Ip Man 3

Hong Kong, 1959

The third film in the series that began in 2008 reunites director Wilson Yip with Donnie Yen as the wing chun master, now teaching in Hong Kong. It is loosely inspired by his life: the opponents were invented for the story, and Bruce Lee only appears in a few scenes.

Yuen Woo-ping takes over

After Sammo Hung on the first two films, the fights are by Yuen Woo-ping, choreographer of The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, with Donnie Yen designing some sequences himself. There is a brawl on the docks, a fight in a cramped lift against a Thai boxer and a duel with pole and butterfly swords, a good survey of the wing chun arsenal.

Mike Tyson against wing chun

The most anticipated fight pits Ip Man against Frank, played by former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who broke a finger filming a scene with Yen. The challenge is simple: last three minutes against his fists. Boxers will spot Tyson's short hooks and head movement; wing chun practitioners will see centreline defence and constant forearm contact used to absorb power.

Two takes on one style

Zhang Jin (Max Zhang), a former wushu champion, plays Cheung Tin-chi, a rival from the same lineage, a role that earned him a Hong Kong Film Award nomination for best supporting actor. Their final duel is often ranked among the best fights in the series. Danny Chan Kwok-kwan plays Bruce Lee.

Reception

Shot in Shanghai from March to June 2015 on a $36 million budget, it grossed around $157 million, mostly in mainland China. It holds 76% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and won best editing at the 2016 Hong Kong Film Awards from eight nominations. In the US it opened in limited release on 22 January 2016.