The Paper Tigers

The Paper Tigers was written and directed by Quoc Bao Tran, who clearly has a lot of affection for classic kung-fu movies. The plot — involving a murdered kung-fu master, rival schools, and a killer using his martial arts skills for evil rather than good — feels like they took an old Shaw Brothers movie and transposed it to modern-day America. But the film is also a lot lighter and more easy-going than you’d think based on that description; it revolves around three old friends, reunited for the first time in years after the death of their master, and it’s far more concerned with their relationship than with any of its plot machinations. It’s also less interested in action than you’d expect; there are a handful of fights, and they’re all decent enough, but they’re generally fairly brief and a bit ho-hum in their choreography and execution. It adds up to a movie that’s slight but affable, with a group of characters who are endearing enough to keep things engaging throughout.

*** out of ****