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‘The Paper Tigers’ Is an Action-Packed Kung Fu Flick That Just Hit Netflix's Top Movies List

Netflix's list of available movies is constantly changing, but that usually means there's a little something for everybody. Whether you want to rewatch the Twilight saga or revisit forgotten Sandra Bullock flicks from the mid-’90s, you can typically find what you need.

Now, there's a 2020 action comedy that's been added to the streaming site, and it's sure to please fans of martial arts films like The Karate Kid or TV shows like Cobra Kai. (Did we mention it already reached number six on Netflix's list of most-watched movies?)

Titled The Paper Tigers, the movie follows three middle-aged men (Alain Uy, Ron Yuan and Mykel Shannon Jenkins), who feel they are losing the talent they exhibited for kung fu from a very young age. Although the trio puts their hobby in the past, they are pulled right back in when their respected teacher mysteriously dies.

Due to the close relationship these men forged, they decide to team up (once again) to try and figure out what really happened to their beloved master. “I swear to be loyal to my brothers to the very day I die,” they chant together in the clip.

The Paper Tigers is the first feature length film from Tran Quoc Bao, who has written and directed short films like The Challenger and Bookie. Meanwhile, Yuji Okumoto, who is known for his roles in The Karate Kid II and Cobra Kai, handled production on the film, in addition to making a small appearance.

Critics loved the film, as indicated by its nearly perfect score (98 percent) on Rotten Tomatoes. Justin Harrison for The Spool said, “The Paper Tigers weaves back and forth between comedy and drama throughout its runtime, and it does that weaving with grace and skill across multiple tempos.”  Meanwhile, Beatrice Loayza for the New York Times wrote, “Bao's lighthearted, refreshing approach neither succumbs to whitewashing nor the model-minority myth.”

We know what we'll be watching this weekend.

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calfee

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Joel is the former Associate Editor for News & Entertainment and has been reporting on all things pop culture for over 5 years. Before working at PureWow, he served as a Features Editor at ROCKET Magazine. When he's not dissecting the latest trends in entertainment (or guiding you on what to watch), he covers all the hottest red carpet looks and fashion movements. When he steps away from the keyboard, you can likely find him at an NYC concert, thrift store or LGBTQ+ bookstore happily perusing the shelves.