[3] It stars Alain Uy, Ron Yuan and Mykel Shannon Jenkins as three middle-aged former kung fu prodigies who set out to avenge the murder of their master.

But when their master is murdered, they must juggle their dead-end jobs and dad duties, and overcome old grudges to avenge his death.

Those who opposed wanted to advocate for different stories for Asian Americans instead of a martial arts film, which is often considered a stereotype.

While Tran is aware of the history of Asian caricatures in the U.S., this story was based on his and the producers' personal experiences growing up as well as their love for martial arts.

"[3][6][13] Tran included both experiences in his director's statement as part of the movie's press kit, which can be found on the slider on Well Go USA's website.

[17] They were also able to draw interest from local investors, including a donor who studied under Bruce Lee, and were able to secure about $1 million for their shooting budget.

[15][21][22] The main cast Alain Uy, Ron Yuan and Mykel Shannon Jenkins became friends while filming.

[27] On September 7, 2019, the crew planned to shoot the final fight on a rooftop at night, but a large thunderstorm delayed five hours of filming.

The critics consensus reads: "The Paper Tigers blends action, comedy, and heart to produce a fresh martial arts movie with plenty of throwback charm.

"[35] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 68 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

[38] In a review of the film for Tae Kwon Do Life Magazine, Marc Zirogiannis called it "a testament to the creative vision of its creator and the clear 'Buy In' of the cast and crew.

"[39] Jessica Kiang of Variety stated in a review that "Tran's irresistibly good-humored debut is a diverting blend of Hong Kong and Hollywood that delivers, on a slender, Kickstarter-enhanced budget, a rousing roundhouse hug to both traditions.