The Paper Tigers (2020)

The Paper Tigers (2020)

 7/10

Starring

Alain Uy

Ron Yuan

Mykel Shannon Jenkins

 

Directed by Bao Tran

 

This movie comes across at first as one of those films with a B-movie vibe, hoping to achieve something magnificent but never quite getting there. What it actually is, though, is an action drama (martial arts film) with so much spice and intent that it delivers the needed action and drama to keep you thoroughly invested in the characters and story.

The action in the movie isn’t constant or overly intense but is spread out over its runtime to show how three men try to reclaim their past glory and rekindle the focus they once had on being the best.

You can guess the general plot of action movies like this, which often revolve around revenge, as most martial arts movies do. What I enjoyed about this one was how much the subplot—of the three trying to get back in shape and be as good as they once were—took prominence for more than 70% of the film. The movie spares us the usual “breaking point” or “Rocky running up the stairs to get fit” scenes. None of that happens here. These men remain unfit (both martial arts-wise and, for two of them, health-wise) from start to finish.

The story begins by introducing the three, who trained as disciples under a kung-fu master. We see them mature and become the best they could be. Fast-forward to the present day (decades later), and all three have left that path. Their Sifu is killed, and this tragedy prompts Hing to seek out Danny.

Hing is dealing with a broken leg, which has left him impaired in his walking and significantly overweight. He sustained the injury after falling off a scaffold at his former workplace. Danny, on the other hand, is struggling to keep his life together and be the best dad he can be. The third member, Jim, seems to be the only one doing well—he has stayed fit and works as a kickboxing trainer.

The three learn from another martial artist at a different dojo that their master was likely murdered. This person gives them leads, one of which turns out to be a dead end. However, the other points them to a man who replaced all three of them. When the trio left, with Danny set to be the new leader of the clan, their master had secretly trained a replacement. This new disciple holds the truth about what really happened to their Sifu.

I can safely say that the final fight is worth watching for both its comedy and choreography.

Overall, the movie is a nice watch.