The Paper Tigers
Well Go USA Entertainment | Release Date: May 7, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
87
Paste MagazineAndrew CrumpMay 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. Read full review
80
Film ThreatAlan NgMay 5, 2021
The Paper Tigers presents a fresh take on an old genre. Read full review
75
IndieWireDavid EhrlichMay 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. Read full review
75
The Seattle TimesSoren AndersenMay 5, 2021
It’s a fun, satisfying picture. Read full review
70
The New York TimesBeatrice LoayzaMay 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. Read full review
70
Screen DailyJohn BerraMay 5, 2021
It’s a largely harmonious blend of action, comedy and drama which derives much of its buoyancy from three well-cast leads who generate a credible sense of reconnection. Read full review
70
VarietyJessica KiangMay 5, 2021
The three leads summon lovely chemistry, re-creating a dorky-kid dynamic in later life that feels like the perfect summation of the film’s almost Spielbergian belief that at 10 years of age we are our best and truest selves. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaMay 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. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerMay 6, 2021
Tran undoubtedly aims for an old school Hong Kong comedy martial arts movie feel, lighthearted and light on its feet, and he lands that blow dead on. But rather than a knockout punch, it's a tickle on the ribs and a tussling of the hair from this sweet and funny action flick. Read full review
67
The Film StageJared MobarakMay 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. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreMay 7, 2021
The humor moves the picture along, which truthfully starts VERY slowly thanks to an overlong “Tigers in the ’80s” prologue. But Tran’s screenplay problem-solving is first rate. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comSimon AbramsMay 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. Read full review
60
The GuardianLeslie FelperinSep 13, 2021
Tran adroitly layers the fight sequences, filmed with fluidity and at least substantially performed by the main actors themselves, between frothy layers of blokey banter. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleBob StraussMay 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. Read full review
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