Yeoh Ep. 57 - The Tiger's Apprentice (2024)

[00:00:00] Hello and welcome to Episode 57 of The Complete Works, Season 3.

[00:00:29] A deep dive into career and films of actor Michelle Yeoh.

[00:00:33] My name is Mike Smith, and joining me on this journey into the Yoaverse is my friend

[00:00:38] co-host and fellow Psychiopath.

[00:00:40] Mike, to be exact, hi, Jimmy, I'm doing great.

[00:00:43] It's exciting to be back here in Season 3 even though we haven't had any of Season 4 yet,

[00:00:48] so it's like not really going back.

[00:00:50] We've been talking a lot about starting Season 4 but yeah, we haven't actually gotten

[00:00:54] around to do any of that.

[00:00:55] Yeah, but intellectually going back in time to Season 3.

[00:00:59] Exactly, yes.

[00:01:00] Which we just went into, it was like a little over a month ago we did the brother's son.

[00:01:04] Yes.

[00:01:05] Right?

[00:01:06] So it has not been that long since we've left Michelle Yeoh.

[00:01:10] This time around, we are returning to her filmography to talk about a movie that simply does

[00:01:15] not exist.

[00:01:16] Allegedly, there is a film.

[00:01:17] Allegedly, we both watched this but yeah, I don't know, debatable.

[00:01:22] Yeah, to just...

[00:01:24] Sure he's still out.

[00:01:25] Yeah, exactly.

[00:01:26] Today's film has been in the works for a very long time.

[00:01:30] It is based on a book called The Tiger's Apprentice which is a young adult fantasy novel released

[00:01:35] in 2003.

[00:01:36] Mike, do you're an English master?

[00:01:37] Are you familiar with this book at all?

[00:01:39] I am not.

[00:01:40] Okay.

[00:01:41] I mean, I guess I was a young adult.

[00:01:42] I mean, I was in like eighth grade.

[00:01:45] Yeah, you would have been like target audience for this book when it came out.

[00:01:48] Yeah, so somehow missed it.

[00:01:50] Yeah.

[00:01:51] I was too busy reading a...

[00:01:52] Oh, what was it?

[00:01:53] Matt Christopher.

[00:01:54] The sports books for children.

[00:01:57] You don't know, you don't know young adult...

[00:01:58] You don't know.

[00:01:59] I have no idea what you're talking about.

[00:02:01] Which books...

[00:02:02] Are you talking about like...

[00:02:04] I remember there was a young adult series where like, Shulis Joe Jackson came back to life

[00:02:08] or something.

[00:02:09] You know, I honestly couldn't tell you a single thing that happened in any of the books

[00:02:13] that I...

[00:02:14] Okay.

[00:02:15] I think his author's name was Matt Christopher but it was just all like books about sports

[00:02:20] about like a narrative story that happened to be like hockey or basketball or whatever.

[00:02:25] Right.

[00:02:26] And it's just like anytime anyone in my class had a book report to do or whenever there were

[00:02:30] book reports, all the guys boys would like fight over like I'm doing that Christopher this

[00:02:34] time because you know...

[00:02:36] Yeah, anyway.

[00:02:38] Okay, I don't remember that at all.

[00:02:40] Maybe that was a long island thing.

[00:02:42] That's the...

[00:02:43] Maybe it was just my school library only had those books.

[00:02:46] That might be it.

[00:02:47] So our big one was...

[00:02:49] There was the like my teacher is an alien series which in that author had a few other

[00:02:53] books like that.

[00:02:54] Do you remember those ones?

[00:02:56] I've heard of those.

[00:02:57] Yeah.

[00:02:58] Okay, yeah.

[00:02:59] I used to read those a lot and really like those.

[00:03:00] I remember nothing about them other than I assume his teacher was an alien.

[00:03:03] So you know how just a total microcosm of how the way that Google is useless now?

[00:03:07] Yeah.

[00:03:08] You search Matt Christopher American writer the photo just a football.

[00:03:12] It's just a football.

[00:03:17] For the listener might be put his phone up on the screen to show me that the photo

[00:03:22] is in fact just a football, just a football.

[00:03:25] But yes, he was an author wrote things such American classics as The Kid Who Only Hit

[00:03:32] Home Runs, The Dirt Bike Racer, Catcher with a Glass Arm, Tough to Tackle, The Basketball

[00:03:38] Accounts and stuff like that.

[00:03:40] Okay.

[00:03:41] The hockey machine.

[00:03:42] The Kid Who Only Hit Home Runs does sound kind of familiar.

[00:03:46] Sounds pretty tight to fourth grade me.

[00:03:47] Yeah, but I also feel like I've read like a million books that had variations of that

[00:03:51] kind of title like the kid who ran for president or like that kind of thing which was definitely

[00:03:58] a real book.

[00:03:59] I also remember nothing about in any case, The Tigers Apprentice was one of these books.

[00:04:04] Yes, correct.

[00:04:05] That's what we're getting at.

[00:04:06] And the book was a solid hit.

[00:04:07] Spawned two more books.

[00:04:08] It formed a trilogy and again a fan base with young kids.

[00:04:12] Part two network took notice of this fan base and in 2008 they announced a TV movie adaptation

[00:04:18] of the novel, which would have been a live action slash animated hybrid.

[00:04:23] And that project eventually fizzled out, never really went anywhere.

[00:04:27] And then a few years later in March 2019 Paramount announced a fully animated adaptation

[00:04:33] of the novel which they intended to be released into theaters.

[00:04:38] And if you take note of that date March 2019, you may notice it was a few months after

[00:04:42] a little movie called Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse had just hit theaters.

[00:04:47] Wow, interesting.

[00:04:48] Yes.

[00:04:49] And that is significant.

[00:04:50] I mean, it was about to be in the Oscar for Best Animated Feature or maybe had just won

[00:04:54] that.

[00:04:55] But as a disgruntled letter box user who worked on the movie pointed out Paramount had

[00:05:00] its eyes dead set on bruising a spider-verse knockoff with this film.

[00:05:05] I think Spider-Verse has been like a general net good for American animation.

[00:05:09] There's been a lot of more stylized, cooler animated movies in the last few years as a result

[00:05:14] of the success of Spider-Verse, like much of the first of the machines or the Ninja Turtles

[00:05:17] movie.

[00:05:18] But we also have this.

[00:05:20] So he takes the big good with the band.

[00:05:25] And then came the delays.

[00:05:27] Every other movie in production during this time it was affected by the COVID pandemic.

[00:05:32] The original director actually left the project and a new director was hired.

[00:05:36] Constantly rights were happening supposedly through 2023, which is not that long ago.

[00:05:42] That's very recent.

[00:05:44] Yes.

[00:05:45] And it seemed like nobody was really happy with the final product.

[00:05:48] Paramount did, however, get Bob Parachetti, one of the directors of the original Spider-Verse

[00:05:53] on board as a producer.

[00:05:55] So there's that.

[00:05:56] At least there's that.

[00:05:57] Yeah, they got him.

[00:05:58] So finally, a movie that was originally intended to be released in theaters in 2022 was instead

[00:06:06] dumped on Paramount Plus in 2024 two years later.

[00:06:10] And since Michelle Yo is in it, we have got to talk about the Tigers apprentice.

[00:06:15] Hey, wait, wait, wait, hold on.

[00:06:18] Are you okay?

[00:06:19] Yeah.

[00:06:20] Great.

[00:06:21] Okay, I'll be right back.

[00:06:22] Oh, yes.

[00:06:23] Oh!

[00:06:24] Oh!

[00:06:25] Oh!

[00:06:26] Oh!

[00:06:27] Oh!

[00:06:28] You see thunder there.

[00:06:32] Um?

[00:06:33] Are you okay?

[00:06:34] Do I know you, man?

[00:06:35] No.

[00:06:36] But I've been watching over you your whole life.

[00:06:37] Who are you?

[00:06:38] Whoa.

[00:06:39] I know.

