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Donnie Yen’sIp Manseries carries a different theme with each movie , and it exemplifies them in legion martial artistry sequences . TheIp Manmovie franchisebegan in 2008 , with Yen portraying the renowned mentor of the legendary Bruce Lee and taking up Ip Man ’s warriorlike graphics of Wing Chun specifically for the function . After portraying the titular Ip Man four times , Donnie Yen has made Wing Chun more popular than ever around the world - owe in no modest part to the depth of themes that eachIp Manmovie tackle .
by from being the ultimate show window of Wing Chun , theIp Manmovies also explore its protagonists ' human relationship with Bruce Lee . While only mentioned at the last of the first film , Bruce gradually becomes more of a presence through the oddment of the series . Lee ’s inclusion in laterIp Manentries only serve to bolster the excited refinement of the franchise , with Ip Man attempting to balance mentoring his son with teaching his mercurial protege .
As Donnie Yen himself explainedin an interview forIp Man 3 , the first three movies severally are based on themes of " survival of the fittest , " " take a crap a living , " and " life story . " 2019’sIp Man 4 : The Finale , in whichBruce Lee was the most large , would later serve as the concluding chapter of the serial and focus on fighting dogmatism . Here ’s how each of these themes play into the overarchingIp Manstory via the four pic ' memorable fight scenes .
Ip Man’s Theme Of Survival
InIp Man , Donnie Yen ’s titular hero lives a well-to-do liveliness with his wife and son . While he cultivate a reputation throughout Foshan as a formidable and judicious Wing Chun master , Jin Shanzhao ( Fan Siu - wong ) take a different strategy . Determined to free himself forever from poverty and hungriness , Jin aims to take down every rival kung fu master in Foshan to establish himself and his school with no equals . Ip Man is the one opponent he ca n’t overcome , but interchangeable motivations do not drive him . Despite prepare the cotton plant manufactory workers in Wing Chun to hold themselves from Jin ’s gang’sformidable warriorlike arts acquirement , Ip Man insists that , contrary to Jin ’s linear perspective , " No one wants to chase you aside . "
The economical effect of Japan ’s encroachment of China also put Ip Man and his mob into their own tough spot . With his wealth exhaust , Ip Man takes up work in a coal mine to render for his family . Meanwhile , Japanese General Miura ( Hiroyuki Ikeuchi ) mock the frightening strait that the people of China face , setting up fights with local soldierly artists and foretell them a bag of Elmer Leopold Rice if they are victorious . Ip Man , beat back to ira by the death of his friend Lin ( Xing Yu ) in one such mate , single - handedly defeatstenCobra Kai - level karate exponentsin a conflict . Declining the anticipate rice bag , Ip Man begins to inspire Bob Hope in the people of Foshan , culminate in his eventual defeat of Miura in a public duel .
In both these chronological succession and Ip Man ’s conflict with Jin , the picture showcases its theme of survival of the fittest , showing both men fighting awful condition and intimidating betting odds . Jin ’s battles teach him an important lesson that his desperation had made him into a yobo over a subsister . Meanwhile , Ip Man overcomes being outnumbered and economically tarnished . With Ip Man nearly kill in retaliation for his victory over General Miura , he and his category are forced to move to Hong Kong . This itself is a thematic linkup - in to the movie ’s selection subject , with Ip Man living to fight another day in his deportation .
Ip Man 2’s Theme Of Making A Living
Ip Man 2opens likea Bruce Lee motion picture , with the Wing Chun master ’s efforts to establish a Wing Chun schoolhouse on a Hong Kong rooftop . Eventually , Wong Leung ( Huang Xiaoming ) , establish on Ip Man ’s fellow teacher Wong Shun - leung , go far to essay Ip Man ’s skills in Wing Chun . Ip Man ’s profits eventually contribute to his Wing Chun school ’s beginnings in Hong Kong . The other preparation and sparring episode ofIp Man 2capture the film ’s theme of making a living . Arriving in Hong Kong , Ip Man and his crime syndicate have to start over completely , and his skills in Wing Chun give him a tool to get them back on their feet in establishing his honorary society of martial arts . However , Ip Man learns that prospective kung fu teachers in Hong Kong must prove themselves to Hong Kong ’s union of kung fu schools .
Ip Man vote out two other teacher and ties with a third , Hung Chun - nam , play byBruce Lee’sEnter the Dragonopponent Sammo Hung . Despite this , Ip Man and his students still deal with competitor from other schools and British legal philosophy enforcement over Hong Kong . Eventually wee his peace with Hung , Hong Kong ’s kung fu biotic community faces a new challenge with the reaching of Taylor " The Twister " Milos ( Darren Shahlavi ) at an exhibition event . Determined to bring home the bacon back the purity of Hong Kong from the boxer ’s affront , Hung ultimately dies in the ring against Twister , with Ip Man afterward defeating him in his own peer . InIp Man 2 , the core theme is make a successful living , whether in soldierlike arts or anything else . This also brings over the former scoundrel ofIp Man , Jin Shanzhao , who reformed himself into a more stout ally of Ip Man ’s after his earlier misguided methods of establishing his own school .
