wilson yip

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Donnie Yen Confirms IP MAN 4, Wilson Yip To Direct

Lee B. Golden III

Martial arts star Donnie Yen is currently taking a different turn with his latest role in Jason Kwan’s Chasing The Dragon, a remake of Poon Man-Kit’s To Be Number One in which Yen recently confirmed his as a non-action role. This will be a particular career milestone for fans of the action star who know him prolifically for lighting up the screen in many a martial arts film, and here and now alongside Andy Lau in a role said to have inspired one of his own earlier pseudo-biopictoral films. Set photos can be found online as production continues, while it is, indeed, safe to say that Yen isn’t abandoning his time-honored craft any time soon. Thus, taking to social media on Friday, Yen confirmed his attachment with director Wilson Yip for Ip Man 4, the fourth martial arts-geared pseudo-biopictoral saga inspired by the life and times of the Wing Chun […]

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EXCLUSIVE – Tony Jaa, Wilson Yip And Sammo Hung To Seize Their FATE Starting In October

Lee B. Golden III

International action star, actor Tony Jaa drew huge attention when we broke the news of director Gary Mak’s ensemble Asian ‘Expendables’ style thriller, Makeshift Squad. The good news is that the film is still bound for production and so you need not worry there, while, and on even better terms, readers would be wise to keep an even closer eye on Jaa starting this week. As such, Film Combat Syndicate can exclusively report that a source close to the forthcoming Chinese co-production of the new action thriller, tentatively titled Fate, has cast Jaa in a yet undisclosed role. Wilson Yip, the director of the current Ip Man trilogy and other Donnie Yen vehicles in recent memory, will direct the film, thus reuniting with Jaa since serving as producer on Soi Cheang’s S.P.L. 2: A Time For Consequences (a.k.a. Kill Zone 2). In turn, Yip joins once more with SPL (2005) […]

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IP MAN 3 Review: Of Masters And Men

Lee B. Golden III

Confession. I got a thing about legends. About legendary people who walked this earth, who had humble, otherwise ordinary beginnings (and perhaps, where some are concerned, lived their entire lives under the premise of this deceptive obscurity only to enjoy posthumous historical glory) but went on to achieve so much during their time on this Earth that their influence spans out for generations and generations, influencing culture (multi-culture) as it appears before us today – indeed, every day; a nameless, faceless, unisex deity. We just lost Prince, you see. Bare with me. For it is with a great deal of procrastination, anticipation, and fastidious intent that I arrive before Ip Man 3 for perusal and review; like watching the Beetles getting together, an artistic unity between producer Raymond Wong, writer Edmond Wong, action choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping, a living legend in his own right, and director Wilson Yip to conclude the […]

Louis Koo To Star In A Third STORM RIDERS Film, Wilson Yip May Direct

Louis Koo To Star In A Third STORM RIDERS Film, Wilson Yip May Direct

Lee B. Golden III

A little over a year ago, comic book creator Ma Wing-Shing took to a more different approach in unveiling the finale to his 25-year old wuxia franchise, The Storm Riders. It was a mark of achievement for the auteur as much as it was a strategical move in the wake of piracy’s stronghold over digital and print media, although with any luck, this won’t be all we hear of its film counter parts. The popular comic book series became a household name with protagonists, Wind and Cloud as its central characters, later adapted for the big screen by director Andrew Lau and released in 1998 from Golden Harvest. Sonny Chiba played antagonist opposite leading men Ekin Cheng and Aaron Kwok in the title roles as two very different, gifted pugilists who eventually join forces against the warlord who killed their fathers in the name of his own conquest. The film […]

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Screener Review: IP MAN 3 (2016)

Lee B. Golden III

The past year or so has been quite a journey in observing the various headlines surrounding the production of director Wilson Yip’s newest film, Ip Man 3, along with my own. Going into this movie, it was very refreshing to see action star Donnie Yen back in the role that has done him so well for nearly eight years, and especially to see him reunite with someone like Yuen Woo-Ping who helped punt his career more than thirty years ago. That said, an Ip Man film is not something you go into lightly. Yes, I say this even as the franchise, at current, blurs the line between fact and fiction here and there, so as to present the once living Wing Chun master in almost folkloric fashion. Things like that haven’t sat well with a handful of fans who are more keen on a cerebral, existential approach to Man’s historical […]

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[UPDATED] Win An Exclusive IP MAN PRIZE PACK With Blu-Rays, Posters And More!