[00:06:40] I know.

[00:06:41] I know.

[00:06:42] I know.

[00:06:43] I know.

[00:06:44] I know.

[00:06:45] I know.

[00:06:46] I know.

[00:06:47] I know.

[00:06:48] I know.

[00:06:49] I know.

[00:06:50] I know.

[00:06:51] I know it's cool.

[00:06:52] Your grandmother was a guardian.

[00:06:54] Sworn to protect humanity.

[00:06:56] Now the duty of protecting you is yours.

[00:07:01] Haha, very funny, right?

[00:07:03] It's time to start your train.

[00:07:05] Oh, it's on.

[00:07:06] Whoa!

[00:07:07] Okay, hold on.

[00:07:08] No, no, no, no.

[00:07:09] Wait, how did you know I was going to survive?

[00:07:17] I didn't.

[00:07:18] Is that a dragon?

[00:07:19] Show off.

[00:07:20] It will be my honor to guide you.

[00:07:21] Wait, we're getting to dim sum?

[00:07:22] Not everything is what it seems, kid.

[00:07:25] Berkis Odeak.

[00:07:26] Sworn to protect the guardian.

[00:07:28] Who's the featherweight?

[00:07:29] I am Tom.

[00:07:30] Lactose intolerant and guardian of a Steph Curry rookie car.

[00:07:33] Why?

[00:07:34] Feel the power inside you.

[00:07:37] Oh, yeah.

[00:07:41] Wait, you don't talk to do you?

[00:07:43] This is about to be all.

[00:07:45] We need you for what's coming.

[00:07:48] Who said kids can't fly?

[00:07:50] No, you ain't afraid of this young.

[00:07:52] I don't know if I can be who you need me to be.

[00:07:55] Your grandma believed in you.

[00:07:57] It's in your blood.

[00:07:58] I've waited a thousand years for this new world.

[00:08:00] I'm not afraid of this.

[00:08:02] I'm not afraid of this.

[00:08:04] I'm not afraid of this.

[00:08:06] I'm not afraid of this.

[00:08:08] I've waited a thousand years for this moment.

[00:08:15] I am the guardian.

[00:08:16] We've got this.

[00:08:17] Zodiac!

[00:08:18] Oh, yeah.

[00:08:29] You know that it's coming.

[00:08:31] Yeah, set it this around you.

[00:08:34] So the Tigers apprentice stars Michelle Yo as Lou an evil sorceress and the film's main villain.

[00:08:42] The lead of the film, the titular Tigers apprentice, is Tom Lee an average high school student thrust into an extravagant adventure.

[00:08:50] He is played by Brandon Suhu, best known as the kid from Tropic Thunder who led the compound to capture the main characters.

[00:08:56] Oh my god.

[00:08:57] Incredible.

[00:08:59] He's also on one episode of community.

[00:09:01] That aired maybe a few months after Tropic Thunder did where he plays like a fake Chang and Abed's movie.

[00:09:08] Yeah, yes.

[00:09:10] 100%.

[00:09:11] So yeah, it's that kid.

[00:09:12] He plays the main character in this movie.

[00:09:14] He gets involved with the creatures of the Zodiac.

[00:09:17] Mainly Mr. Hu, aka Tiger, who is played by Henry Golding which makes this a three-peat YoRy union after the crazy rich Asians and last Christmas.

[00:09:27] Who could have seen that come in Mike?

[00:09:28] He's creeping up there.

[00:09:29] He'll be in the five-time risk club in no time.

[00:09:31] Yes, absolutely.

[00:09:32] He's going to be joining Maggie Chung.

[00:09:33] They'll be the only two in the five-time risk club.

[00:09:35] Yeah.

[00:09:36] Also in the movie are Lucy Liu as new quad, the frog guardian which also makes this a Kung Fu Panda 2 reunion by the way.

[00:09:42] Sandra O as Mistrel the dragon, SNL's Bowen Yang as Sydney the rats who will also appear with Michelle Yo in Wicked later this year.

[00:09:50] He's also in that movie.

[00:09:52] Oh.

[00:09:53] A future reunion.

[00:09:54] Exactly.

[00:09:55] A pre-union, if you will.

[00:09:57] All right, sure.

[00:09:59] Leah Lewis from Pixar's Elemental plays Raav Tom's friend Sherry Kola from Joyride plays Naomi the Monkey.

[00:10:06] This year's terrible Golden Globes host Joe Koi plays Rooster.

[00:10:10] Greta Lee from Past Lives plays Rabbit, stuntwoman Diana Lee in Asanto who played a supporting role on Asoka.

[00:10:17] She plays Horse, Patrick Galger who played Attila the Hun and the Nett of the Museum movies.

[00:10:22] And who is the main bad guy in Ghost of Tsushima the video game?

[00:10:25] He plays Dog.

[00:10:26] Which does Dog even have lines?

[00:10:28] He must have at least one.

[00:10:30] I guess you're right.

[00:10:31] Yeah.

[00:10:32] Poppy Liu from the after party plays Snake, Josh Zuckerman, the main character from the college comedy Sex Drive.

[00:10:39] And also recently from Oppenheimer.

[00:10:41] He was in that movie as well.

[00:10:42] He plays Rudy and the film director Ramon Hui makes a cameo as a radio announcer.

[00:10:47] A pretty stacked cast, all things considered.

[00:10:49] Like there's a lot of names in here.

[00:10:51] I feel like of late we've recognized that as not necessarily a confident, inspiring thing,

[00:10:57] particularly with the legend of whatever the Hank movie.

[00:11:01] I can never remember.

[00:11:03] I was the theory of Hank.

[00:11:04] The theory of Hank that one.

[00:11:06] I can never remember what order those two things go in.

[00:11:08] Yes, positive theory.

[00:11:09] The legend of Hank, of course, which as we must know every time is a kids remake of

[00:11:14] blazing saddles.

[00:11:15] Yes.

[00:11:16] Tiger's apprentice not related to blazing saddles.

[00:11:19] And so maybe it has like a little bit of a leg up on positive theory.

[00:11:22] At the same time, it doesn't have the quality of jokes that Blazing Saddles has.

[00:11:26] True.

[00:11:27] So even the the the water down kids version.

[00:11:31] Still kind of funny sometimes.

[00:11:33] Still like fun to mental.

[00:11:35] Like, oh, this is a pretty good joke that I remember.

[00:11:37] Yeah.

[00:11:38] So the Tiger's apprentice was written by David McGee who also co-wrote the screenplay for

[00:11:44] The School for Good and Evil starring Michelle.

[00:11:46] So he's popping back up again as well as Christopher Yost who was the co-writer of two

[00:11:51] Thor movies and a writer on the Mandalorian.

[00:11:53] And it was directed by Ramon Hui and animator for Dreamworks for many years before he made his

[00:11:58] feature directorial debut, the Chinese animated film Monster Hunt in 2015.

[00:12:03] I hear place the films original director Carlos Baina who is an animator known for his work

[00:12:07] with Pixar.

[00:12:08] The movie was, quote unquote, released on February 2nd, 2024.

[00:12:13] And if you weren't surfing Paramount Plus and instead went to the theater that day, you

[00:12:17] could have found out who the real agent Argyle was because Argyle opens number one of the

[00:12:21] box office.

[00:12:22] That's crazy.

[00:12:23] Yeah.

[00:12:24] I mean, that movie I think is considered a pretty big bomb.

[00:12:28] So I think it speaks to how poor the box office was for February the Argyle opened the

[00:12:32] number one.

[00:12:33] Yeah.

[00:12:34] I do.

[00:12:35] I've not gotten the chance to see Argyle yet.

[00:12:36] I do still kind of want to see it.

[00:12:37] I think it really speaks to what we talked about on the most recent episode of Mike and

[00:12:43] Mike go to the movies with our Mike makes make watch episode.

[00:12:46] And we were talking about nonstop, the Liam Neeson action movie like King of January February

[00:12:52] right there.

