[Movies] Donnie Yen’s not done with action movies yet

Donnie Yen. (Shaw Organisation)
Donnie Yen. (Shaw Organisation)

Ip Man 4 is Donnie Yen’s last martial arts movie — but it will not be his last action movie.

The film is the closing chapter of the Ip Man film series, which chronicles the exploits of the legendary Wing Chun master.

Donnie Yen. (Shaw Organisation)
Donnie Yen. (Shaw Organisation)

“This instalment will be a good point to conclude the series,” said Yen of the upcoming Ip Man film. It’s also the action star’s way to “say goodbye” to martial arts movies.

However, the 56-year-old clarified at a press conference on Tuesday (10 Dec) that action movies are not necessarily martial arts movies, although martial arts movies are definitely action movies. War films are also action movies. And as the film industry has evolved, many blockbuster hits today are action movies, citing the example of Marvel movies.

Donnie Yen.
Donnie Yen.

After Ip Man 4, Yen has several movies slated for 2020, such as Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan, a Chinese New Year action comedy Enter the Fat Dragon, and action thriller Raging Fire.

So for audiences can rest assured that Yen will still be involved in the broader genre of action films, just not martial arts movies.

Donnie Yen.
Donnie Yen.

But even though he may be leaving the martial arts movie scene, Yen has been grateful to have played the iconic onscreen Ip Man. “Not every actor can find an iconic role,” said the action star, whose name and visage and are now synonymous with that of film portrayals of Ip Man.

Yen also observed that it is usually difficult for film franchises to progress after a second instalment, especially when quality might become inconsistent. But not so with the Ip Man films. “The Ip Man film series continued to garner audience support after the third film,” said Yen.

Donnie Yen.
Donnie Yen.

After Ip Man 3, the production team had decided not to go forward with the franchise. But popular demand and fan support caused them to reconsider.

Finally, years later, Yip Wai Shun called Yen. The director of the Ip Man films had a new story to tell to audiences.

Donnie Yen.
Donnie Yen.

Yen also joked that audiences have “grown young” alongside the character of Ip Man, ever since the first film hit movie screens in 2008. The character has become as familiar to them as an old friend, and he hopes that the movie will pay off the emotional attachment they have developed toward him.

Donnie Yen. (Shaw Organisation)
Donnie Yen. (Shaw Organisation)

The actor was also touched by the dedication of fans here in Singapore. He headed down to Our Tampines Hub on Monday (9 Dec) evening to unveil the Ip Man Pavilion. “I heard that some fans had started queueing from 12pm for the event, and some of them even sacrificed their dinner to attend the event,” said Yen. He appreciated the fact that so many fans turned up for the unveiling, despite it being a Monday and despite having work and school commitments the next day.

Donnie Yen.
Donnie Yen.

So after being moved by local fans, is the strapping action star looking for a house in Singapore? A property site had reported that Yen came to look at Singapore properties just this October.

He put those rumours to rest by stating he was not looking for a house in Singapore at the moment. “Singapore houses are not cheap,” he said with a bemused grin, echoing the sentiments of any homeowner here.

What really transpired was that Yen’s friends had wanted to look at houses in Singapore, so he accompanied them to Singapore. He likened the house viewings to window shopping.

“I like looking at nice things,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean you’re going to buy it.”

Ip Man (Donnie Yen) defeats his opponents in Ip Man 4. (Shaw Organisation)
Ip Man (Donnie Yen) defeats his opponents in Ip Man 4. (Shaw Organisation)

Ip Man 4 opens in cinemas:
– 20 December, 2019 (Singapore)
– 20 December, 2019 (Malaysia)

Donnie Yen. (Shaw Organisation)
Donnie Yen. (Shaw Organisation)

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This article was first published on and written for Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore.


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I’m an independent scriptwriter who’s written for popular shows like Lion Mums, Crimewatch, Police & Thief, and Incredible Tales. I’m also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find me on social media as Optimarcus and on my site

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