing chun grandmaster. Still his main fame came from being Bruce Lee's master. Instead it tries to make it seem more down to earth and realistic, but will bore the crap out of audiences that want to see a kung-fu movie. They should have titled this, "A Era in Foshan" since it seems to focus on the people of Foshan over Ip Man. It focuses in on the harsh era where there isn't any civil rights and people are dying or being sold because there isn't enough food. This problem is still problem is still probably going on but it was worse back then. Ip Man in the previous movies is portrayed as having cool, charismatic, powerful(almost untouchable), and has calmness with flare attributes. In this it's more experience Ip Man that seems more human and is broken down, but it's just so boring to watch. It's cool to see a character that builds up and has hidden potential. Even with movies where the character doesn't have have hidden potential but works hard to build himself up. Or even a character that gets in touch with the hidden abilities and the environment changes the character. Or even the master showing his skills and crafts. But this movie is just so darn boring and depressing. I think the makers wanted to go in a "The Dark Knight Rises" direction but it falters in every way possible. Donnie Yen is the best Ip Man so far and this is the worst one in this franchise. This is not going to be the last Ip Man movie, but for a movie on his final fight. It doesn't end with a bang but a whimper. This is basically a drama with bunch of characters showing their stories and what they are going through. Which can be fine, but this one seem to lose it's focus on Ip Man. And focus in on irrelevant characters that doesn't even have enough development to even care for. This movie just didn't seem to blend the different genre styles in one movie very well. The camera-work is however good. The subtle and more quite direction could have worked for Ip Man's final fight but this isn't it. It tries to hit that peace and heart area, where it shows the turmoil and hardship and the aftermath but it didn't work. Audiences that want to see a character driven movie or a kung-fu movie will be left disappointed. Not a awful movie and it could have been worse. Oh yeah, also I thought Ip Man's wife in this was his daughter for few minutes.5.5/10

Not the worst HK movie I've ever seen, but pretty far down there. Overall, I think the movie just never figured out what it wanted to be. Does it want to be a biography of Ip Man? Does it want to be a nostalgic piece to serve as a trip down memory lane for older Hong Kong citizens? Is this a movie to profile an iconic figure or a movie to give as much air time to multiple movie stars? In its attempt to honour Ip Man, the movie creates a wooden character of him which leaves little room for character development or interesting acting from Anthony Wong. Weakness is a trait that all humans have, but the movie does its best to remove as much of this trait from its portrayal of Ip Man as possible to immortalize him as some sort of legendary figure. Even in scenes where weakness is demonstrated, so little of it is explored that the audience is left with little to empathize with.As part of that attempt to honour him, the movie makers tried to tie in as many characters and story lines from Ip Man's real life as possible. But again, its a mess. Few of those characters are developed and we never really get a chance to care about who they are below the surface. For example, I would have loved to see more of who Eric Tsang and Jordan Chan's characters really were.As a final disappointment, scenes near the end of the movie totally betray the tone and style of the overall movie as well.Watchable, but unfocused, disjointed and unorganized. A reminder to me why I have slowly drifted away from Hong Kong movies...