The master returns
> The third film instalment of Ip Man finally opens in cinemas here
THE highly-anticipated Ip Man 3 has finally arrived in cinemas here, five years after the second instalment. It opened in cinemas nationwide yesterday.
Producer Raymond Wong and cast members Donnie Yen and Lynn Xiong were in Malaysia for a special meetand-greet session with the fans at the film’s premiere at GSC Pavilion last Friday.
This promotional tour also marked the first appearance of the stars in Malaysia since the first Ip Man movie was released back in 2008.
Asked why it took five years for Ip Man 3 to appear, Wong said: “It wasn’t easy gathering all the original team from [the first two films]. And I wanted to do it at the right time when audiences really started missing Ip Man.”
He added that the film’s RMB200 million (RM132.9 million) production cost dwarfed the combined costs of the previous films.
In the movie, Yen returns as the titular character to fight against a man (played by Max Zhang Jin), who has come to challenge Ip Man’s Wing Chun martial arts’ authenticity.
Yen’s Ip Man even squares off against former world boxing champion Mike Tyson who plays a villainous US property developer who tries to take over a piece of land which belongs to the only school in town.
The heart-pumping fight scene between Yen and Tyson was almost too real.
“Mike Tyson went all out while shooting the fighting scene, and he sometimes forgot that he was just acting.” said Yen.
During the filming, there were situations where Tyson forgot the practised steps and Yen had to rely on his natural instincts, or he would be struck for real by Tyson’s powerful punches.
“You can see in the behindthe-scenes footage that things were very dangerous and exciting, It’s a mustwatch on YouTube,” Yen added.
Wong gushed: “It was a gift from heaven to have Mike Tyson in Ip Man 3.
“It wasn’t planned. We were all set to start the filming after Chinese New Year and my China distributor friend happened to meet Tyson, and called to suggest having him in Ip Man 3.
“We only had four hours to change the plot to pitch to Tyson, and we made it.”
Besides the exciting fight scenes, Ip Man 3 also has more emotional elements as compared to the previous instalments.
Here, Ip Man is willing to lay aside his reputation to care for his sick wife.
“We wish to convey the message of loving and caring for the ones close to us,” Yen said.
In that sense, he is quite similar to the Ip Man he portrays in the film.
As Wong explained: “We always have to let him go at 7pm so that he can have his dinner with his family.”
As for Xiong, who reprises her role as Ip Man’s wife, the film brought a few new experiences for her, with the director adding more scenes that showcased her acting skills.
One notable scene shows her previously gentle character unleashing her anger upon her husband, which includes a slap.
“I have never hit anyone before, and I didn’t dare to slap Donnie,” Xiong said. “But I finally shed my fear and completed the slapping scene on the third take. The last slap was so loud that people outside the film set could hear it.”
Xiong was also involved in a fight scene between Yen and a martial artiste from Thailand which took place in a narrow space, and one punch accidentally brushed her chin, terrifying her.
Ip Man 3 also picks up the story between the legendary Bruce Lee and Ip Man, who was Lee’s real-life martial arts instructor.
When asked if they were afraid of competition from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which is also in cinemas now, Wong said audiences should always have more movie choices during festive seasons, and that he is confident of his film’s draw at the box office.
Yen, who will be starring in the 2016 standalone Star Wars film, Rogue One, said he wishes both movies will do well.