[00:12:53] And he's gone.

[00:12:54] Yeah.

[00:12:55] You're saying we're missing, we're missing Liam Neeson.

[00:12:56] We need, we need him back.

[00:12:58] So that movie's like Argyle or not number one at the box office.

[00:13:01] That's what I'm saying.

[00:13:03] Fair enough.

[00:13:04] Yeah, I do again still kind of want to see Argyle.

[00:13:07] It's a new Matthew Vaughan joint.

[00:13:08] And generally I like Matthew Vaughan films.

[00:13:10] That said, I actually never caught up with the King's Man.

[00:13:13] But I think you liked that right Mike?

[00:13:14] You were kind of a fan.

[00:13:15] I think I remember enjoying that.

[00:13:17] Yeah.

[00:13:18] You were a King's fan.

[00:13:19] I was a King's fan for the King's Man.

[00:13:21] I haven't thought about that movie since I watched it that one time.

[00:13:24] Right.

[00:13:25] I think I had a fun time watching it on HBO Max when we watched it.

[00:13:28] Yes, are you aware again?

[00:13:30] I have not seen the King's Man.

[00:13:32] I've not seen Argyle.

[00:13:33] But I do like King's Man one and then King's Man two is pretty good.

[00:13:36] Like, you know, it's okay.

[00:13:37] Are you aware about the twist at the end of Argyle?

[00:13:39] Yes.

[00:13:40] Yeah.

[00:13:41] I know about the post credit scene or whatever.

[00:13:43] Okay.

[00:13:44] It reveals the spoilers from Argyle.

[00:13:46] But yeah, Argyle and apparently takes place in the King's Man universe.

[00:13:51] Which I don't think Matthew Vaughn is technically allowed to do because Argyle is under a different

[00:13:56] studio than King's Man is.

[00:13:58] Amazing.

[00:13:59] So I'm curious how we got away with that.

[00:14:02] But anyway, Argyle opened up to number one that weekend.

[00:14:05] Also opening that weekend was a phantom event of the chosen season four episodes one

[00:14:10] through three which opened to number two which is some kind of Jesus show, I guess.

[00:14:14] I don't know.

[00:14:15] And they put the first episodes of the new season now in IMAX.

[00:14:18] And so, it opens number two again.

[00:14:20] Pretty weak top 10.

[00:14:21] The rest of the top 10 consists of the big keeper which rocks there's your January action

[00:14:25] movie right there Mike.

[00:14:26] I mean, true.

[00:14:27] Good stuff.

[00:14:28] Wanka also in the top 10 migration, Mean Girls, the new version anyone but you American

[00:14:33] fiction, poor things and Aquaman and the lost kingdom all in the top 10 that weekend.

[00:14:38] You know, it's fascinating.

[00:14:39] I went to IMAX or not IMAX.

[00:14:41] I went to HBO Max.

[00:14:43] They have a big banner ad for Aquaman, lost kingdom.

[00:14:46] I was like, no, it's asking for this.

[00:14:49] What do you guys do?

[00:14:50] What are you doing?

[00:14:51] Yeah, a movie that truly just kind of withered away at the box office.

[00:14:57] Like it's the DC universe so did not go out with the bang and went out with the whimper

[00:15:00] and it was Aquaman 2.

[00:15:01] I mean, to be fair to Aquaman 2 is at the tail end of like a rough year DC movies.

[00:15:06] There was four of them and they were all pretty mediocre.

[00:15:09] Yeah, it was going to have a hard uphill battle no matter what.

[00:15:12] You know, I guess it's credit.

[00:15:15] It came out.

[00:15:16] You know, it certainly did.

[00:15:18] If nothing else, Aquaman 2 was released into theaters, which is more you can say for

[00:15:22] some other WB properties.

[00:15:24] True.

[00:15:25] That's what I was going with.

[00:15:27] You know, just in general we would never obviously never advocate for the destruction

[00:15:31] of art or whatever it is they're doing over there.

[00:15:33] One of brothers.

[00:15:34] But like of all the movies to also be released, Tigers of Prentice?

[00:15:39] Come on.

[00:15:40] You know, I mean this feels like something that will be removed from Paramount Plus

[00:15:44] in a year for attacks right off, right?

[00:15:45] That 100%.

[00:15:46] Yeah.

[00:15:47] This is something that got worked on for 10 years in other variations of its current form

[00:15:55] since 2008.

[00:15:56] And then here we are with this movie, which is you know, a thing I guess it certainly

[00:16:02] is.

[00:16:03] The IMDB plot synopsis for the Tigers of Prentice reads, Tom Lee, a Chinese American boy

[00:16:08] after the death of his grandmother has to be apprentice to the talking tiger Mr.

[00:16:12] who and learn ancient magic to become the new guardian of an ancient Phoenix.

[00:16:16] Does this grandmother actually die in the movie?

[00:16:18] Doesn't she come back?

[00:16:19] So there's a moment where that pretends to be grandma?

[00:16:22] That might be what it is.

[00:16:23] Yeah, fair enough.

[00:16:24] But yeah, Tigers of Prentice might be, what are your overall thoughts on this movie?

[00:16:30] Somewhere overall thoughts on this movie or that I almost said that it should not have

[00:16:34] been released.

[00:16:35] Yeah.

[00:16:36] I mean, it's fine.

[00:16:40] It's nice.

[00:16:41] I rated it more than you did on Letterbox, but that's not really saying much.

[00:16:46] It's just a movie that exists, which is crazy.

[00:16:49] I think you can clearly see the moments like literally like individual shots in the movie

[00:16:56] were like, oh, you're trying this, despite a worse thing.

[00:16:58] Yeah.

[00:16:59] Like, oh, you're trying this.

[00:17:00] But it has a tenth of the visual flare or creativity.

[00:17:04] Everything looks just like that sort of stylized semi-photorealism thing that like, you

[00:17:11] know, I guess like Pixar or Dreamworks movies have a little bit without any of the interesting

[00:17:16] animation stuff that went into making Spider-Verse so interesting and visually exciting the

[00:17:22] first time we saw it.

[00:17:23] Like, holy shit.

[00:17:24] And I can't wait for you to watch.

[00:17:25] Push and boot the last wish so you could see what a good knockoff of that Spider-Verse

[00:17:31] looks like because that boot, like they're very clearly also trying to just let's do that.

[00:17:36] But it looks awesome as compared to this where it is just like just humans but like sometimes

[00:17:41] they're weird angles or whatever.

[00:17:43] Like, that's kind of like the only move they picked up on from Spider-Verse which is

[00:17:47] so strange.

[00:17:48] So yeah, and then on top of that, the plot is fine.

[00:17:51] I don't know.

[00:17:52] It's, you know, after episode 57 of these kind of loosely Chinese mythology, like action

[00:18:00] fantasy children story things.

[00:18:02] We saw it, I don't know, probably 20 times already and they're all better than this.

[00:18:06] So there's that.

[00:18:07] So yeah, full disclosure.

[00:18:09] I mean, I watched this movie like midday on Monday and it was like, you know, while

[00:18:14] I was sort of also working and I was, you know, watching the movie and paying attention

[00:18:18] to everyone's in a while.

[00:18:19] I would have to glance down on my phone, text somebody back and kind of get something

[00:18:23] done and then I would look back up at the movie worried that I'd like may have missed

[00:18:27] something.

[00:18:28] And then I would watch the movie and be like, no, no, I got it.

[00:18:31] It's, I never felt like I was missing anything anytime I had to look down and be on my phone

[00:18:36] for a minute or two, you know?

[00:18:38] It was just, yeah, it's a movie that is, it feels under budget.

[00:18:43] It feels very cheap, I think is the thing.

[00:18:45] Like, it looks very bad.

[00:18:48] You know, I think it does try to aim for some of these stylized Spider-Verse stuff but

[00:18:51] it mostly just has a very generic look to it.

[00:18:55] It's got a, you know, like I said, a pretty solid voice cast.