Lee B. Golden III

*This contest has expired Director Wilson Yip has had a terrific run with actor Donnie Yen stemming from the 2005 release of S.P.L.. It helped spearhead the martial arts action star through a series of films spanning several genres through different directors with Yip contributing to Yen’s further growth in the kung fu genre for the new millenium. For this, the two broke the mold in 2008 with Ip Man and then Ip Man 2 in 2010, erected as illustrious heroic folk tellings of the once-living Wing Chun master whose life and legend capitulated much of the first part of the 20th century for martial arts enthusiasts. Upon further calibration after dabbling in superhero lore and MMA, Yen’s adaptability to Wing Chun worked to his advantage making his as the most signature performance to date, leading to a slew of directors offering their own take on the legendary martial artist […]

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Watch Well Go USA's Final Trailer For IP MAN 3

Lee B. Golden III

Action star Donnie Yen is back in the fray this year with director Wilson Yip for one potentially last kung fu stint in the new overseas hit, Ip Man 3. As such, our title character, loosely inspired by the life and times of the once-living Wing Chun grandmaster and teacher of Bruce Lee, has his hands full in this latest installment. Mike Tyson, in the role of a ruthless property developer with a panache for Western boxing, wants to see whose fists are the fastest. Max Zhang, who serviced nicely in Wong Kar-Wai’s The Grandmaster and recently in Soi Cheang’s SPL 2, wants to see whose Wing Chun is the greatest. Egos will be tested and brusies will be had in what could notably be Yen’s exit from the kung fu genre while still making action films. As such, having the legendary Yuen Woo-Ping and his team at the forefront […]

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Ready For IP MAN 3? Here Are A Few Lessons In Wing Chun

Lee B. Golden III

Star Wars fans may be eagerly awaiting action star Donnie Yen to get his turn at intergalactic action this December in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Nevertheless, Ip Man 3 is as much the hype these days with impressive box office returns in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore making headlines, thus validating how strong the Force is in other areas of film. As such, we’re still bound for a release on January 22 in limited theaters and Well Go USA isn’t resting solely on overseas success to help sell. Having an idea here about they operate, their latest promo may be the first of several to roll out online featuring Yen in his element, and this time it’s all about how to gun people down with sick Wing Chun fisticuffs. Well Go USA has done a lot of these promos for Yen actioners, and they’re pretty good at it. […]

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IP MAN 3 Enters The 1950's With New Character Posters

Lee B. Golden III

For as long as nearly anyone can remember, the folks over at Well Go USA are all-in when it comes to Asian cinema of the action variety. As such, they’re here to remind you of exactly that with the forthcoming release of the new film, Ip Man 3, featuring action star and actor Donnie Yen who has carried the role for up to seven years and put all sorts of Wing Chun ass-kickery on the map in spades. Lynn Xiong joins as Ip Man’s wife along with a much more diverse cast that broadens the universe of good guys and baddies in the martial world that our title hero has to face, namely including former Heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson. Max Zhang also stars as the principle antagonist we will likely see in the final fight opposite Yen in a story that pits our mild-mannered grandmaster against local Triads, courrpt […]

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Watch The Final Trailer For IP MAN 3

Lee B. Golden III

What with all the talk of marital arts action star Donnie Yen possibly retiring from films in the upcoming months after Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, there’s probably a lot riding on his latest film with director Wilson Yip, Ip Man 3. As it stands however, the franchise is already a major success with plenty of momentum, having established itself quite nicely with a meaty roster of Hong Kong film legends like Sammo Hung, Fung Hak-On and the late Darren Shahlavi. Here and now, we come full circle with a series of new challenges for our title character loosely based on the life of the legendary Wing Chun Grandmaster as he takes on the local triads, a corrupt businessman and his Thai hitman, and a fellow Wing Chun purveyor with a bone to pick against our protagonist. Yuen Woo-Ping styles the action for this explosive finale, and more than […]

