Name: The Paper Tigers
Director: Tran Quoc Bao
Released: 2021-05-07T15:26:22

The Paper Tigers is a martial arts movie in a similar vein to 2018’s Netflix series Cobra Kai. Mix that with the sentiment of Karate Kid and a shot of Father of the Year and you have a basic feeling for how this movie goes. Quoc Bao Tran’s directorial debut is full of warm fuzzies, great choreography, and a likable story.

It all begins with three guys Danny, Hing, and Jim. All were once at the top of their game in Kung Fu. After learning their beloved master Sifu Cheung has died, the three discover there is more to his death. At the funeral, a trio of punk martial artists appears and Danny, Jim, and Hing begin to look into who they are and what they want. Check out the trailer for The Paper Tigers below which will give you a sense of the tone of the film.

Coupled with the English-speaking cast this is a truly enjoyable film. The Paper Tigers released on DVD and on-demand from May 7th, 2021. The title premiered at 2020’s Fantasia Festival.

Where to Watch the Paper Tigers Movie

The movie is still renting on several platforms. Pick your favorite below.

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The Paper Tigers Movie Trailer

Being an ensemble character-driven story, the film grabs you early on with feelings. The trio of grown men weathered by time, and each tiger holds its backstories. Assisted by an early days rival, Carter, the storyline is full of all the ingredients essential to a martial arts movie. Tradition, Chinese medicine, and compassion underpin the motivations for these forgotten prodigies. Old and new now vie for a place on the top of the mountain. Of course, there is more to the tale than just anecdotal good feelings. Writer-director Tran brings the challenges of the family unit into play with one of the Tiger’s sons and his ex-wife adding a dose of realism.

The Paper Tigers Cast

In addition to all the seriousness, there is a healthy dose of comedy. Most of the laughs come from Hing (played by Ron Yuan.) Having suffered a workplace injury, he shines in the spot of the humble jokester who always rises as the strongest at heart. Matthew Page plays Carter whose comedy comes in the form of unresolved jealousy but is nonetheless just as pleasant to see as his character grows with the film. Mykel Shannon Jenkins plays his role as Jim blending harmoniously with Alain Uy’s Danny. Together they had the perfect amount of chemistry to cover the broken friendship side of the never-too-sweet storyline.

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I give The Paper Tigers

4 Death touches in places you don’t want them out of 5

Mother of Movies score

Movies Similar to Karate Kid

Despite the story and ethos surrounding the film are different, this tile leans heavily into a scene like Karate Kid but for adults. The group in the film is all grown up and looking back on their lives as well as trying to make up for the sins of the past.

One of my favorite hidden gems, The Paper Tigers will give you everything you need in a