While keeping a low profile after his defeat from Ip Man, Cheung Tin Chi gets into trouble after getting in a fight with a powerful foreigner.
Chinese filmmaker Woo-Ping Yuen, most famous Stateside for helming the underwhelming 2016 sequel to “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (subtitled “Swords of Destiny”) knows his action. What he lacks is Ang Lee’s visual poetry, the director’s epic scope and feel for characters. Co-scripted by Edmond Wong, who wrote the first three entries in the “Ip Man” legacy, Yuen’s spin-off “Master Z” is a functional, if utterly unremarkable kung fu flick. With the official sequel, “Ip Man 4,” coming out shortly, titular star Donnie Yen steps aside as a producer, temporarily handing Jin Zhang (known also as Max Zhang) the reigns. Too bad the actor doesn’t possess a modicum of Yen’s charm and screen presence, resulting in a bland film with a bland lead. In other words, Z’s got nothing on Ip.
A master of Wing Chun, a ballet-like form of kung fu that requires utmost precision and serenity of mind, Cheung Tin-chi (Zhang) “left the world of Martial Arts,” seeking a “simple life” after being defeated by Ip Man. And a simple life he leads indeed, running a raggedy little food mart with his son, whom he bikes to school every morning. Of course, it doesn’t take long before he’s swept back into action, lured by memories of the past, as well as Tso Ngan Kwan’s (Michelle Yeoh) mafia clan. Kwan’s plan is to legalize her shady business, substituting smuggling with God-honest trading – but this strategy infuriates her evil, ponytail-sporting brother, Tso Sai Kit (Kevin Cheng), who’s all about vengeance and dealing heroin – oh, and burning Cheung Tin-chi’s store to the ground.
This sets in motion a chain of events and interchanging characters, including but not limited to: local lounge singer Julia (Yan Liu) – also prolific in the Arts of Martial – there to provide Cheung Tin-chi and his son with shelter and employment; Julia’s opium-addicted sister Nana (Chrissie Chau); Tony Jaa’s barely-there Sadi the Warrior; Dave Bautista’s steak-loving brute Owen; and dumb, white, corrupt cops aplenty. The final battle is suitably epic, but with little emotion invested into the story, it’s akin to watching a bloodless UFC match in a pretty setting.
The plot is majorly overstuffed yet curiously undeveloped. The good news is, folks are going at it within the first two minutes of the narrative, so if it’s merely kung fu thrills you’re after, “Master Z” will most likely satiate your thirst. Colorful period detail complements well-choreographed, sometimes astonishing fight sequences; what mars them is the jarring disparity of a cheesy hard-rock soundtrack and a sweeping orchestral score. Regardless, an intense battle on top neon-lit signs, the fighters parkouring as they face off, marks one of the two highlights, the second one seeing two Wing Chun masters face off against an army of sword-wielding fighters.
The bad news is, there’s also brutal violence against women within the first seven minutes of the narrative; women are later constantly hushed and degraded by men, shown scantily-clad for no reason and subjected to having drugs smeared over their faces and shoved down their gullet. This is an unfortunate trend in this cinematic genre that “Master Z” fails to rectify.
Wong’s script does little to gain our investment in the proceedings, chockfull of silly lines. “You broke my present,” Cheung Tin-chi whispers, bringing to mind a certain “Con Air” bunny before he opens up a can of whoop-ass. “What’s wrong with vengeance?” Kit yells shrilly. “If I let him go, that would be wrong!” “You Chinese think too highly of yourselves! Always wanting to be the hero,” Owen spouts unashamedly. Yuen also rarely goes-for-broke – a death-by-abacus scene by far being my favorite – instead veering off into sentimentality way too often: father-son bonding moments stack on top of goodbye sequences that stack on top of cheesy flashbacks. It’s like both Yuen and Wong resorted to their inner 14-year-olds, writing/directing with the abandoned glee and carelessness of horny teenagers.
Jin Zhang, though displaying highly impressive fighting chops, sleepwalks through his role; to call his range limited would be doing “limited” a disservice. Dave Bautista inexplicably communicates with the Chinese-speaking actors in English, his role amounting to little more than an awkwardly glorified cameo. Of the cast, Queen Michelle Yeoh comes out relatively unscathed, almost single-handedly counter-balancing the film’s misogyny with her strong, no-nonsense portrayal.
Perhaps Yuen should have a go at a different genre, instead of following a well-trodden path. Both convoluted and predictable, with cheesy acting, jarring fade-outs and a highly detrimental lack of characterization, “Master Z: Ip Man Legacy” may be enjoyable on a purely “shut-your-mind-off” level, but does little to contribute to the “Ip Man” legacy.
In theaters Friday, April 12th