Ip Man 3’s Theme Of Life
ByIp Man 3 , the Wing Chun sifu has unwaveringly solidified his place in the thriving martial arts community of Hong Kong . With Ip Man and his married woman , Cheung Wing - sing ( Lynn Hung ) , raise their immature son Ip Ching ( Jim Liu ) , he has his 2d encounter with a headstrong spring chicken named Bruce Lee ( Danny Chan ) . The two had antecedently met at the end ofIp Man 2 , with Ip Man instructing Bruce to return when he was older , as Bruce show large potential to Ip Man . Recognizing that Bruce is well on his way to becoming a wondrous warriorlike artist , Ip Man get out an unspoken but open - stop invite for Bruce to return . This subtly illustrates the theme of life inIp Man 3 . In a seeminglyinnocuous group meeting and demonstration of acquisition by a prospective student , neither Ip Man nor his future pupil Bruce Lee can immediately see the legacy each will leave on the world in the come years . It ’s but another 24-hour interval of preparation for both of them , but any seemingly ordinary day in life can have great significance in the future ( the retell nature of Ip Man and Bruce ’s relationship in the serial notwithstanding ) .
Ip Man also meets another Wing Chun master in Hong Kong nominate Cheung Tin - chi ( Max Zhang ) . The two become friend against criminal offence boss Ma King - spill the beans ( Patrick Tam ) . With Ip Man also facing off with aggressive property developer Frank ( Mike Tyson ) , he take in heartbreaking word about annex - sing ’s cancer diagnosing . Meanwhile , Tin - chi has adopted similar tactic as Jin Shanzhao once did , challenge local kung fu masters to do away with his competition in Hong Kong . With the renown Ip Man has throughout the city for his deeds , and asan advocate of Wing Chun kung fu , Tin - chi ’s envy overtake him , go forth him determined to defeat Ip Man but ultimately lose . With a refresh perspective , Tin - chi abandons his endeavor to outclass other kung fu masters to raise his unseasoned son , lead to their kinship in the 2018 spin - offMaster Z : Ip Man Legacy . With the challenge ofIp world 3some of the most grounded of the series , admit backstage - sing ’s passing , Ip Man 3 ’s theme is one of navigating life ’s unexpected upshot . Tin - chi also get wind to re - tailor his focus in animation from his fight with Ip Man , see he was fight for the incorrect reason and doing serious damage to his and his son ’s life history .
Ip Man 4’s Theme Of Fighting Bigotry
By 1964 , Ip Man ’s influence has start to spread internationally . InIp Man 4 : The Finale , the overbold sifu ’s pupil Bruce Leehas established himself as a rise martial arts legend in San Francisco . After a scrap , his Word Ip Ching is expelled from shoal , head Ip Man to seek educational venue for Ip Ching in San Francisco . Needing a letter of recommendation from the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association , Ip Man has difficultness obtaining one for his differing perspective on kung fu . Wan Zhong - hua ( Wu Yue ) , a Tai Chi teacher and chairperson of the group , wants Ip Man to spill the beans Bruce out of teach kung fu to non - Chinese student . Ip Man refuses to do so , consider that kung fu should be share with all people , similar to Bruce Lee ’s teachings himself . Wan ’s motive is drive by the bigotry the local Formosan community faces in San Francisco , including the bullying get by his own daughter Yonah ( Vanda Margraf ) . Wan and Ip Man ultimately come to shock over the state of affairs , which captures the anti - racism root ofIp Man 4 . Both Wan and Ip Man distinguish the prejudice faced by Chinese mass , but their philosophies on how beneficial to oppose it are where they diverge .
Meanwhile , one of Bruce ’s students , Hartman Wu ( Vanness Wu ) , endeavor to sway his superiors in the U.S. Marines to comprise Wing Chun into their hand - to - hand combat programme . Gunnery Sergeant and karate practitioner Barton Geddes ( Scott Adkins ) has nothing but disdain for Chinese people and , in contrast toBruce ’s school of thought of martial arts , believes one combat vogue can trump all others . Geddes also take every opportunity to bully and chagrin Wu and local Chinese mass . When his associate Colin Frater ( Chris Collins ) is defeat by Ip Man at San Francisco ’s Mid - Autumn Festival , Geddes pop off into a frenzy of terrorizing and beating up several local kung fu passe-partout , include Wan . Ip Man finally get and overcome Geddes in a soldierlike arts duel , fighting back against racialism and dogmatism . In leading by example , Ip Man overpowers the discrimination San Francisco ’s Chinese community face , while Wu successfully persuades the Marines to desegregate Wing Chun into their training . As a result , theIp Manmoviesstand as a time ejection seat of its hero sandwich ’s legacy in the martial arts world , and while the film themselves are to a great extent fictionalize , the marrow of Ip Man as a man who barrack people with his teachings holds true today .
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