Ip Man 4 (5/10)

Title - Ip Man 4
Studio - Well Go USA Entertainment, Mandarin Motion Pictures Limited
Starring - Donnie Yen, Scott Adkins, Danny Chan Kwok Kwan, Chris Collins, Kent Cheng, Vaness Wu
Writer - Chan Tai Lee, Hiroshi Fukazawa, Leung Lai Yin, Edmond Wong
Director - Wilson Yip
Release - 20 December 2019

Just as I have feared from the trailer, the corny, cheesy, caricature of the American characters are prevalent throughout this movie.

I don't have a problem of Hong Kong movies wanting to make fun of all Caucasians, just like what the they used to do in their movies. But at least have some logic in the story and the characters. Plus, we live in a time where Hollywood is striving to get all cultures right, and I can't help but feel ashamed when Chinese cinemas are still stuck in the old ways.

Every subplot in this movie had terrible arcs, and every logic was out the window to give way to a well choreographed fight sequence. I cannot imagine anyone who would invite an outsider to a duel in their own home, wrecking the place in the process. It makes no sense.

Adkins' had it worst with his character. On one hand he is a one note character that is against every other race. But on the other he is championing the Japanese karate. Yet, he himself did not practice karate even though he claimed that it was the best form of hand-to-hand combat for the marines.

Second worst character came in the form of Vaness Wu, who seemed to go out of his way to break every logical rule there was in the marine training camp.

The subplot with Ip Man and his kid also did not have an emotional hook to its conclusion that it seemed to set up. I have to say every plot had a disappointing end.

And what a horrible casting for the young girl Yonah, who looked nothing like a product of Chinese parents. In the cheerleading scene, you would not be able to tell she was Chinese.

Had it not for Yen and once again, beautifully choreographed fight scenes, there would have been no point to watching this movie that seemed to force the audience back to the 90's.

However, in the small flashback to all previous three movies at the end of the movie, it reminded the audience how great the first one was and how everything else that followed were at a decline.