Today’s quick review: Young Tiger. Cab driver Chien Chen (Charlie Chin) lands in hot water when a woman being chased by a gang of criminals dies in his cab. The gang believes that she gave Chen the purse she was carrying, so they attack and harrass him in order to get it. Chen must team up with Ho Mai-Wah (Qiu Yuen), an undercover cop and the sister of the deceased, to turn the table on the gang’s boss (Nan Chiang) and his lieutenant (Jackie Chan).
Young Tiger is a martial arts crime movie that pits a brave cabbie and a talented police officer against a drug kingpin and his men. The movie’s half-decent plot revolves around a missing purse that the criminals desperately want back. But what modest potential the movie has is let down by sloppy cinematography, uncompelling acting, and stunts that fall well short of other films in the genre. The result is a forgettable and unsatisfying watch.
Young Tiger has a few minor points in its favor that aren’t enough to overcome its weaknesses. Qiu Yuen is a capable martial artist, though her stunts are less spectacular and somewhat more strained than harder-hitting entries into the genre. The skeleton of the plot works just fine, a crime movie where an innocent bystander gets dragged into a criminal conflict with a fair amount of backstory to reveal. But that’s really as far as Young Tiger goes.
The weaknesses of the film are glaring. Aside from Qiu Yuen’s fights, the stunts are sparing, unimaginative, and stick mostly to the basics. Chien Chen is a neutral protagonist with no real skills of his own. The plot lingers on Chen being harrassed by the gang and back-loads the events that matter. Jackie Chan is almost a nonentity, with no real personality or role to play in the story. Low production values also hurt the film at a technical level.
Young Tiger has very little to offer that other films don’t do better. Martial arts fans who are looking for a short dose of action may get something out of it, but most viewers will find that the quality simply isn’t there. Young Tiger doesn’t make any single mistake that dooms it, but it falls short due to a variety of shortcomings that pile up quickly. The result is a flick that’s forgettable and not especially entertaining.
For a martial arts movie with a similar plot and better stunts, try Rumble in the Bronx.
3.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 4.5 for a decent plot and martial arts let down by weak acting, writing, and overall execution.