Why So Blu?

Ip Man – The Final Fight (Blu-ray Review)

In postwar Hong Kong, legendary Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man is reluctantly called into action once more. What began as simple challenges from rival kung fu schools soon finds him drawn into the dark and dangerous underworld of the Triads. Now, to defend life and honor, Ip Man has no choice but to fight – one last time. Well Go USA has brought Ip Man home on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital (VOD). I had seen the trailer for the film not too long ago, and thought it looked great, even for a PG-13 film. This review is for the Blu-ray edition, so let us see how Ip Man – The Final Fight stacks up in high definition. 

Film 

Ip Man – The Final Fight continues the adventures and focuses on the later life of the legendary Wing Chung teacher, who taught Bruce Lee all of his martial arts moves. Ip Man, in this incarnation, is played by prolific Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong. The first part of the film has Ip settling in Hong Kong and opening a Wing Chun training academy on the rooftop of a a building. There, he takes on several working class students that include a local Hong Kong police officer, and several other students of ordinary class.

He and his students act more as friends than just teacher and student since most of them pay him visits around the clock either to give him gifts of gratitude or to just receive advice. Adapting to the Hong Kong way of life for Ip Man is a bit trying but he does great in settling in. This helps a lot when his wife comes over to live with him after years of living apart while she stayed behind in China. Ip Man has to show her the ropes around town and such. This leads to some very amusing scenes about ordering food and how it is presented. Meals are no longer served as courses but in combos.

There are several layers to Ip Man – The Final Fight in that it just doesn’t tell you one story (Ip’s) but it weaves a several of them. Some of the students that have working class jobs engage in union meetings for fair wages that if not settled will literally end up with violence on the street. You also have that police officer who wants to do good by the law but is constantly being seduced by corruption that bleeds into law enforcement. All of this comes back to Ip Man, and more often than, he must interfere to settle things.

Ip Man also has his own problems in that there are already established schools that teach Kung Fu, therefore, there is already a “master” that runs that particular circle of martial arts education. They can’t just have someone come and teach a new fighting discipline without “permission.” Ip Man has to be very persuasive if he’s to continue teaching.

Before continuing I should point out that Ip Man – The Final Fight does not follow the Donnie Chen films in terms of continuity. I should also point out that I have not seen any of the previous Ip Man films at all. Ip Man -The Final Fight is my first one. Personally, I loved it. I thought Anthony Wong pulled out all of the stops in portraying Ip Man as a powerful fighter with a gentle soul. The character tries to do good by being a great teacher but is always being dragged into conflict that will call upon his fighting abilities. It also doesn’t help much that he’s got ailments of his own to deal with.

Ip Man – The Final Fight runs at a robust 100 minutes, so it’ll be over in no time. The fight scenes are impressive and the story moves along at a sharp pace. Anthony Wong delivers a subtle but powerful performance as the legendary Ip Man that should please the fans out there. I thought it was an awesome film.

Video  

Ip Man – The Final Fight is presented in 2.35:1 (16X9) widescreen. Ip Man is a prime example of Well Go USA doing a stellar job in getting their hands on a great transfer. Flesh tones are natural at every instance, blacks levels never crush, and as bright as this “new” Hong Kong cityscape looks, colors do not band. The color palette has sort of a pastel feel to it. It’s a great looking film. Sharpness levels are also pretty adequate and noise is not an issue. This is a near-reference video presentation.

Audio 

Ip Man – The Final Fight is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. We have an original language version with English subtitles and an English dubbed version. I don’t do dubbed versions, so I can’t comment on that. The original language version will knock you on your @$$, though! You’ll feel every punch and every kick as if you were taking one of the multiple beatings that are being presented in the film.  Dialogue is clean and crisp and the grand musical score takes advantage of every discrete channel that their is. The LFE also gets a chance to get its low frequency grumble on. This lossless soundtrack is a perfect compliment to the great video presentation that accompanies the film.

Extras     

Ip Man – The Final Fight skimps on quality special features, choosing to include a standard EPK-like making-of and cast and crew interviews. Trailers for Ip Man – The Final Fight and other future Well Go USA films are also included.

• Making Of
• Cast & Crew Interviews
• Trailers

Summary 

Ip Man – The Final Fight is a grand entry in the Ip Man saga that extends the master’s legacy a bit more. The Blu-ray features great video and great audio specs but falls short on the extras. If extras aren’t your bag then this will suit you just fine. Ip Man – The Final Fight was a thrilling film that did not skimp on action, while it delivered on the drama. It’s highly recommended!

 

 

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