67
Metascore
14 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 87Paste MagazineAndrew CrumpPaste MagazineAndrew CrumpThe realness Tran weaves into his story is welcome, but the smart filmmaking is what makes The Paper Tigers a delight from start to finish.
- 80Film ThreatAlan NgFilm ThreatAlan NgThe Paper Tigers presents a fresh take on an old genre.
- 75The Seattle TimesSoren AndersenThe Seattle TimesSoren AndersenIt’s a fun, satisfying picture.
- 75IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichTran’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.
- 70Los Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaLos Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaPaper 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.
- 70VarietyJessica KiangVarietyJessica KiangThe 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.
- 70Screen DailyJohn BerraScreen DailyJohn BerraIt’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.
- 70The New York TimesBeatrice LoayzaThe New York TimesBeatrice LoayzaBao’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.
- 67The Film StageJared MobarakThe Film StageJared MobarakPicking 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.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleBob StraussSan Francisco ChronicleBob StraussUndergirding 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.