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Danny Chan Does Bruce Lee Once More In New Viral IP MAN 3 Stills

Lee B. Golden III

If you have any doubts that any actor could revive a once-living cinematic legend on screen like the incomparable Bruce Lee, you’re probably right. Nonetheless and actor Philip Ng’s own prospects notwithstanding with respect to the current production of Bruce Lee biopic, Birth Of The Dragon, certainly bearing the late martial arts master’s image is a benefit for actor Danny Chan Kwok-Kwan who is reprising him as a younger version of the real-life star to be in Wilson Yip‘s latest, Ip Man 3. It’ll notably be the third time Chan has portrayed Bruce Lee’s persona in some capacity following the 2008 TV series, The Legend Of Bruce Lee and Stephen Chow’s 2004 sports comedy, Shaolin Soccer as a Game Of Death-inspired character. As the saying goes – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Check out Chan winning over the camera lens as the young and ambitious once and future […]

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It's A War Of Words And Wing Chun In The New Trailer For IP MAN 3

Lee B. Golden III

With the promise of a January 22 release of director Wilson Yip‘s Ip Man 3 in the U.S., folks in Hong Kong and China aren’t too far off with film getting its day a month earlier this Christmas. Alas, this week’s new trailer for the film comes just at the right time, and it may very well just be action star Donnie Yen‘s last foray in kung fu cinema, though time will tell if that changes. For now though, we’re taking it all in. The Ip Man trilogy from the Yip/Yen end of the spectrum has been nothing short of memorable for fans of the action star and its legendary co-stars past and present, even amidst criticisms of its lack of historical correctness in some capacity. Yuen Woo-Ping also joins in on the Wing Chun fun as the film’s action director and for what it’s worth, Ip Man 3 looks […]

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Everyone Fights Back In The New U.S. Trailer For IP MAN 3

Lee B. Golden III

And like sweet nectar, it’s the small things in life that mean so much. The latest trailer for Ip Man 3 lends but a smidget of the action and drama that ensues, but packs it all in a collage of shots host to Danny Chan as the legendary younger Bruce Lee, along with Max Zhang, Thai action actor Simon Kuke, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, and international action star Donnie Yen in the title role. Chalk this up as another on the wishlist, folks! It’s coming to North America on January 22, 2016 theatrically following its Christmas release in Asia. Wilson Yip directs with choreography by the one and only Master Yuen Woo Ping and his team. Watch the trailer below!

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IP MAN 3 Scores A Brand New Poster

Lee B. Golden III

Director Wilson Yip‘s third stint with action star and actor Donnie Yen in the upcoming biopictoral franchise drama, Ip Man 3, is less than a few months from its release in Asia. Pitting Yen against the likes of former heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson and actor Max Zhang, it’ll be interesting to see how this threequel finishes things off and especially considering all the talk of retirement from kung movies Yen‘s teased in the past. Needless to say, though I take his rhetoric with a grain of salt in the face of an unforeseen career future that no less promises at least one role in a Star Wars spin-off movie, hopefully this latest bit of period gung-fu cinema lore will bode as something memorable. The promise of a suggestive glimpse at a younger version of Bruce Lee will also serve nicely to fans depending on how it’s handled as well, […]

Mike Tyson Challenges Donnie Yen To A Fist Fight In The New IP MAN 3 Teaser

Lee B. Golden III

For all intents and purposes, a film franchise like Ip Man isn’t something to end lightly on. Keep this in mind while lead action star Donnie Yen has already since well-informed his fanbase that this might be his last gung-fu gig and thus promising his latest, Ip Man 3, will be his biggest and best yet. Yes, he’s trying to hype a movie and there’s nothing wrong there, although we can only hope that brewing expectations will be met accordingly, and five long years after such a stellar sequel pitting Yen opposite actor and action legends Sammo Hung and the now late Darren Shahlavi. Alas, the latter of December between Christmas and the new year is when we witness the forthcoming finale with Yen returning, along with Max Zhang and former heavyweight boxing champion-turned-actor Mike Tyson starring. Wilson Yip is back to direct the third as he did for the […]

IP MAN 3 Punches In On A Christmas Release This Year!

