'The Paper Tigers' A Review

The Paper Tigers is an action/comedy about a group of friends who bonded learning martial arts as kids from their Sifu but became estranged. Now into middle age the friends reunite to investigate the untimely death of their Sifu. Danny(Alain Uy) a struggling divorced dad who has left his fighting days far behind him is initially reluctant but after attending the funeral with Hing(Ron Yuan) the two reconnect with their third, Jim(Mykel Shannon Jenkins) and delve back into the world they had left behind.

All in all the cast is wonderfully refreshing, full of lower profile actors but with undisputed talent. Uy is the defacto lead and is able to balance the comedy and action with some impressive pathos. Yuan, one of if not the biggest name in the cast, is saddled with the majority of the film's exposition but conveys it with little noticeable effort while simultaneously filling the role of the heart/conscience of the trio. Jenkins also does solid work although he has the least depth of the three his presence and chemistry with the other two serve to elevate their dynamic. He does have a nice scene where the reason for the group's split is revealed where he's able to play a bit more emotion. The supporting cast is equally solid with the stand out being Matthew Page as Carter, the groups former teen advisory, which isn't necessarily a good thing, Page goes exceedingly broad in line with something like Kung Pow! Enter The Fist it isn't a deal breaker but it is pretty odd when compared to every other cast member. 

An indie film with a limited budget and shoot it makes the best of it's on-location Seattle setting and it's relatively grounded premise. The fight choreography is exciting but mostly realistic, the comedy effective if middle-aged in its target, but the real success is its sincerity. Perhaps more time could have been spent on the trio of main characters as substantial time is spent on the central mystery but the result is satisfying and although the pieces may seem familiar the end result feels fresh.

A unique tonal alchemy- Cobra Kai meets Wild Hogs with a dash of Taken- that entertains and emotes if not in equal measure.

Currently available for rent on most VOD platforms.

Rent It.