[00:18:57] Michelle Yo is here and I think it's interesting that she kind of keeps getting drawn to these

[00:19:02] sorts of movies or these sorts of projects that like steep heavily in Chinese mythology

[00:19:07] as if that's something that she's like trying actively to do maybe because this is the

[00:19:11] kind of thing that doesn't exist all that often in American cinema, you know?

[00:19:14] That's true.

[00:19:15] Yeah, that's a unique thing unto some of these projects that Michelle Yo keeps getting

[00:19:19] drawn to over and over again.

[00:19:20] Yeah, it just feels like a pretty lame watered down version.

[00:19:24] Have a lot of other things we've seen before.

[00:19:26] I think specifically American born Chinese, under the plus, which, you know, we watched

[00:19:32] I've seen the first three episodes of you've seen the first two.

[00:19:35] We reviewed it on the podcast a while back.

[00:19:37] Basically the same thing.

[00:19:38] I mean, it's the same story.

[00:19:40] It's, you know, a kid in high school who's just trying to fit in.

[00:19:43] He's kind of a weird dude and then he gets roped into this, you know, larger than life.

[00:19:48] Big Chinese fantasy dealing with all this mythology.

[00:19:52] And yeah, I don't know.

[00:19:53] I think American born Chinese really handled a lot better that show was much more charming

[00:19:57] than this movie, Tiger's Apprentice.

[00:20:00] Yeah, 100% agreed on that.

[00:20:01] And you know what I kept thinking about too?

[00:20:05] That one movie, oh man, I don't remember what it's called but it's like where all the

[00:20:09] like, I guess, you know, like Judeo Christian versions of these characters like with Jack

[00:20:14] Frost and the Easter buddy and like all those guys.

[00:20:16] It's like a guardian.

[00:20:17] You're talking about the Santa Claus three, the escape claws bike.

[00:20:21] I believe that's the movie that you're talking.

[00:20:24] That's exactly what it is.

[00:20:25] But, or Jackson, I think it would be a Martin Short.

[00:20:27] Now you're talking about Rise of the Guardians.

[00:20:30] Rise of the Guardians?

[00:20:31] Yes, that is absolutely it.

[00:20:34] And I was just like at least that movie looked interesting, you know, but this movie I think

[00:20:38] is just, it's just bland.

[00:20:40] Is it's biggest sin for being an animated, you know, action fantasy thing and it's just

[00:20:44] like, okay, there's, they're all just people until they, some of them turn into animals

[00:20:49] but mostly it's just people.

[00:20:51] Yeah.

[00:20:52] And then a lot of the, a lot of the actual like, you know, there's a lot of, you know,

[00:20:55] quippy one-liners, all that kind of stuff and all of that like really falls flat for

[00:20:59] me.

[00:21:00] I mean, I think all the characters feel very thin and all the humor just feels very same

[00:21:03] me and very forced.

[00:21:04] A lot of it rests on Bowen Yang to kind of do the thing.

[00:21:07] There's this like really interminable bit where Bowen Yang as the rat is introducing every

[00:21:13] member of the zodiac.

[00:21:14] Yeah.

[00:21:15] And I swear like, I got the bit started and I was like, okay, I get this and I looked down

[00:21:18] my phone, like sent out an email for work and he spent two minutes on there, looked back

[00:21:22] up and it was still going on.

[00:21:24] And I was like, what's happening?

[00:21:26] Yeah.

[00:21:27] There's 12 of them and they have to introduce all of them and they wait for Tiger to be

[00:21:31] the last one.

[00:21:32] Yeah.

[00:21:33] He can interrupt him and be like, okay, we get it.

[00:21:35] It's like you could have put him second.

[00:21:37] Like we understood the bit.

[00:21:38] We get what was going on here.

[00:21:42] Yeah, that goes on forever.

[00:21:43] And like there are so many, all the other characters feel do you feel so thin except for maybe

[00:21:50] grandma and the main character and Tiger, right?

[00:21:53] Like the main three people.

[00:21:55] But there are so many thin characters and they've already captured it cut down all

[00:21:59] the other zodiacs, right?

[00:22:01] Like most of them are already captured by Lou when their movie starts when we finally catch

[00:22:05] up to them in the present day.

[00:22:07] So it's like you've already cut this in half and the extra people that are left just

[00:22:11] have nothing.

[00:22:12] So I can't imagine what it would have been like if they had tried to have all 12 of them.

[00:22:16] It's just like such a nothing movie which is unfortunate because I was like, yes.

[00:22:19] I kind of want to be down for this kind of movie but it just really doesn't come together

[00:22:23] into anything entertaining or exciting or interesting.

[00:22:26] Yeah.

[00:22:27] It is however 75 minutes long so it does have that going for it.

[00:22:31] It's short.

[00:22:32] It doesn't feel that short.

[00:22:34] It's me watching it.

[00:22:36] It's a long 75 minutes but it is in fact, it's like 82 minutes or something but that's

[00:22:41] including credits.

[00:22:42] It's like a tight 75.

[00:22:44] Yeah.

[00:22:45] Yeah.

[00:22:46] I was planning to watch two movies before the day I watched this and I was like going

[00:22:52] to it as scrolling over to Tigers or Princess and I was like, please an hour 20, please

[00:22:56] an hour 20, please.

[00:22:57] And I hit play and it comes up in the progress bar an hour 22 minutes.

[00:23:00] I was like, yeah.

[00:23:01] Yeah.

[00:23:02] Thank God.

[00:23:03] It's so short but yeah, it doesn't make it go by fast.

[00:23:06] Yeah, exactly.

[00:23:07] And I will also say so I actually tried to watch this through legitimate means.

[00:23:12] I tried to watch this.

[00:23:13] I'm a plus isn't real nobody everybody does that.

[00:23:15] So here's the thing we I don't own Paramount Plus myself but my girlfriend's sister does

[00:23:21] and so my girlfriend like logged into her Paramount Plus account a while back and I

[00:23:25] don't think has ever used it or maybe used it to watch like I Carly when that was coming

[00:23:29] out.

[00:23:30] I think that's been canceled now.

[00:23:31] I went to go Paramount Plus and was like, hey, we have it.

[00:23:32] I can log in.

[00:23:33] Here we go.

[00:23:34] I tried to watch Tigers of Prentice.

[00:23:36] It wouldn't play.

[00:23:37] I would hit play and like a thing would come up that says we can't so like we're not supporting

[00:23:43] this content right now, you can't play it.

[00:23:45] Like it would just keep crashing every time I tried to play the movie Paramount Plus garbage

[00:23:49] app is and I've noticed this with a couple of different apps.

[00:23:52] Peacock is also an app that I have a lot issues with just like in terms of interface

[00:23:56] and in terms of like actually working to play the things I want to play.

[00:24:00] I'm sorry but were you trying to access something that you pay for?

[00:24:04] What's wrong?

[00:24:05] How dare you do that.

[00:24:06] Technically you don't pay for it, but that was my mistake.

[00:24:09] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:24:10] And so yeah, Paramount Plus did not want me to watch anything on the service.

[00:24:14] I couldn't click play at anything.

[00:24:15] I'm proud of you.

[00:24:16] And I'm going to watch Yellowstone if it doesn't work.

[00:24:19] What are you going to do?

[00:24:21] Exactly.

[00:24:22] The nation's grandfathers are yelling at their emotes and frustration.

[00:24:25] Yeah.

[00:24:26] Trying to watch Yellowstone on Paramount Plus.

[00:24:29] And I do believe there have been reports recently that like Paramount Plus and Peacock might

[00:24:32] be merging into one service.

[00:24:34] Yeah, I think that's going to be something that we're going to see with a lot of streaming

[00:24:37] services in the near future because there are too many of them and they need to combine

[00:24:41] and that unfortunately is going to raise the prices for the ones that do combine and turn

[00:24:44] into something else.

[00:24:45] And it's just going to be cable again but probably worse.

