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James Mottram

2/5 stars
Long delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, The Tiger’s Apprentice is a lively but limited animated fantasy that is finally being streamed by Paramount+.
The film is directed by Raman Hui Shing-ngai, the Hong Kong-born director and animator who enjoyed huge success with the live-action/animation hybrid Monster Hunt (2015) and its 2018 sequel.
Adapted from the 2003 novel of the same name by Laurence Yep, this brightly coloured adventure begins in Hong Kong, with a woman and a child attacked by luminous-green, dragon-like monsters as they drive across a bridge.


Protecting them from this assault is a tiger and a menagerie of other talking creatures – members of the Zodiac, a group of animal warriors out to ward off evil. It’s a dramatic opening, especially with the introduction of the white-faced villainess Loo (Michelle Yeoh), who craves absolute power.
Cut to San Francisco 15 years later and the child is now a yellow-hoodie-wearing teen named Tom Lee (Brandon Soo Hoo). Like any other adolescent, he wants to fit in.
“I just want to be normal,” he says, although he’s already aware he has special untapped powers when he throws an unruly fellow pupil into the ceiling of the school corridor.

As he soon discovers, his grandmother Mrs Lee (Kheng Hua Tan), who spends most of her time speaking in riddles, is a guardian of an ancient phoenix egg, and it was she that was driving him in the car all those years earlier.
But when she dies, Tom must take on the mantle of protector. He meets again with the tiger, Mr Hu (Henry Golding), who teaches him the ways of ancient magic as they strive to ensure the powerful phoenix egg doesn’t fall into the hands of Loo.
While it’s a promising set-up for a story, The Tiger’s Apprentice quickly descends into a messy, unfocused adventure that relies on chaotic fight scenes as Mr Hu’s Zodiac crew power up in the battle against Loo and her cronies.

To its credit, the film’s voice talent is second to none – Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh and Past Lives star Greta Lee all also feature. And there are moments of humour to savour, like an amusing use of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger”.
Yet this is largely an uninspiring adaptation that brazenly cherry-picks from Chinese mythology. Flavoured with a hip-hop soundtrack that feels entirely incongruous, it’s all in service of a flaccid story that rarely engages the brain.
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The Tiger’s Apprentice movie review: Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding can’t save this messy animation based on Chinese mythology

Tom (voiced by Brandon Soo Hoo) and Mr Hu the tiger (Henry Golding) in a still from “The Tiger’s Apprentice”, a new fantasy animation directed by Raman Hui and co-starring the voice of Michelle Yeoh. Photo: Paramount Pictures/Paramount+

Tom (left, voiced by Brandon Soo Hoo) and Loo (Michelle Yeoh) in a still from “The Tiger’s Apprentice”. Photo: Paramount Pictures/Paramount+

A still from “The Tiger’s Apprentice”. Photo: Paramount Pictures/Paramount+

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A teenage boy discovers he has special powers and must team up with a crew of Chinese zodiac animals to protect an ancient phoenix egg from an evil villainess
Adapted from the novel of the same name, this brightly coloured adventure sets itself up promisingly but quickly descends into a chaotic, unfocused adventure


Directed by Raman Hui and starring the voices of Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding and Brandon Soo Hoo, The Tiger’s Apprentice is a messy, unfocused animation that cherry-picks from Chinese mythology.


Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Asian cinema: Chinese films

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An assessment or critique of a service, product or creative endeavour.  Film reviews, restaurant reviews, reviews of art exhibitions. (Eg. Crazy Rich Asians: an important film, yes, but a good one?)


Review

Review | The Tiger’s Apprentice movie review: Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding can’t save this messy animation based on Chinese mythology