X
  • 2021
  • PG-13
  • Well Go USA Entertainment
  • 1 h 48 m
  • 2021
  • PG-13
  • Well Go USA Entertainment
  • 1 h 48 m

Summary As teenagers, kung fu disciples Danny (Alain Uy), Hing (Ron Yuan) and Jim (Mykel Shannon Jenkins) were inseparable. Fast forward 25 years, and each has grown into a washed-up middle-aged man seemingly one kick away from pulling a hamstring—and not at all preoccupied with thoughts of martial arts or childhood best friends. But when their ...

Directed By: Quoc Bao Tran

  • 2021
  • PG-13
  • Well Go USA Entertainment
  • 1 h 48 m
  • 2021
  • PG-13
  • Well Go USA Entertainment
  • 1 h 48 m

The Paper Tigers

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 14 Critic Reviews
67
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 11 User Ratings
7.4
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary As teenagers, kung fu disciples Danny (Alain Uy), Hing (Ron Yuan) and Jim (Mykel Shannon Jenkins) were inseparable. Fast forward 25 years, and each has grown into a washed-up middle-aged man seemingly one kick away from pulling a hamstring—and not at all preoccupied with thoughts of martial arts or childhood best friends. But when their ...

Directed By: Quoc Bao Tran

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 14 Critic Reviews
67
86% Positive
12 Reviews
14% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 14 Critic Reviews
67
86% Positive
12 Reviews
14% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
87
May 5, 2021
The realness Tran weaves into his story is welcome, but the smart filmmaking is what makes The Paper Tigers a delight from start to finish.
By Andrew Crump FULL REVIEW
75
May 6, 2021
Tran’s debut feature delivers a ton of charm for a kung fu throwback, and kicks a lot of ass for a broad comedy about some old guys relearning how to honor each other and fight for themselves.
By David Ehrlich FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 11 User Ratings
7.4
82% Positive
9 Ratings
9% Mixed
1 Rating
9% Negative
1 Rating

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 11 User Ratings
7.4
82% Positive
9 Ratings
9% Mixed
1 Rating
9% Negative
1 Rating

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

70
May 6, 2021
Bao’s lighthearted, refreshing approach neither succumbs to whitewashing nor the model-minority myth. The film sticks to the action-comedy basics, which is just fine.
By Beatrice Loayza FULL REVIEW
70
May 5, 2021
Paper Tigers may not be a deep comment on aging or friendship, but it has enough humor and action to make it worth a few rounds.
By Michael Ordoña FULL REVIEW
67
May 5, 2021
Picking one direction and sticking to it may have served the whole better, but at least these issues can be dismissed as hiccups more than deal-breakers. They hold it back without sinking it. Credit the actors for this truth because they ensure the fun never ends.
By Jared Mobarak FULL REVIEW
63
May 7, 2021
The Paper Tigers is still very much a martial arts movie that ends with a late-night rooftop fight, and then a celebratory dim sum meal. But if you already like this sort of lightweight crowdpleaser, you’re bound to find something worthwhile here.
By Simon Abrams FULL REVIEW
50
May 5, 2021
Undergirding it all is a light but ever present tension between living up to the philosophy the men were taught as teenagers and making their way through the realities and compromises of American adulthood. Tran’s not preachy about that, but the filmmaker’s killer move is showing how his heroes’ souls can be as fragile as their aging bones, yet resilient when the situation demands.
By Bob Strauss FULL REVIEW
See All 14 Critic Reviews

Details

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Production Company Beimo Films, Persistence of Vision Films (I)
Release Date May 7, 2021
Duration 1 h 48 m
Rating PG-13
Genres
Website http://thepapertigersmovie.com/
View All Details

Awards

Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival
• 2 Nominations
VC FilmFest - Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Boston Asian American Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination

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