Lee B. Golden III

Who says Christmas doesn’t come early? Minding the aforememtioned initial poster which actor and action star Donnie Yen shared earlier this year, Yen fans and sudden overnight practioners of Wing Chun can now revel in the comfort of a December 25, 2015 release of director Wilson Yip‘s Ip Man 3. A trailer is expected by the week of September 30 with a script by Edmond Wong and Yen returning one last time to portray the late great martial arts Grandmaster who spent a huge morsel of his life training the one and only Bruce Lee during his upbringing away from the U.S.. It’s rather sobering as well with Yen having been teasing an exit away from action movies for a while now even though he’s still knowingly attached to a few more, so I guess we’ll never know when that happens until it does. For now, after immortalizing the cinematic […]

Mike Tyson Officially Joins Donnie Yen For IP MAN 3D

Lee B. Golden III

Following an epic press conference in Shanghai several days ago, the official word and details involving former heavy weight boxing champion-cum-actor Mike Tyson‘s involvement in the current production of the forthcoming threequel, Ip Man 3D starring returning action hero Donnie Yen. Tyson‘s involvement was initially reported back in March as principal photography began with word on the plot’s focus toward titular martial arts Grandmaster’s relationship with then young martial arts purveyor, Bruce Lee. Details are still pending with regard to the latter as the production ended up at the business end of legal action from rights holders pertaining to the use of Lee’s image and persona to help construct a lifelike hybrid iteration of Lee. For now though, Yen and Tyson are the news this week, and time will tell how all these factors will play out before before the film’s planned release. It certainly helps the former boxer in […]

IP MAN 3D Production In Trouble With Bruce Lee's Estate

Lee B. Golden III

Production is only in its ninth day for director Wilson Yip’s fifth outing with actor and action star Donnie Yen with the new film, Ip Man 3D after years of sitting in development limbo. The news was joyful, to say the least, as filming commenced well over a week ago with Pegasus Motion Pictures announcing plans to star former world heavyweight champion boxer-cum-actor Mike Tyson with Yen in addition to a CG-enhanced young rendition of martial icon, Bruce Lee, as reportedly approved by his brother, Robert Lee. Well, it turns out we’ve hit our first snag, and it can’t be good either. THR has news that Bruce Lee Enterprises is reportedly trying to stop what it claims is the completely unauthorized use of the late Jeet Kune Do founder’s face and voice. BLE, of which daughter Shannon Lee is the CEO, has stated it has “undisputed ownership of all intellectual […]

IP MAN 3D To Be Donnie Yen's Last Action Film

Lee B. Golden III

There’s no question that international action star Donnie Yen has had a massive and memorable career following his vast cultural upbringing in the states and abroad. His earlier career with Yuen Wo Ping before growing his own team which would see a diverse enlistment of names like Michael Woods, John Salvitti, Yuji Shimomura and Kenji Tanigaki have contributed greatly to his status as a Hong Kong superstar in film while wearing several hats from star to produer and director, and even crossing over between Asia, Europe, and for a time or two, Hollywood. Needless to say, it’s been a hell of a ride for Yen who has since moved onto starting his own production banner, Super Hero Films back in 2013 with the looming possibility that he would retire his footing in front of the camera one day. He’s made conversation of it on multiple occasions, and such a topic […]

IP MAN 3D Commences Filming, Casts Mike Tyson And A CGI Bruce Lee

Lee B. Golden III

It was only a few years ago as action star Donnie Yen was promting the 2013 cop thriller, Special ID, while pitching the idea of possibly casting former boxer Mike Tyson in a hopeful sequel at the time. You least expected that sort of thing would happen even as Tyson himself was bolstering his own acting career in TV and film, namely with Todd Phillips in the first two Hangover movies, and an appearance in Jean-Marc Mineo’s Gates Of The Sun to name a few. Alas, consider yourself surprised (or not) at the notion that Yen would finally be getting his wish featuring the former world heavyweight champion in the forthcoming production of Ip Man 3D, according to THR. Filming has begun today in Shanghai with Pegasus Motion Pictures and producer Raymond Wong behind the new film which will see Tyson in the role of a property developer as well […]