Analyzing the cast alone, one would assume that “The Tiger’s Apprentice” marks a significant leap in the representation of Asians in animated motion pictures. That Wendy Yee, Meng’er Zhang, and Michelle Yeoh provide voices for the characters proves the point. What is offered in the film, however, suggests that the filmmakers devoted little resources to the actual film instead of the time-consuming effort of casting superstars. It is a film that offers a few laughs and pleasant imagery but contrary to the exceptionally poor quality of the narrative, that is not nearly sufficient.
In the middle, we have Tom Lee (Brandon Soo Hoo). He is a rather ‘ordinary’ fifteen-year-old high school student. However, there is one thing that does differentiate him from his peers, he lives in San Francisco, and his home resembles something out of a fairytale, guarded by his grandmother (Kheng Hua Tan) who some people suspect might be a witch. Ever since Tom was a boy, he has been brought up by his grandmother in this house. His life seems to be like a fairytale until one day during a class brawl, Tom sends a bully flying towards the ceiling. That’s when he starts to question himself, because clearly something is not right, that very act gained malicious attention from Loo (Yeoh). A nefarious entity who craves a mystical necklace which Tom’s Granma has been safeguarding for years. The necklace possesses unimaginable power, capable of mass destruction, which is why it should never be placed in the wrong hands.
With the necklace in his possession, Hu (Golding), a tiger who turns into a man and is one of the twelve guardians of the Zodiac, rescues him from the “evil” of Loos. To rescue Tom, Hu plays the part of mentor, teaching him how to one day become a guardian himself. He also introduces Tom to the rest of the team, the most notable being the dragon Mistral (Oh) and the sneaky rat thief Sidney (Yang). After many battles between the good and evil forces of the universe, in the end, the world’s fate lies in the balance and Tom is responsible.
Beyond the captivating cast and Asian themes, “The Tiger’s Apprentice” is neither new nor creative. I have not read the 2003 YA novel by Laurence Yep, but a glance at the plot recap on Wikipedia hints to me that a story that attempted to shovel Chinese mythology into the modern world has now been softened to feel like just another fantasy epic around the lines of Harry Potter and its many, many, many, many, copies. Rather than create something new and captivating for their younger audience, the filmmakers are satisfied with spoon-feeding the viewers the same content over and over again. Instead of giving the younger audience some new and interesting, the filmmakers have settled and the end result is one of those odd films where you know everything that is about to happen well in advance, yet can’t recall what actually took place in the film.
The other key issue is how the movie seems to waste its biggest asset: that astonishing cast. With multi-talented actors, one would assume that each would be given adequate screen time to showcase their talent. But due to a combination of a rushed narrative and a cramped running time (the film is just over 80 minutes long and the credits begin to roll), many of their parts end up being quite forgettable. Besides Yeoh and Golding, who play two of the major characters, and Yang, who gets to be the comedic relief, none of the others are able to make much of an impression. So much so that I am certain Greta Lee, who plays the Rabbit, has no lines whatsoever. Ironically, at a time like this where people are complaining that movies are too long, here’s one that could have benefitted from an extra 15-20 minutes. That length could have certainly given the story and characters some room to breathe.
Striking animations and a few amusing moments aside, “The Tiger’s Apprentice” is not outright horrible. Rather, it is one of those exasperating projects that brings together all the components of a truly creative film only to fail to utilize them.
It may even be lively and colourful enough to keep younger viewers reasonably satisfied as it unspools. Perhaps if enough of them watch it, it will motivate for a sequel that puts more effort into developing promising mythology and characters the way they, and we, deserve.
For more movies like The Tiger’s Apprentice (2024) visit on 123movies