[00:24:48] I think it's going to be worse.

[00:24:49] Oh yeah.

[00:24:50] 100% worse.

[00:24:51] I think somebody forget who, what a film critic I was, what we follow on Twitter.

[00:24:57] I had a whole blog post about the lack of care that current streaming services put into

[00:25:02] their ad breaks because now they're all adding ad supported tiers and they will cut off

[00:25:07] mid sentence into things.

[00:25:09] At least when things were on TV and edited for TV, there were natural breaks or whatever

[00:25:13] right in the scene transition or in the conversations and stuff where they would insert

[00:25:17] an ad like somebody a human decided that it's like very clearly just like at 15 minutes

[00:25:25] and break like no matter what's going on or whatever.

[00:25:27] I was like holy shit.

[00:25:29] So yeah, once again, moral imperative learn how to, learn how to pirate it.

[00:25:32] Yeah.

[00:25:33] You've got to teach me your ways Mike.

[00:25:35] I rely on you for all of my pirating needs.

[00:25:37] So yeah, you got to teach me how to do things.

[00:25:39] Teach me how to steal music.

[00:25:40] I've been thinking about that recently like man, I would like to steal a lot of these

[00:25:42] and if the government every music is scared.

[00:25:44] Music is scared.

[00:25:45] That's why this was all a joke.

[00:25:46] This was all a joke.

[00:25:47] Yeah, we're fingers across the whole time.

[00:25:48] Yeah.

[00:25:49] Should I get a VPN mic?

[00:25:51] Is that something I should look into?

[00:25:53] That could be a thing to look into.

[00:25:54] Yeah, fair enough.

[00:25:56] All that said, Michelle is in the Tiger's apprentice.

[00:26:00] I got to imagine she's not even aware that it's out right now.

[00:26:03] I feel like I might have seen like a single Instagram story slide.

[00:26:07] Like you know what I mean?

[00:26:08] I mixed into it with other shit going on.

[00:26:09] I was just like, oh this movie's out now and then there was like just no other good

[00:26:12] management.

[00:26:13] Yeah.

[00:26:14] So I'm social media manager was like, oh shit.

[00:26:16] I did post it.

[00:26:17] Yeah, fair enough.

[00:26:19] Yeah, fair enough.

[00:26:20] So yeah, it's one of those things like I would imagine she spent like an afternoon

[00:26:24] recording this like two years ago and just forgot about it.

[00:26:28] Like I would.

[00:26:29] Yeah.

[00:26:30] Probably four years ago now if they were supposed to come out in 2022 right?

[00:26:34] That's true.

[00:26:35] Yeah, it would have been a while ago or I'm not sure when the voice cast was locked in

[00:26:38] or anything like that.

[00:26:40] But what did you think of Michelle Yo as Lou in the movie Mike?

[00:26:44] I think Michelle Yo is perfectly fine, which is a crazy thing to hear me say on this podcast.

[00:26:52] She's not bad like obviously it's Michelle yo.

[00:26:55] I don't think she could I don't think she could try to be bad.

[00:26:59] She's fine.

[00:27:00] And I think that really just is another like knock against this movie is just like he

[00:27:04] just like the legend of pause or whatever the fuck like a theory the legend of Hank

[00:27:10] Mike.

[00:27:11] It's funny if I don't ever try to remember it.

[00:27:16] But like you know she had like two lines in that movie or whatever even though there were

[00:27:20] scenes where in that movie her characters in the background just with no dialogue and

[00:27:23] you're like what are you doing?

[00:27:25] At least this movie, she is the villain.

[00:27:28] She's the main villain.

[00:27:29] She's got a lot going on a lot of air quotes to do.

[00:27:32] But it just feels like the character isn't particularly interesting or exciting other

[00:27:37] than she wants the Phoenix thing to destroy the kill humans or whatever to destroy the world.

[00:27:43] And that's it for 70 minutes, you know.

[00:27:45] It's like okay I guess you know she starts off at the beginning of the scary on the bridge.

[00:27:49] Yep.

[00:27:50] And she's the exact same there as she is at the very end so yeah.

[00:27:53] I mean I do think yeah I'm in total agreement with you Mike.

[00:27:57] I think it is kind of fun to see Michelle yo playing the villain role because that's

[00:28:02] something she doesn't often get to do.

[00:28:04] You know it's very rare that that happens and so to have her play in that character.

[00:28:08] Sure.

[00:28:09] That's fun beyond that though.

[00:28:11] Yeah, she's fine.

[00:28:12] It's totally serviceable for what this movie is.

[00:28:15] And I think that's pretty much the case with just about everybody in this voice cast.

[00:28:18] Like at least I don't know, at least with positive theory of the Legend of Hank like

[00:28:21] it was a couple more distinctive voices that stood out a little bit more like Rick and

[00:28:25] Javace is not very good in positive theory of the Legend of Hank but like it's like noticefully

[00:28:29] Rick and Javace at least like there's something going on there.

[00:28:32] Is it Rick and Javace or Russell brand?

[00:28:35] It's Rick and Javace.

[00:28:36] Russell brazen minions two minions to that was it.

[00:28:39] I was like, I know there was a thing where we were like, oh boy.

[00:28:42] Yes.

[00:28:43] Yeah, no the other awful British comedian was in this one.

[00:28:47] Yeah, no, it's like positive theory has you know a fairly distinctive voices who are

[00:28:53] not giving it their all necessarily but who are in it's I guess like Michael Sarah is

[00:28:58] in it and he's the main character and he's you know, he's bringing some kind of personality

[00:29:02] to it.

[00:29:03] Yeah, Samuel Jackson, you know?

[00:29:05] Yeah, and I think with Tiger's apprentice there was one moment that Amy Perkowks I didn't

[00:29:11] like look at who was playing what character until after the movie ended but I recognized

[00:29:15] a voice very quickly like very quickly.

[00:29:17] I mean was rabbit was voiced by Greta Lee and has a girl.

[00:29:21] He is in this like I didn't recognize it that it was Greta Lee but I was like I know

[00:29:25] that voice from somewhere and that looked it up and yeah, it was Greta Lee who was in

[00:29:30] like should have been nominated for an Oscar this year for past lives.

[00:29:33] She's amazing in that movie and yeah, I mean it's just like oh she was probably cast

[00:29:38] in this way before past lives had even films you know.

[00:29:42] Right.

[00:29:43] It's and it's weird that Greta Lee plays this like you know seventh tier character in Tiger's

[00:29:48] apprentice.

[00:29:49] She's also in spite of us too as like Miguel Herras AI like assistant Lala the like

[00:29:54] oh really?

[00:29:55] We're spanned lady.

[00:29:56] That's fun.

[00:29:57] I didn't know that.

[00:29:58] Yeah, she's pretty cool.

[00:29:59] And she was in the first one.

[00:30:00] She was in the post-gradancy of the first one as well.

[00:30:01] I mean it makes sense that they'd be like get the people from the background of Spider

[00:30:04] Versus and get of it RVF.

[00:30:05] You know right.

[00:30:06] Right.

[00:30:07] Yeah, I mean ever so Michelle Yo's fine.

[00:30:09] I think everybody else is like okay.

[00:30:11] I don't know.

[00:30:12] Yeah.

[00:30:13] I think it's like give it it as best.

[00:30:14] Yeah, I think it's it's cool that it has like you know an entirely Asian cast that's

[00:30:18] neat.

[00:30:19] True.

[00:30:20] You know, it's entire you know it's all Asian characters and it's all Asian people playing

[00:30:23] those characters.

[00:30:25] And that's something that's you know a few years ago in a movie that would not have been

[00:30:28] a guarantee, you know?

[00:30:29] Right.

[00:30:30] Yeah.

[00:30:31] Yes, still not a guarantee.

[00:30:33] Still not a total guarantee.

[00:30:35] And so there's that.

[00:30:36] So I like that aspect about it and it does feel like sort of like crazy rich Asians or

[00:30:41] a couple other ones like oh you got every major Asian actor in Hollywood popping up in

[00:30:45] this thing right.

