The Paper Tigers
-
Showtimes
-
Movie Details
We didn't find this title in your area
Videos & Photos
- US Trailer (02:21)
Movie Info & Cast
Synopsis
Three Kung Fu prodigies have grown into washed-up, middle-aged men, now one kick away from pulling their hamstrings. But when their master is murdered, they must juggle their dead-end jobs, dad duties, and old grudges to avenge his death.
Cast
- Alain Uy
- Ron Yuan
- Mykel Shannon Jenkins
- Jae Suh Park
- Raymond Ma
- Matt Page
- Andy Le
- Yuji Okumoto
Letterboxd User Reviews
3.2
10.9K
2.6K
2.6K
- May 13, 2021
If you are a fan of Cobra Kai, then you should be all over The Paper Tigers. This film mixes humor with martial arts to almost perfection. My favorite aspect from The Paper Tigers is the effort put into making the fights look legit. All of the fighting is on target. The…
Todd GainesAug 19, 2021Three older men who are middle-aged, Will suddenly become enraged. They'll need to fight, On a rooftop at night, And really learn when to disengage.
JBirdMay 1, 2021A wholesome throwback to Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest tropes, filtered through a modern-day tale about growing up and clinging to the past. Tran Quoc Bao’s breezy action-comedy debut The Paper Tigers commits to hard-hitting fights and charming chemistry in equal…
More_Badass - Oct 15, 2021
The Indie version of a movie Touchstone Pictures may have put out in 1993. (And by ‘Indie Version’ I mean it is 20 minutes too long and about as anti-climatic as you can get.)
Dave TaylorJul 4, 2021'Independent martial arts comedy' is not an easy genre to pull off; at their worst, such films can feel like a demo reel for the stunt performers with a few scripted gags tossed in. "The Paper Tigers" is first and foremost a good movie—it tells a grounded story with a…
HKFanaticMay 14, 2021The debut feature from writer and director Quoc Bao Tran is a rather enjoyable throwback to the movies of Jean Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris, only this time with intentional rather than undesigned doses of comedy. It commences with a flashback to observe three males,…
Paul Elliott - Jun 22, 2026
3 Ninjas part 5: Grumpy Old Men
Jason DuronJun 23, 2021When their master dies, three estranged martial arts students get back together to find out who killed him... but they haven't done martial arts in like 25 years and can't throw a punch without pulling a muscle. While THE PAPER TIGERS plays suspiciously like the Hong Kong…
Justin DeclouxSep 29, 2023Paper Tigers is an entertaining independent martial arts/comedy hybrid with a surprising amount of heart. After they’re told their master passed under unusual circumstances, his three pupils (and former best friends) begrudgingly reunite to avenge him and restore honor to…
Dave Edwards
Queue Community Reviews
90%
Community 212
Top Reviews
- Nathan Liu likedThe Paper Tigers
interesting watch
Olamide lovedThe Paper TigersWas a good watch
J0hn pAu1 likedThe Paper TigersIt was good
- Waigo dislikedThe Paper Tigers
Bad
Jayden Green likedThe Paper Tigers4/5
Atom Users Reviews
Reviews
- JMJed MerrillEBEric Bryant
Metacritic
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.
Simon Abrams
RogerEbert.com
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.
Beatrice Loayza
The New York Times
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.
David Ehrlich
IndieWire
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Paper Tigers (2021) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as PG-13, meaning that some material may be considered inappropriate for children under 13.
How long is The Paper Tigers (2021)?
The movie is 1hr 48min long.
What's The Paper Tigers (2021) about?
Three Kung Fu prodigies have grown into washed-up, middle-aged men, now one kick away from pulling their hamstrings. But when their master is murdered, they must juggle their dead-end jobs, dad duties, and old grudges to avenge his death.
Who's the cast of The Paper Tigers (2021)?
- Alain Uy as Danny
- Ron Yuan as Hing
- Mykel Shannon Jenkins as Jim
- Jae Suh Park as Caryn
- Raymond Ma as Sifu Wong
- Matt Page as Carter
- Andy Le as Fu
- Yuji Okumoto as Wing
Who's the director behind The Paper Tigers (2021)?
Quoc Bao Tran directed The Paper Tigers (2021).
Who produced The Paper Tigers (2021)?
Michael Velasquez, Yuji Okumoto and Al'n Duong produced The Paper Tigers (2021).
Full Screen Image Viewer
Target Exclusive Showing
Don't Have The Password?