How to Watch: Netflix (US/CA), also in some theaters
Starring: Ron Yuan, Mathew Page, Alain Uy, Mykel Shannon Jenkins
Director: Quoc Bao Tran
Writer: Quoc Bao Tran
Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: August 2020 at Fantasia Film Festival
Style: Martial Arts, Comedy, Drama
More information on this movie can be found on its IMDB page.
The Three Tigers
I first heard about this film he Paper Tigers last year, probably around the time it was released. I saw the trailer and was intrigued but didn’t quite know what to expect. Fast forward to this year when it was widely available, got to see it and it was love at first watch. It’s a low budget very down to earth movie, with a fabulous cast full of heart (both the movie and the cast). The film stars Alain Uy, Ron Yuan and Mykel Shannon Jenkins as Danny, Hing and Jim. Our titular tigers who were once great fighters but went on their separate ways. Now middle age men they come together again and have to face their past. Sounds more dramatic than it is, don’t worry, just keep on reading.
Overview
Danny, Hing and Jim were Sifu Cheung’s only disciples. They trained with him since they were kids and tested their skills in many fights. The community named them The Three Tigers due to their many victories. These three childhood 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 overcome old grudges to avenge his death.
Movie review 9/10
The good
This film is a love letter to classic kung fu movies, it’s a very good one itself and is also a perspective on the Asian-American experience. Inspired by director Quoc Bao Tran’s own life growing up and his love of martial arts. At first sight one might think this adds strength to the stereotype of Asians and martial arts. But you can feel the love and respect for the culture, the genre and the identity in every character. The story takes place in Seattle, mainly in the Chinatown–International District. It’s a classic story, three students must find out who killed their Sifu and avenge him. But each character is far from a stereotype. Jim, Andy and Hing are three VERY different characters. They have taken very different paths in life. They are not the three tigers anymore but they must live up to their reputation for their Sifu’s.
The cast includes non other than Mathew Page, better known as Master Ken, as Carter. An old rival of the three tigers, turned Sifu in his own right, who likes quoting old Cantonese sayings and acts more Chinese than the Chinese. Roger Yuan as Sifu Cheung, a strict but loving teacher, respected by the local Asian community. Also in small but great role are Martial Club‘s own Andy and Brian Le, showing their amazing stunt skills and talent for comedy. Last but not least Ken Quitugua plays a very menacing bad guy as Zhen Fan.
The Bad
The only criticism I can make of the movie is that I personally would’ve liked to see more of the Tigers’ past. And more of Sifu Cheung and the martial arts community. But that’s just me.
Martial Arts Review 9/10
The Good
The fights are realistic but they don’t lack style. The flashbacks to when the tigers were young show some great action, those guys are great as young fit fighters in their prime. Current time tigers are old, they haven’t practiced in ages and it shows. But still as they regain a bit of their skills it’s not like they are back to their prime. They fight like people who spent a lot of their life doing that, they still have some of that. It’s just a bit buried under all that happened to them afterwards. Zhen Fan is the opposite, a slightly younger fighter who never stopped training and is as dangerous as they ever were if not more. Even Carter and some other secondary characters have their little moment to shine and they’re all amazing.
You can tell director Quoc Bao Tran clearly knows his stuff. And why shouldn’t he. Not only this is what he grew up with but he’s also a disciple of Corey Yuen (Drunken Master, Birth of the Dragon) one of the genre’s best known choreographers and directors who’s worked with Jackie Chan and Jet Li.
The Bad
Again I have but one complain here. I would’ve liked a bit more info on what Sifu Cheung taught. The main characters’ fighting style was crafted to look authentic and it certainly does. That’s good kung fu, no doubt about it but it clearly draws inspiration from more than one style. Is it really a bad thing? Not at all, I can totally understand why they might’ve chosen to do that. And it’s perfectly reasonable.
Avid kung fu nerds, practitioners of the Chinese martial arts and people from related areas will notice a few things. My personal favorite is that you can tell what style Sifu Wong (Carter’s teacher) teaches by a few shots of his school. And that’s also reflected in how Carter fights. This is not a bad thing but it is related to the what I said in the paragraph just above this one, so I put it here.
Overall Rating and Review: 9/10
What more can I say that I haven’t already said? If you love classic kung fu movies you’ll probably like this masterpiece. Great action, character development, love and respect for the culture. It’s a drama about modern life and the Asian-American identity and also a comedy. I’m pretty sure this will become a classic with time, or at least I hope so. Go watch it if you can and leave your thoughts in the comments section.
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