[00:30:46] You got Sandra Oh and Lucy Liu and Bowen Yang is in this Bowen Yang is in everything now.

[00:30:51] I don't know.

[00:30:52] Have you seen Bowen Yang pop up in a bunch of stuff recently because I feel like I see

[00:30:55] him in like every third thing I watch.

[00:30:57] I do watch SNL every week so that is that might be yeah, throwing off your calibration

[00:31:04] there.

[00:31:05] But yeah, yeah, no, I think he is and even like I don't particularly watch a lot of SNL

[00:31:11] stuff at all but like when things break out into my world it's like usually got Bowen

[00:31:15] Yang in it.

[00:31:16] So it's like he's the easy highlight of the current cast of SNL right now is is Bowen Yang

[00:31:22] doing his thing.

[00:31:23] Yeah, he's very good but yeah, in this movie now it's good.

[00:31:27] Yeah, I mean, he's just got the whole stick of like the on the mouse guy and I steal stuff

[00:31:32] and it's a little weird but okay.

[00:31:34] Yeah, so there's that.

[00:31:36] But yeah, cast is fine.

[00:31:38] Michelle is fine.

[00:31:39] How do you think this fits into the other roles we've seen Michelle you play so far Mike?

[00:31:42] I mean, we've been talking about a lot of them so far, of course.

[00:31:45] Yeah, and then I guess really just any of the all the other ruchia Chinese myth stuff

[00:31:50] you know, sure yeah, less.

[00:31:52] I mean, it's weird that this is like also the most I mean, I guess it makes sense now

[00:31:58] that I'm thinking about it because it's like an American Hollywood production version

[00:32:00] of it but it's like the most generic version of that also.

[00:32:04] You know, it's like the other ones were about like a specific cat like a specific person

[00:32:09] like, you know, Wing Chun or whatever, the Tai Chi Master, right?

[00:32:12] There's stuff like yeah, very specific moment or story from mythology and this is just

[00:32:17] like the zodiac like it's all, it's just the most broad version of it which is weird.

[00:32:23] I don't really know with that to make of all that but yeah, I guess all just all those

[00:32:27] 90s, which Chinese myth movies.

[00:32:30] Yeah, definitely.

[00:32:31] I mean, and I have mentioned American born Chinese already but yeah, of these movies

[00:32:35] in like late 2010s early 2020s where Michelle yo is kind of joining this like large ensemble

[00:32:40] of like heavily Asian inspired movies you have Shang Chi and Lajin Tang, 10 rings, you got

[00:32:46] crazy rich Asians, everything everywhere all at once.

[00:32:48] Tiger's apprentice, American born Chinese just it's interesting that like, you know, she

[00:32:53] seems to maybe seek out these projects or these projects seek out Michelle yo.

[00:32:58] Yeah, I mean they do kind of feel a little bit like the two movies that she made with

[00:33:03] her production company.

[00:33:04] I mean, not like literally but just like that kind of theme of like trying to broaden

[00:33:09] the Asian storytelling and myth and stuff to other markets.

[00:33:14] There's a connection there I think.

[00:33:16] Yeah, absolutely which of course were the touch and silver hawk both movies that were

[00:33:21] unfortunately not very good.

[00:33:22] Not great.

[00:33:23] But I do but I do think especially like silver hawk does kind of totally fit in with

[00:33:27] Takas apprentice.

[00:33:28] It also made me think of like big hero six right?

[00:33:30] That like yeah, but that's a Disney thing but yeah, I think the ending of the movie is

[00:33:34] very reminiscent of big hero six like the final battle between Tom and Lou and all that

[00:33:41] stuff and the tiger kind of functions as Baymax and all that stuff.

[00:33:44] I'm trying to make comparisons to a movie I watched once 10 years ago, but you got your

[00:33:49] nail in it though, you're crushing it.

[00:33:50] I liked it.

[00:33:51] I thought big hero six is pretty good.

[00:33:52] I saw that at the Madison theater in Albany New York.

[00:33:53] I remember seeing it by myself.

[00:33:55] Hell yeah.

[00:33:56] Yeah, so that in theaters and then that was one of the blue rays that we were able to play

[00:34:01] in the in FYE on the gray display.

[00:34:04] So I watched that in, you know, five minute chunks on loop for months.

[00:34:08] Yeah.

[00:34:09] Fair enough.

[00:34:10] So I saw it there and then many years later, there was a big hero six level in Kingdom

[00:34:14] Hearts 3.

[00:34:15] So I played through intimate behavior with big heroes.

[00:34:19] Exactly.

[00:34:20] Yes.

[00:34:21] Sora's part of it, right?

[00:34:22] That's when you...

[00:34:24] Sora's on the big role.

[00:34:26] So key characters in the big hero six universe.

[00:34:29] Correct.

[00:34:30] Yes.

[00:34:31] You get it.

[00:34:32] Yeah, there you go.

[00:34:33] Any other scenes, any specific moments, Entire's apprentice that you want to give a

[00:34:34] shout out to Mike and the shit out to you?

[00:34:36] Yeah, particularly.

[00:34:37] I mean, it's kind of just all.

[00:34:38] Yeah, I don't know.

[00:34:39] I mean, the stuff that the big final battle is cool that it's set at a Lunar New Year,

[00:34:45] right?

[00:34:46] And it's this big...

[00:34:47] I like when movies do this like this like secret mythical ghost spirit world happening,

[00:34:52] battle happening right alongside like a regular parade, right?

[00:34:54] Let's go on in the middle of that scene.

[00:34:57] Let me just bad idea is fun and then it is kind of like spooky a little bit or like intense

[00:35:01] when Lou gets the Phoenix and like is turning everyone to stone or whatever is like sealing

[00:35:05] all their souls or whatever she's doing there.

[00:35:08] And I think it looks kind of neat.

[00:35:09] But overall, everything is kind of kind of meh.

[00:35:11] Yeah, unfortunately.

[00:35:13] That is the unfortunate thing.

[00:35:15] Yeah, there's not really any like specific scenes that I would give a shout out to or anything

[00:35:19] I really liked.

[00:35:20] I gave this movie One Star in Letterbox which maybe is harsh, but it just...

[00:35:25] It really felt like nothing to me.

[00:35:26] But there was just nothing going on.

[00:35:28] This doesn't look like anything to me.

[00:35:30] Right?

[00:35:31] Yeah.

[00:35:32] It feels AI generated.

[00:35:33] Like it feels like that, right?

[00:35:34] It kind of does.

[00:35:35] Yeah.

[00:35:36] Even just like a moment to highlight the weirdness, the weird nothingness of this movie,

[00:35:41] the movie ends right?

[00:35:42] They defeat Lou all that stuff.

[00:35:44] There's kind of a catharsis where the main character just...

[00:35:49] No, what's his name?

[00:35:50] Tom.

[00:35:51] Tom is?

[00:35:52] Yeah.

[00:35:53] Tom, right?

[00:35:54] Decide like accepts tigers like offer to come live with him in the antique shop and

[00:35:57] like continue his training and like that's it.

[00:35:59] Like you know they cry and oh there must be something with the incense.

[00:36:01] Right?

[00:36:02] They do that whole thing.

[00:36:03] It fades to black.

[00:36:04] You're like, okay credits.

[00:36:06] Nope.

[00:36:07] Fades back in...

[00:36:08] There's five more minutes of the movie and you're like, what is happening?

[00:36:10] Like what are we doing?

[00:36:11] And it's just like a training sequence where Tom becomes a tiger also right?

[00:36:15] Like that says...

[00:36:16] Yeah.

[00:36:17] Like he turns into it and they play like a dubstep version if I have the tiger as the

[00:36:20] credits roll over the credits.

[00:36:22] Yeah.

[00:36:23] Which has been anus.

[00:36:24] Like this is a post-credits scene.

[00:36:25] At least do a title card and then come back to it.

