What’s It About
The story centers on a normal boy, Tom, who gets drawn into this world against his wishes when his eccentric grandmother who he lives with in San Francisco’s Chinatown turns out to be the guardian of the phoenix egg. When his grandmother perishes in battle and is spirited away in a ghost cart, Tom must apprentice with an unlikely mentor – a tiger, Mr. Hu – to learn ancient magic and become the egg’s new protector. They team with an unlikely band of exotic creatures, each representing a different sign of the Chinese zodiac, who can morph into human form while retaining their innate animal characteristics.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
So, we got this kid, Tom Lee, played by Brandon Soo Hoo, living in San Fran with his grandma, Kheng Hua Tan. Their house is filled with all these little trinkets and stuff, making folks think his grandma’s on some witchy vibe. Tom’s just trying to do his high school thing, but then, bam! He accidentally launches a bully into the ceiling, and it’s like, “Hold up, what’s going on?” Next thing, this shady character, Loo, played by Michelle Yeoh, comes out of the woodwork wanting this magical necklace Tom’s grandma has been keeping safe. This thing’s got the kind of power that could mess the world up big time in the wrong hands. Okay, enough of that. This film is supposed to be an Asian representation, but the way they talk to each other and the soundtrack is totally geared towards a more young Afrocentric audience. The movie tries to do a couple of things at once. It’s got Tom figuring out all these tales his grandma told him ain’t just stories—they’re for real. On top of that, he’s got to step up, train, and fight Loo before she destroys the planet and removes all human life. To further dumb down the story, they make it easy to spot the bad guys. Creepy black spirit-like manifestations against the very colorful, white-light aura-enhanced heroes, modeled after and inspired by the Chinese zodiac. They want us to be all amazed by this, but it’s like they hit fast-forward, and we’re just trying to keep up. Then there’s Räv, who kinda just pops in without much reason. She’s teased as Tom’s potential crush, but it doesn’t really go anywhere. It feels like they threw her in just because she’s essential in the books and maybe for sequels. When Tom gets his hands on the necklace, he gets saved by Hu (Henry Golding), a tiger from the Zodiac crew who can switch up into a human. Hu says, “Alright, I guess I gotta show you the ropes,” and introduces Tom to the rest of the gang, including a dragon and a sneaky rat. They get into all these battles, and it’s all on Tom to save the day. Seriously, once you get past the incredible cast and the setting, the movie doesn’t bring much new to the table. It feels like another one of those “ordinary kid finds out they’re special” stories. The pacing’s all rushed, making it challenging to really get into the characters or feel like the stakes are high. And the soundtrack? They got Flo Rida’s “Low” playing in a scene with grandma? Come on, now. For those deep into Chinese culture or stories, you’ll get the references. But the movie’s so quick to jump into action it skips on building up the characters or their world. It’s a short movie, and cutting it down meant we lost out on getting more attached. The animation’s decent, though. They did something extraordinary by giving the zodiac animals and the spiritual stuff a unique look that stands out. But even with slightly above-normal visuals, you need a story that holds up. The big names in the cast don’t even get enough screen time to shine because everything’s moving too fast. If you blinked, it’s like you missed Greta Lee’s part as the Rabbit. It’s not like “The Tiger’s Apprentice” is trash. It’s got some fun moments, and the voice actors are on point. It’s an okay watch for families, and it should get kids curious about the stories it’s based on. But overall, it’s a missed chance to dive deeper into some really cool mythology and give us something fresh. Feels like they had all the pieces for something magical but couldn’t quite put it together. Hopefully, if they make a sequel, they take their time and give us the story and the characters the attention they deserve.
OUR RATING – A FIRELESS DRAGON 6
MEDIA
- Genre – Fantasy
- Street date
- Digital – May 14, 2024.
- DVD – May 28, 2024
- Video – 1080p
- Screen size – 2.39:1
- Sound – English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
- Subtitles – English SDH
Extras
- The Power of the 12
- The Tiger’s Troupe: The Epic Cast
- From Apprentice to Hero
- The Magic of Chinatown