Two scenes which stood out involves Shahlavi's battle with the Chinese grandmasters, and frankly, despite being a 'boxing' match, it was really imaginative of Sammo to deliver something that's quite different from the usual action sequences in Chinese films involving battling a Caucasian in a ring. I didn't enjoy the fish market brawl, as I didn't take to Ip Man fighting with an unruly horde, except that there's a moment of truth there when he shows by example his philosophy of 'running away' (not that he's a coward) which continues from where he left off from an answer to Wong Leung. Action choreography continues to be designed by Sammo Hung, and personally three action sequences stand out. Darren Shahlavi who portrays Twister the boxer, gets top marks for making you all riled up with his constant air of superiority. It's that sense of deja-vu that you fear arising from a similar situation from its predecessor, but thankfully, we get a fight that's quite compelling to watch, with Ip Man now being properly challenged by an opponent who's skilled with plenty of power and dexterity, with that lack of honour in dishing out a fair fight. The second half of the film, with what we've seen in the trailers involving yet another East versus West matchup that have been covered in contemporary martial arts films and biopics like Fearless and True Legend, was quite the worry for me, in that it would be another opportunity for meaningless bashing and the championing of nationalistic messages. There's also time taken to devote to the corruption of Caucasian police officers, as well as how the Chinese used to fight their own, before learning to unite in the face of stronger, external opponents out to humiliate and insult long held values because of ignorance and prejudice. In essence, which of the lesser evils are you willing to compromise on. Edmond Wong's screenplay, like the first film, focused more on drama and had moments where questions such as integrity and the living of one's life according to ideals get raised, whether it is, for the sake of the greater good, worthwhile to forgo those ideals in order to make a living, and allow those who work for you, to make something out for themselves too.

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