Rating: 8/10
The Paper Tigers is a modern blend of action and comedy which harkens back to the martial arts cinema of days gone by. A story about three students who learned kung fu from a reclusive old master in the ’80s, it then picks up in modern times where the three are brought back into the martial arts world believing their master to have been murdered.
This is a film with heart, fiery martial arts action, and more than a handful of laughs. It’s also a film that proudly balances both genres in a way most modern action films seem to shy away from. The action hits just as hard as a more serious franchise, while the goofy comedy works perfectly in hand to keep the film light and thoroughly enjoyable.
The Paper Tigers also is a testament to making a brilliant film on a crowdfunded budget, using actors who can perform their own stunts and a perfectly successful film with POC lead characters. In the creation of this film, director Tran Quoc Bao has said that various studios were interested in buying and supporting the film, but demanded a more famous, ticket selling, older white actor to be the lead. Lucky for us, the director and his crew refused, simply stating that there can be more representation in lead roles if given the chance.
And what a chance it turns out to be! The three lead characters are near perfect in their roles. Alain Uy, as the main character Danny “8 Hands”, brings a real earnest feeling to his character. Danny feels like a real person who left martial arts behind, but his “cut and run” attitude has followed him through his life and even begins affecting his relationship with his son until he must face it with the help of his martial arts brothers. Ron Yuan plays Hing who is the most studious and the one who stayed with their Sifu the longest and he plays perfectly off the other two, more hot headed characters. Finally, Mykel Shannon Jenkins plays Jim, whose unfinished business with Danny has tainted their relationship for years, something they must both face and overcome together.
Of course, the rest of the cast is brilliant. It was amazing to see the Instagram/YouTube superstars from MartialClubOfficial as the upstart young punks who challenge the martial arts lineage of the titular Tigers in their old age. The fights between them are fantastic and flashy while still showing off some dazzling martial skills. And of course, Matt Page as the overly self-serious rival martial artist Carter was just brilliant. He had moments of unaware comedy as well as maybe my favorite fight scene with the main cast. It also took me almost the entire runtime of the film to realize that he too, is a YouTube martial artist dealing more in comedy under his character Master Ken. Which was just a delight to realize.
On the note of the comedy, some of the jokes have a quality of corniness to them, but that quality actually adds to the charm. Much like a film like The Karate Kid or Legend of the Drunken Master but the modernized aesthetic makes it a fairly unique experience to watch.
All in all, The Paper Tigers is a wonderfully comfortable and enjoyable film. This film boasts some of the best martial arts action and some of the most wholesome storytelling out there right now and so I recommend it to almost anyone who is interested. The Paper Tigers is available to rent and support on most streaming platforms including Amazon, Vudu Movies, iTunes and YouTube.
