Summary
An insult to a kung fu movie legend can finally be rectified if one supporting character returns forIp Man 5. The martial arts movie franchise appeared to reach a conclusion withIp Man 4: The Finale’sending, but it’s since become apparent that even the death of the titular character hasn’t killed the series. Somehow, though,Ip Man 5is happening regardless.
As it stands, very little is known about the plans forIp Man 5. That said, the project has been confirmed to be in development, with Donnie Yen returning to reprise his role as the famous Wing Chun grandmaster. Although there’s been no confirmation one way or another, it stands to reason that the film will take place at an earlier point in the timeline thanIp Man 4, allowing the movie to serve as a previously unseen chapter inIp Man’s life story. As for who will join him, there’s a good chance the movie will also bring back theIp Manmovies' regular supporting cast, which should give it one more chance to correct a misstep fromIp Man 3.
Ip Man: What The Martial Arts Movies Omitted About Bruce Lee (& Why)
The Ip Man movies left out a major element of Bruce Lee’s life, but this ended up being for the best, both for the series and Lee’s role in it.
Master Law’s Defeat In Ip Man 3 Disrespected Lo Mang’s Kung Fu Movie Image
The Shaolin Hercules Deserved Better
Despite appearing in three of the fourIp Manfilms, Lo Mang’s Master Law has received very little recognition for his martial arts expertise. Introduced inIp Man 2as a Monkey Style Kung Fu practitioner and one of the local martial arts masters Ip Man befriended, Law was one of several fighters sought out and beaten byIp Man 3’svillain, Cheung Tin-chi. The movie glossed through Tin-chi’s challenge matches, devoting no more than 10 seconds to his easy win over Master Law.Master Law didn’t land a single punch on Tin-chi,a fact that wouldn’t have been noteworthy if it wasn’t for Lo Mang’s status as a former martial arts star.
Years before joining theIp Manseries as Master Law, Lo was a favorite of Shaw Brothers, the top kung fu movie studio in Hong Kong during the 1970s and 1980s. During this time,Lo Mang appeared in co-starring roles in well over a dozen martial arts films, the most famous of which beingThe Five Deadly Venoms. Known at the time as “The Shaolin Hercules” due to his muscular physique, Lo played Toad, a member of the titular group and one of its three heroes. Due in large part to his role,The Five Deadly Venomshas since developed into a cult classic.
WhileThe Five Deadly Venomsmay be Lo Mang’s biggest contribution to the martial arts genre, it’s far from the only action film he should be remembered for.Forming a group often called the Venom Mob, Lo and four of hisFive Deadly Venomsco-stars actors as the leads in some of thebest kung fu movies of the 1970s. He was involved in films such asCrippled Avengers,TheKid With The Golden Arm,Rebel Intruders, and2 Champions of Shaolin. Typically, Lo would play one of the heroes, but was sometimes cast as a villain as well, giving them a wide range of roles to work with in their careers.
Master Law Deserves A Huge Win In Ip Man 5
Master Law Needs To Avenge His Past Losses
Because of Lo Mang’s distinguished background as a Shaw Brothers star and Venom Mob member, he was a standout addition to theIp Mancast, which makes the movie’s use of him all the more problematic. Losing to Tin-chi in a matter of seconds was his lowest point in the franchise, but it also speaks to its attitude toward him in general. He also lost to Ip Man in a table fight inIp Man 2. A loss to the protagonist was expected, but given Lo’s history, it made sense to assume a character played by him could have at least delivered one ofIp Man’sbest fights. However, his kung fu never seemed to phase Donnie Yen’s character.
So far,theIp Manfranchise has yet to demonstrate why it chose to cast someone of Lo’s caliber to play Master Law. That could change inIp Man 5if the series chooses a new course with his character and gives him a meaningful victory. Such a scenario doesn’t seem unfathomable, even in spite of Law’s defeats. While he did lose to Ip, his moves still came across as exceptional. Plus, they illustrated that even though it’s been years since Lo was beating up villains in his Venom Mob movies, the actor hasn’t lost a step. In light of that, it’s even more disappointing that the films haven’t taken full advantage of what he brings to the table.
To rectify this,Ip Man 5needs to give viewers a reminder of what Lo Mang is capable of.Perhaps a scene inIp Man 5can reveal that Master Law became lax in his training ahead of his fight with Tin-chi, and has since stepped his training up a notch. If that happens, Master Law can make a real difference in a future fight. Since Ip Man will always be the hero of the franchise, finding an opportunity for that could be challenging, but could work out positively for the film if Ip finds himself teaming up with Master Law and others against several fighters. If so, a slew of individual fights can open the door for Law to get an impressive win of his own.
How Ip Man 5 Can Honor Lo Mang’s Shaw Brothers Legacy
Ip Man 5 Should Pay Tribute To Lo Mang’s Kung Fu Movies
A win inIp Man 5is naturally the best way the franchise can pay proper homage to Lo Mang’s legacy as a kung fu movie star. But what would make that even better is a direct tribute to his long career inShaw Brothers movies. This could come in multiple forms. The actor has had no shortage of memorable moments in his kung fu movies, ranging fromLo Mang’s extraordinary training sequence inInvincible Shaolinto his fight scenes inThe Five Deadly Venoms. Any of these could easily be referenced inIp Man 5via another appearance from Master Law and whatever his story offers.
Alternatively,Ip Man 5can pull from the persona Lo Mang consistently brought to his roles in the 1970s and 1980s. Most of Lo’s characters notably shared several of the same mannerisms, including his confident swagger and hotheaded attitude. Either of these qualities that were once common in his Venom Mob performances could be heavily emphasized inIp Man 5.The movie could also showcase Master Law as a fighter of colossal, unmatched strength, which would go a long way toward giving a kung fu legend the respect he deserves.
