FANTASIA 2020: The Paper Tigers
fantasia
As children, Danny (Alain Uy), Hing (Ron Yuan) and Jim (Mykel Shannon Jenkins) were known as the Three Tigers, learning Gung Fu from their selective master, Sifu Chang (Roger Yuan). Fast forward some 30 years later and middle age is catching up to the Tigers. They have drifted apart from each other and their Sifu, only brought together again when they learn of Sifu’s death. At the funeral, Carter (Matthew Page), a fellow Gung Fu practitioner and old rival, chastises the Three Tigers for leaving their training and warns that Sifu’s death may actually have been murder. To atone for disappointing their master, the three men set out to find the truth.
The Paper Tigers is marketed as a martial arts film, but the story is more character-driven. Rather than having a plot of which its only purpose is to bring about more fight scenes, The Paper Tigers actually has an interesting story with impeccable fight choreography. Tran Quoc Bao – who wrote, directed and edited the film – allows his characters to best shine through their banter. Even though these men haven’t seen each other in a few decades, and have some grudges with each other, they truly feel like old friends. Flashback scenes are used throughout The Paper Rigers, showing the training of the young Tigers (Yoshi Sudarso, Peter Adrian Sudarso and Gui DeSilva-Greene), their relationship with Sifu and how much Gung Fu meant to them. Bao gives these montages an 80s vibe with VHS editing, making it so the boys are documenting themselves for a home video.
The dynamic chemistry between these three actors is what makes The Paper Tigers so much more compelling than traditional martial arts films. Jim serves as a the standard physical presence, the only Tiger that looks like he can still handle a fight. Hing plays the plucky sidekick, rooting for his friends and being the closest to Sifu, a permanent leg injury injects a lot of humour into his fight scenes. Danny, once Sifu’s best fighter, takes on the underdog role, making the audience root for the Tigers, as it often feels impossible that they can win a Gung Fu challenge. Most of the comedy comes with the characters’ middle age. Danny and Jim have forgotten much of their training – Danny because he focuses on his insurance agent job, while Jim now runs a boxing studio; Hing has gained a lot of weight and also has to contend with his injured leg.Their interactions with each other pulls the audience into the story of the Three Tigers. Even though there are some unanswered questions about their past, the audience is given ample story to connect with Bao’s characters.
Even though the writing makes The Papers Tigers more than a typical martial arts film, the fighting still needs to be excellent. Choreographed by Ken Quitugua, all of the Gung Fu scenes in The Paper Tigers look amazing while still being realistic. The action looks believable, the audience feels the pain each time a punch or kick connects to one of the Tigers. The characters’ current circumstances play into their fight scenes: Danny tires out easily, Jim forgets Gung Fu and Hing’s leg gives out. By adding this realism into the martial arts scenes, Quitugua and Bao add to the underdog story of the Tigers.
Frankly, The Paper Tigers is a joy to watch. With a predominantly Asian-American cast and crew, it is always amazing to see films crafted by people of colour. It takes traditional tropes of martial arts films and elevates them. The Paper Tigers is a realistic fighter coming out of a retirement story, complete with age, fatigue and forgetfulness. The audience can’t help but root for their Tigers as they undertake their journey. The Paper Tigers has a perfect balance of drama, humour and action, making it one of the best genre films of its year.