[00:36:28] Like do something that feels like human made this decision.

[00:36:31] The weirdest thing about that.

[00:36:33] So they do that scene, he turns into a tiger and then there's a moment where they put

[00:36:37] a tape in and it starts playing eye of the tiger by survivor.

[00:36:41] And I rolled my eyes being like, oh yeah I get it because like a tiger, it's the tiger

[00:36:45] is a princess, he turned into a tiger.

[00:36:47] And then they stop playing it and you have the two main characters argue about how cheesy

[00:36:52] it is to play eye of the tiger at the end of the movie.

[00:36:55] Yeah.

[00:36:56] And that made me roll my eyes harder.

[00:36:57] That like they are totally aware of how on the nose this is.

[00:37:02] And yet they still do it.

[00:37:04] And then they do it is the ultimate sin.

[00:37:07] Yeah.

[00:37:08] I think if they make the joke and then don't do it, it's like fine.

[00:37:11] You know?

[00:37:12] Right.

[00:37:13] At least it's a creative choice.

[00:37:14] Yeah.

[00:37:15] And honestly, if I'm liking the movie and they do that exact same thing, I'm usually fine

[00:37:18] with it because it's like, oh yeah it's funny.

[00:37:20] But if I'm not liking the movie and they do that and like fuck you.

[00:37:22] I don't know.

[00:37:23] Yes.

[00:37:24] How dumb do you think I am moving?

[00:37:27] Which is unfortunate.

[00:37:30] Yeah, they had that and there was a moment early in the movie.

[00:37:32] There's like an opening car chase where they start just it's set to low by flow rider.

[00:37:39] Yeah.

[00:37:40] And it's just like this is a weird random needle drop to have here and it very much just

[00:37:44] feels like, oh we're playing a song to get people's attention because the scene isn't

[00:37:48] that great?

[00:37:49] Yeah, I know.

[00:37:50] I guess you're right.

[00:37:51] Yeah, I thought it was like a weird timing.

[00:37:53] I think like a thing to place them because it starts with like a 2009 or whatever.

[00:37:58] I forget what it says.

[00:38:00] And then she's like, buckle up baby and turns the radio on and like low is and that's

[00:38:04] what's playing.

[00:38:05] Right.

[00:38:06] But this feels weird.

[00:38:07] This is an action scene.

[00:38:08] Okay.

[00:38:09] Yeah.

[00:38:10] You know, that could work again but it just doesn't I don't know.

[00:38:13] It just feels like a very random thing to it.

[00:38:15] It doesn't feel like much thought was put into it other than let's put a very catchy

[00:38:18] pop song in here to get people's attention or whatever.

[00:38:21] It didn't work, which was unfortunate.

[00:38:23] The opening, like the first time you meet Tom, he's like in a fight with the bully, right

[00:38:27] in like the school hallway and it very much reminded me not of spider into the spider

[00:38:31] verse but of the first Sam Raimi Spider-Man movie 100% which where in Flash is a attacking

[00:38:37] Peter in the hallway.

[00:38:38] It just feels very, very similar to that.

[00:38:40] And I'm not sure if that was like an intentional choice or not or an intentional homage

[00:38:43] or whatever.

[00:38:44] It had to be right.

[00:38:45] It's the same exact scene.

[00:38:46] He like accidentally uses his powers, right?

[00:38:48] Like at the whole.

[00:38:49] Yeah.

[00:38:50] It was sort of weird to me too.

[00:38:52] Like I he did, he seemed very surprised by everything that was happening but like he

[00:38:56] did have some kind of powers but like he seemed surprised by that.

[00:39:00] Like it was a weird like how much of this does he actually know already?

[00:39:04] Like what is going on?

[00:39:05] Yeah.

[00:39:06] I think he knows nothing and that's like the first time he his power is accidentally manifest

[00:39:09] is when he's fighting his bully.

[00:39:11] We kind of don't really ever acknowledge it or talk about like he becomes the Tigers

[00:39:14] apprentice and the Tigers gonna teach him.

[00:39:15] I mean, I guess there is a long montage in the middle where it's like he actually learning

[00:39:19] how to use his magic and stuff.

[00:39:20] Yeah.

[00:39:21] I don't know.

[00:39:22] I think you point out the feeling that when you like a movie, usually you'll forgive

[00:39:26] a lot more and we don't like a movie or you'll be on board with the things that it's

[00:39:30] doing.

[00:39:31] Yeah.

[00:39:32] Absolutely.

[00:39:33] Unfortunately, we're not on board Tigers apprentice.

[00:39:35] Unfortunately not.

[00:39:36] Yeah.

[00:39:37] Tigers apprentice, a big whiff.

[00:39:38] The good news is no one has seen it.

[00:39:40] Hell yeah.

[00:39:41] We did it.

[00:39:42] We did it.

[00:39:43] Truly like usually when there's at least any kind of new release, I follow a lot of different

[00:39:49] people in letterbox, a lot of professional critics on letterbox, right?

[00:39:53] And so if there's any kind of new release, usually at least a couple of them will have reviewed

[00:39:58] it whether it's like a blurb or whether there's something like there.

[00:40:01] I can see that somebody has reviewed that movie.

[00:40:04] Tigers apprentice, not a single person I follow had reviewed this movie or even rated

[00:40:09] incredible.

[00:40:10] And I follow a lot of professional critics.

[00:40:12] Like somebody must have watched this at some point.

[00:40:14] Nope.

[00:40:15] No one has.

[00:40:16] Wow.

[00:40:17] So Paramount Plus wouldn't let them.

[00:40:19] Yeah, Paramount.

[00:40:20] That might be the problem.

[00:40:22] There's a critic like desperately trying to press play on Paramount Plus and it's just

[00:40:25] not working.

[00:40:26] Yeah.

[00:40:27] But yeah, there it is.

[00:40:28] Yeah.

[00:40:29] Tigers apprentice, what a picture.

[00:40:31] And she was running a letterbox review, Mike.

[00:40:34] I think so because I'm interested one with the broader public has to say but I'm curious

[00:40:40] to see which of the very specific letterbox reviews of some had some had very pointed opinions

[00:40:45] to express regarding their experience.

[00:40:47] Yes, I only included four letterbox reviews here two of which are reportedly from people

[00:40:53] who worked on the Tigers apprentice which I alluded to earlier in the episode.

[00:40:57] There was a couple of disgruntled workers who went online, got into letterbox and left

[00:41:02] reviews of this movie.

[00:41:04] One of which is like a letterbox account that is pretty active.

[00:41:08] Like reviews a lot of other stuff and all that kind of thing.

[00:41:11] And then the other one is an account that seems to be created just to have posted this

[00:41:15] review of the Tigers apprentice.

[00:41:17] I'm inclined to believe that one more.

[00:41:22] Fair enough, but I do I believe in both I think.

[00:41:27] It's very rare that this kind of thing happens where somebody who works on the movie

[00:41:33] goes online and writes a review, trash in the movie.

[00:41:37] I do remember like a few years after Josh Trang's fantastic four came out.

[00:41:42] He joined the letterbox and like wrote a review of his own fantastic four movie and how

[00:41:47] it's taken away from him and all that kind of stuff.

[00:41:48] And that was really weird, that was really funny.

[00:41:50] But these aren't like any directors or anything.

[00:41:52] It's just like animators who worked on the movie.

[00:41:55] First one is David Manie who did not give a star rating but said my six months spent

[00:41:59] working on this were without question the nadir of my entire artistic career.

[00:42:04] So much so that being unceremoniously laid off with the rest of the story team a few days

[00:42:08] before Christmas 2019 was probably the best thing that happened to me at Paramount.

[00:42:13] They wanted to make a spider verse knock off and it looks like they succeeded at making

[00:42:17] something off so congrats to Paramount animation on yet another stellar business decision.

[00:42:22] Damn, yeah harsh lay it laid off the rest of the story team but right before Christmas 2019

[00:42:28] is as what you said.

