Rent it on Apple TV, Google Play, and YouTube.
Martial Arts movies have a long and proud tradition of providing thrilling entertainment, valuable life lessons, and stunning examples of the many fighting disciplines of the East. Not to mention a good laugh here and there. Most of these films tend to follow specific formulas which have become so commonly used it's easy to create a parody of pretty much any film in the genre. Although, none will ever be as hilarious or as spot-on as Kung Pow: Enter The Fist (still waiting on that sequel).
Today's movie, The Paper Tigers, is a Kung Fu movie that succeeds in maintaining the expectations of martial arts cinema while still delivering something different and a bit unexpected. It may not be my new favorite example of the genre (that distinction remains with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), but it is a welcome and exciting addition to the family. This is one film with a great deal of positive ch'i.
The story follows three best friends who are all students of a kung-fu master referred to as Sifu (Roger Yuan). As students of Sifu, they learn not only how to fight but the importance of honor and truth: both to themselves and to others. Cut to thirty years later, the three friends have gone their separate ways and almost lost their kung fu in the process. It is not until they are brought back together again by the tragic and unusual death of their master that they find the courage to face their past demons, reconnect, and regain their honor. That is, of course, after a couple of well-timed jokes about getting old and questioning their fighting ability.
The film has an overall unique charm that succeeds in appealing to both long-time fans of the genre and casual observers alike. The way it chooses to present the opening credits is a perfect example of how much fun the film clearly wants to have and perfectly showcasing what we can expect with the story.
The strongest point of the film is the chemistry between the three leads. Their comradery and witty exchanges are the heart of the movie and the primary source of comedy. Combined with the convicted performances from some talented actors and these three prove themselves worthy of a series.
Writer/director Quoc Bao Tran delivers a film that follows a typical kung fu movie formula while simultaneously and cleverly subverting most of the tropes and clichés associated with the genre. The character arcs are well presented, the dialogue is smart, and the eastern philosophical presentation is delivered gracefully and with poise. Seriously, why hasn't Marvel Studios called this guy yet?
The fight scenes are incredible and sometimes hilarious. Unlike most modern movies with fight scenes, The Paper Tigers doesn't rely upon cheap tricks like shaky cam to artificially increase the intensity of the fights. Instead, like many great martial arts films before, it presents the action clearly and coherently, keeping the camera stable and the editing fluid.
I enjoyed this film immensely. It has the right amount of everything needed to be entertaining, silly, and memorable. If you need a nice and fun feel-good movie right now, The Paper Tigers might be what you need.
Check it out.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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