The Paper Tigers

I like the premise and there are some good elements but ultimately the flick was a little limp. While there are a couple okay jokes, for the most part they don't land. There's not a lot of cleverness or sophistication to the jokes, nor did it really lean as much into the silliness as it should have. The fighting isn't bad, all things considered. My biggest problem is that the central conflict was not satisfying; expected a more exciting journey and even that was a little flat.

An odd collision of serious martial arts mystery/drama and goofy comedic beats pulled straight from the '80s. Its heart is in the right place, and the representation is nice to see, but it's still more student than master.

The Paper Tigers' low budget is enough to forgive the mediocre acting and lacklustre shot framing & lighting. Unfortunately the film feels long and the plot isn't tight, resulting in too many banal moment (perhaps attempts at comedy) that go on for far too long. Okumoto's moment with his son on the phone, albeit cheesy, was the only scene that really stood out. The film just feels like a made-for-TV movie with forgettable characters and inane, filler dialogue. Too much wasted potential.

A comical take on a martial arts story. Three young Kung Fu experts get older and lose most of their fighting abilities. The story is predictable but still entertaining and sometimes quite humorous. There are several scenes for the die hard martial arts fan. Worth watching and you get a few laughs as well.

Soulless and stupid.

This was enjoyable, but I don’t think as much of the comedy worked as they had hoped.

This was a fun, questionably acted, low-budget Dramedy with some decent fights. Although the movie is overlong and that really hurt the film for me.

Entertainment: 3.5. Spirit: 1. Sustainability: 0.5. Family: 1.5

The premise sounds equally hilarious and heartfelt on paper (haha) but the joke that they're past their prime runs dry super quick. The story is predictable, the choreography is bland, and the characters have a few good moments but overall they're just cocky teens who grow up into juvenile adults either in denial about their lack of accomplishments or seemingly proud despite clearly not living up to their potential. Hard to find anything that makes this more than a sub par martial arts comedy.

Needed more Master Ken.