[00:42:30] And yeah, that's intense.

[00:42:31] Here's the other review from D.D.Wa throughout all the four years of production, the crew members

[00:42:36] were harassed, yelled at, admonished and treated so poorly with some of the production crew

[00:42:41] doing multiple jobs and work several pay grades above their actual role with no vacation

[00:42:46] allowed while others flew across Europe all expenses paid.

[00:42:49] The writing was so bad that they were rewriting this through 2023.

[00:42:53] Paramount didn't want to spend money on good CGI and went as cheap as possible so now

[00:42:57] the art and animation can't even save it.

[00:42:59] Wolf.

[00:43:00] There you go.

[00:43:01] Some disgruntled employees taking out their feelings on the movie on letterboxed.

[00:43:05] And yeah I think that is interesting.

[00:43:06] I mean, you know, those are the kind of things where you hear.

[00:43:08] You probably have a lot of those kind of stories for good movies too, successful movies but

[00:43:12] you don't hear about those because the crew members want to keep working.

[00:43:16] But with Tiger's apprentice which is being like, you know, buried no one's going to see

[00:43:19] it that I think these crew members maybe felt like emboldened a little bit and just kind

[00:43:23] of speak their mind about how shitty this movie was and how bad their experience was working

[00:43:27] on it.

[00:43:28] Yeah, it seems like it, you know, especially a thing that might that exist for much longer

[00:43:32] I don't know.

[00:43:33] Yes, that's the fuck them.

[00:43:35] You know, that's what it's a moral imperative to learn how to pirate.

[00:43:38] Yeah, there you go.

[00:43:39] All right, two more reviews here.

[00:43:41] One is from Ethan 99.

[00:43:43] The animation would have been impressive if this movie came out 20 years ago but instead

[00:43:47] it reminds me too much of those cheap PC games that you would find in the $5-bent at

[00:43:51] Staples.

[00:43:52] That's a very specific image to conjure the $5-bent at Staples.

[00:43:55] At Staples not like Best Buy, not like a gaming store, you know?

[00:43:59] Yeah.

[00:44:00] At Staples.

[00:44:01] Wow.

[00:44:02] And got one more here from JLL.

[00:44:04] I watched this in a Paramount Plus free trial and I still feel like I lost money.

[00:44:09] Incredible.

[00:44:11] Yes, so there it is.

[00:44:13] The tires apprentice, not very good.

[00:44:15] We've talked about it for 45 minutes which is way more than I thought we were going to.

[00:44:19] Yeah, great.

[00:44:20] Doesn't deserve.

[00:44:21] Granted, there were a lot of sides about young adult books in the early 2000s.

[00:44:27] True.

[00:44:28] And I guess that should clarify.

[00:44:29] I didn't include.

[00:44:30] A lot of those Matt Christopher books were published in the 70s and 60s.

[00:44:34] Oh, really?

[00:44:35] Who knew?

[00:44:36] Fair enough.

[00:44:37] His picture is a football because Google is dead.

[00:44:38] Yes, there you go.

[00:44:39] But you know, you were reading them in the 90s and 2000s because they're timeless as

[00:44:43] what it sounds like.

[00:44:45] Correct.

[00:44:46] All right, Mike D., where can we find you online this week?

[00:44:48] You can find me at MD Film Log on Twitter, Letterboxed and Blue Sky.

[00:44:53] You can also donate to sport the show on our cofee page which is cofee.com slash Mike

[00:44:57] and Mike Pods.

[00:44:58] And if you want merch, we have merch available on our RedBubble which is Mike and Mike

[00:45:01] Pods.

[00:45:02] RedBubble.com.

[00:45:03] Yes, and you can find me online at MD Smith Film Log on Twitter, Mike Smith Film on Letterboxed

[00:45:07] and Radio, Mike Sandwich Instagram as well as MD Smith Film Log on Blue Sky as well.

[00:45:11] Thank you so much for listening to Complete Works.

[00:45:13] I'm Mike Smith.

[00:45:14] It's my decree show.

[00:45:15] Don't forget to rate and review the show on Apple Podcast or any other podcast app.

[00:45:18] And if you want to contact us, you can tweet at us at CompleteWorksPod, the SWRKS, no

[00:45:22] O in the word works.

[00:45:23] And you can find the rest of our podcasts and wrap your press alongside many other podcasts

[00:45:27] about kind of comp books and movie news and all that good stuff.

[00:45:29] Our theme song was created by Kyle Cullen who you can reach for your own podcast themes.

[00:45:33] Kyle's podcast themes at Gmail.com and our logo was designed by Mac V or at Fearless

[00:45:38] Guard on Twitter.

[00:45:39] Next time you hear from us for this podcast, we will likely be talking about Roy Scheider.

[00:45:44] Although it does look like Nicholas Cage has a new movie coming out in April, Mike.

[00:45:48] I don't know if you saw that.

[00:45:49] He's going to sneak one in there?

[00:45:50] He's going to sneak one in there.

[00:45:51] There's a movie called Arcadian which is going to premiere at South by Southwest in March.

[00:45:56] It's getting some kind of theatrical run in April and supposedly going to shutter later

[00:46:00] in the year.

[00:46:01] Cool.

[00:46:02] Yeah, there's a new Nick Cage horror coming out and that's not even including long legs

[00:46:06] which we're pretty excited about.

[00:46:08] Also, Jeff Goldblum in They Shot The Piano Player, I believe is in select theaters right

[00:46:12] now or is it about to be?

[00:46:14] Yeah, it was insane.

[00:46:15] I got in the car the other day and I usually have my car turned tuned to FUV which is the

[00:46:23] Fordham radio station which is the NPR radio station for New York City.

[00:46:27] I had that on and somehow they were doing a radio ad for They Shot The Piano Player

[00:46:34] screenings and I was like, whoo, I almost crashed my car.

[00:46:37] I'm like a new movie narrated by Jeff Goldblum.

[00:46:41] I was like, wait a second.

[00:46:44] They're doing this?

[00:46:47] So that's crazy.

[00:46:48] Nice.

[00:46:49] I'm not sure if it's going to play anywhere near me.

[00:46:51] I doubt it.

[00:46:52] It was on the NPR, the Fordham radio station.

[00:46:56] I don't think it's coming to me.

[00:46:58] I mean, if any place were to play, it would be my workplace, The Roxy, the entertainment

[00:47:04] house, Missoult Montana where I also work but we got to save those screens for Dune

[00:47:08] Part 2.

[00:47:09] You know what I'm saying?

[00:47:10] No, you could sneak one.

[00:47:11] You could sneak one.

[00:47:12] They shot The Piano Player in there.

[00:47:15] That would be great.

[00:47:16] I would be excited about that.

[00:47:17] But that will be on the horizon pretty soon.

[00:47:19] Once it's available for both me and Mike to watch, we'll talk about that one.

[00:47:22] We got a new Nick Cage comments.

[00:47:23] He may hear from us once or twice before we actually get into the season four of the podcast,

[00:47:28] which it will be centered on Roxyider.

[00:47:30] Yes, that's right.

[00:47:31] Can't wait to get more and more excited every day because he's just a cool guy.

[00:47:36] I guess.

[00:47:37] I don't actually don't know anything about his first background.

[00:47:39] Maybe he's not a cool guy.

[00:47:40] Maybe he shouldn't have put him in there.

[00:47:41] I think he's supposedly pretty chill from what I've seen.

[00:47:45] I don't know.

[00:47:46] You know, please don't flood us with stories about how bad Roxyider is.

[00:47:52] Let us discover that on our own at our own time.

[00:47:54] Exactly, yes.

[00:47:55] I'm sure he's fine.

[00:47:56] Remember to check out the other podcast, Mike, my go to the movies for all kinds of other

[00:47:59] movie related stuff including recent releases, ranked list, general discussions and a lot

[00:48:03] more.

[00:48:04] So thanks so much for listening guys and thanks for taking it yo.