Ip Man: How to Write Superman | Video Essay

Accented Cinema - Episode 18

Yes, you read the title right. With Ip Man 4 coming out soon, the time is right for a Ip Man retrospective.
When talking about the Ip Man series, most people immediately think of its kung fu action. But hidden behind every punch, there is a story: a superhero story. Today, we are going to analyze the story of all three Ip Man films, and find out what works and what doesn't. All the while drawing some parallels to Superman stories of the past.

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[AccentedCinema]

Update: Well, this comment did not age well.


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[maimayer]

"No man is above learning a new lesson, " I love that.

[nagagotama]

"A man can be all-powerful, a man can be morally perfect, but no man is above learning a new lesson."

[No-Hassle]

IP Man skipping the fight to dance with his wife was an amazing moment in king fu cinema.

I’ve always felt Donnie Yen un general has done the best job making viewers care for the characters he portrays. My favorite was Dragon.

[Gokiza]

“What a hero can do becomes irrelevant, what a hero chooses to do gives great insight into his character ...”

Excellent summation

[Drawoon]

"No man is above learning a new lesson." I was really expecting a curiosity stream sponsorship there.

[ElphBoyK]

I will admit that I clicked on this video with the intent of writing an angry rant to defend superman.
However, the creator of this video spoke of the true battles faced by the characters in such an eloquent and approachable way that I came to understand a viewpoint I would have otherwise never considered.
The writers of the recent superman movies could learn a lot from Ip Man. Thank you for helping me see that.

[AnjanaBSubba]

Ip Man gets criticism for its morally immovable and undefeated protagonist which makes him unrelatable. And they are right. I don't really relate to him. But the thing is, a good character doesn't *always* have to be that.

Ip Man isn't someone I relate to but he is someone I look up to.

He is an ideal character done right. A grand character even. Something that Hollywood seems to forget by focusing too much on well "quirkyness".

I think the audience love grandeur of a good ideal character too which is why Wonder Woman 2017 was so successful and loved. She is a superhero, a role model and an inspiration.

Characters like Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Ip Man are characters we look up to. Make them grounded in reality, have them really struggle, truly challenge them and make them suffer but never take away their "Grand" factor. Otherwise they won't feel like themselves to the fans. Which is why I didn't like Zack Snyder's take on Superman.

[timothykammerer]

10:34 "Superman is dying"
Superman: "I'm dying"
"... yeah thanks, I just said that"

[Skycube]

Okay, Ip-man's way of being with his wife is just sweet, God I almost teared up at that dance scene thank you for showing that here.

[Salsmachev]

I couldn't disagree more about a lack of arc in Ip Man 2.

We're introduced to Ip Man as the classic wise, humble, confident master.
He runs into challenges with getting his school started, and faces them in his usual way. However, the final barrier is the fee the other masters expect him to pay. A combination of poverty and pride stop him from doing that, and he insults the other masters.
Then, in Master Hung's school, he prioritises Master Hung's kid over winning the fight, which allows Hung to develop as a character. He realises that Ip actually had a point, and that the masters have lost their pride.
In turn, he gives Ip the invitation to the Eastern/Western boxing demonstration, and Ip gets a good look at the situation Hung and the other masters are in. He realises that they were in the same position he was– proud but desperate. When he sees Hung get killed, it's a reflection of when he saved Hung's kid, and Ip learns that Hung was truly an honourable person.
Finally, Ip Man defeats Twister using Hung's moves as a symbolic representation of what he has learned: that he and master Hung never really had a conflict with eachother and they were only fighting because of the poverty and exploitation caused by colonialism.

Ip Man is challenged to be less proud and more compassionate, and to recognise that the true enemy is the colonial government.

[ShadoryKaine]

"the Man of Steel himself is dying"
"I'm dying"
I died.

[TheIbney]

“What can possibly challenge him?”

*Me never having seen this before.*

“Yea what can?”

“The Imperial Japanese Army invades China”

“Oh yep that’ll do it”

[dragonskunkstudio]

I like how you censored Superman's mouth.
Appropriate.

[rejoyy]

Ipman 's dance with his wife always makes me chuckle and cry at the same time.

[MrScarecrow]

The first Ip Man is a 10/10 film. Pretty much perfect through and through.

[Sherdderworld]

It’s extremely shocking to find someone who actually genuinely understands how Superman is supposed to be written and for that you have my respect and have earned a subscription and a like

[NihilTruth]

I also like the "What's so funny about truth, justice and the American way?" storyline type for superman-type characters, the story in question was animated as Superman vs the Elite. It basically pits superman against a set of murderous anti-heroes who question superman's methods. Superman doesn't develop as a character, but it shows just why he is how he is, adding depth by improving the audiences understanding of him.

The Elite were never a physical challenge to Superman as much as they were a moral question: "Is it right for Superman to not kill?" To which the story answers as "Yes" and explains why.

[duchi]

0:18 - *"With the 4th film on the horizon, its high time we pay this series some respect"*

With the many quality uploads Accented Cinema has made, its high time we pay this channel some respect

[JayAyers]

6:27
Ip Man 2 == Rocky 4

Both had a former enemy turned friend die in battle.
Both had an invincible opponent.
Both had the protagonist defeat invincible opponent.
Both gave a speech after said victory.