While 2008's IP Man focused on anti-Japanese resistance in Foshan, and the sequel followed the hero's teaching career in Hong Kong, the third outing begins in 1959 and devotes more time to Ip Man's (Donnie Yen) relationship with his wife Wing-sing (Lynn Hung) and his younger son, Ching.

The plot is pretty simple and predicable with some common action film tropes including a challenge from a new martial arts master and a fight against a mobster, all underlying Ip's righteousness and his dedication to the local community.

Ip's son gets into a scuffle with a fellow student Cheung Fong (Cui Can), which leads to a meeting between the parents.

Fong's father, Cheung Tin-chi (Max Zhang) is a rickshaw man (but conveniently turns out to be a Wing Chun master as well later).

Meanwhile the evil boss Frank (Mike Tyson) wants to grab the boys' school and use the land for redevelopment which leads to a battle for the school between Ip and his pupils and the local mobsters.

Even if it's against his will and principles, the talented young aggressor, Cheung, fights, for the most part, on Ip's side.

The action is crisp and clear and adheres to old-school traditions. Keeping the ostentatious show-off special effects to a minimum it focuses on authentic kick-and-punch action.

As they say: "Speed is the winner," and the fights here emphasize speed and accuracy. Ip's style maintains an inner stillness and his ethical inner being - even if he can take a life he invariably chooses not to.

A scene featuring Mike Tyson and Donnie Yen from the latest outing of Ip Man Photos: CFP

A measured response

Ip's measured responses foils Cheung's aggressive, violent, fighting style which is due, it seems, to his low-class upbringing. Cheung is the opposite of Ip - rash, impetuous and angry.

Though he is a good practitioner of martial arts he isn't famous or respected and has to fight in illegal contests to support his child.

He looks good though and brings a sense of excitement to most of the scenes he appears in - especially when he removes one gangster by kicking him, literally, through a door.

Both Ip and Cheung enjoy fights in close quarters - one in an elevator and another in the narrow confines of an umbrella shop but both let their mastery shine through, in different ways.

The evil boss isn't going to stay out in the picture for long so there is a rather inevitable showdown between the heavyweight Frank and the slim, lithe Ip.

Tyson, the former world boxing heavyweight champion enjoys some good moments on-screen. And local audience revel in his dialogue and the dialect assumed by his gang which is a sort of half-English and half-Putonghua. Whenever Tyson speaks the audience laughs.

Sadly in the last 30 minutes the film loses much of its urgency as Ip has to care for his sick wife and then handle a challenge from Cheung.

There has been plenty of foreshadowing of the problems in Ip's relationship with his wife and he is accused early on of neglecting his family - he seemed to have little option.

He has to take his turn at guarding the school from the mobsters and he and his wife seemed to communicate with notes to each other.

Initially these scenes together are shot on a sunny balcony area but as the film progressed and their relationship doesn't go well, the sun gradually disappears.

And what is really missing in the final's denouement is why Cheung wants so desperately to oust Ip - there is not one obvious motive.

Perhaps a key detail about Cheung's personal life has been edited out.

The only major disagreement seems to be that Cheung feels his fighting style is more authentic. Thus the final confrontation looks like a tacky piece of plot gone astray.

A poster for the film

Everyone's a critic

GT: How do you compare the third outing with the first two?

Li Xiaoming, 31, administration

"I really enjoyed this series. These are real kung fu movies. I think this one is better than the first two with solid storytelling and good fights. I loved the added bonus of Mike Tyson."

GT: Do you like the themes in the film?

Nora, 23, student

"I was a little surprised to find that kung fu was not the real focal point of the plot. This outing devotes more time to the family theme and I think this gives this film more credibility than the others. Lynn Hung has more screen time than before. She and Ip Man leave a lasting impression."

GT: Could the film be better?

Gao Shan, 23, accountant

"I think Cheung Tin-chi's character is not well developed. The director could have made him an old acquaintance of Ip Man. Also I think the film ends in haste. There should have been a more significant conclusion for the series."