Directed by Raman Hui, “The Tiger’s Apprentice” has successfully assembled big names as voice actors. However, perhaps this makes the producers of the film invest so little in the film itself. Voiced by Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding, Brandon Soo Hoo, Lucy Liu, and Kheng Hua Tan, “The Tiger’s Apprentice” never lacked attention before its release. But, as an audience, when you reach the actual plot of the story, you feel like, ‘When is it going to end?’ The film lacks pace, does not offer a gripping plot, and definitely doesn’t do well with the animation either.
In animated films, you expect a grand music performance that will help you connect with the vibe of the film. “The Tiger’s Apprentice” fails in that department as well. Talking about the visuals and aesthetics, there is some momentary brilliance in the choreography behind building up the suspense, but that definitely is never enough. This film will eventually get criticized for its unreadiness in storytelling. I don’t know why the production spent more money on voice actors rather than pushing the animation, the music, or even the story.
One can hardly name the voice actors of “Spirited Away,” yet everyone has perhaps seen the movie and been astonished by its creativity. I am not comparing the quality of these films, but when you are picking a fantasy classic like “The Tiger’s Apprentice,” you are bound to show some respect for the story in the first place. Even the soulful relationship between Mr. Hu and Tom has been turned into a mockery. The most disappointing part of all is that even if you’re making a film for the kids, without caring much about critics’ takes, be honest about your approach. The director and producer of the film have successfully taken away the soul of the story and turned it into another junkyard production in the long list of unremarkable animated films. Now, let’s dive into the film’s plot and ending.
Spoilers Ahead.
The Tiger’s Apprentice (2024) Plot Summary and Movie Synopsis:
The film starts with Mrs. Lee driving toward San Francisco with her grandson, Tom, on the eve of the Lunar New Year. Suddenly, some dark souls start chasing them. Mrs. Lee very calmly handles them while driving, but she calls out for help as she expects the worst is yet to come. We see 12 animals running on the bridge, tackling all the dark souls to free the path for Mrs. Lee. But, the Tiger sees that Mrs. Lee has been intercepted on the bridge by one Miss Loo. Miss Loo is the mistress of the dark souls, and she is after something.
The Tiger jumps right in between Mrs. Lee and Miss Loo in order to protect the guardian, Mrs. Lee. The animals are called the Zodiac Warriors of the Temple of the Twelve, who have sworn to protect the guardian (protector) of the Phoenix. The Phoenix is a stone that contains the power of capturing the souls of mortals. So, in the wrong hands, it can be very dangerous. So, Mrs. Lee, along with the Zodiac Warriors, tries to protect the Phoenix stone from the wrath of Miss Loo. Mrs. Lee’s magic helps them save the day at a high cost, though, and together, they are able to hide themselves from evil.
How does Mrs. Lee die?
Fifteen years later, Tom faces bullies in the High School, and when he refuses to hear bad things about his grandmother, his anger unleashes the power that he carries within him. It’s only a glimpse, but it was enough to grab the attention of many. Tom meets with Rav, and when her mother comes to pick her up, she decides to come home with Tom later. Anyway, Tom reaches his house, and seeing all the weird stuff hanging around irritates him. He removes them but unbeknownst to him, those were the protective charms that stop evil spirits from coming inside the house.
Soon after, we are introduced to Mr. Hu, who is the tiger of the Zodiac Warriors. He visits, sensing that the protective charms have been dispatched. Soon, their house is surrounded by dark souls called Yaoguai. Mrs. Lee asks Hu to protect Tom, and she will deal with Loo. Mrs. Lee almost wins against Loo when she gets a hold of her, almost grabbing the Phoenix stone. But, Mrs. Lee suddenly throws the stone to Tom making him the guardian right at that moment. After that, Mrs. Lee activates all the protective charms together, which results in a deadly blast.
From afar, Tom witnesses the Ghost Cart that comes when a great noble soul passes away. It is obvious that Mrs. Lee died on the spot while trying to protect both Phoenix and her grandson. Hu brings Tom to a safe place where he comes to know about the Zodiac Warriors and how they swore to protect the guardian. Later that night, Tom has a dream where he sees a bright Phoenix being covered in darkness, and a woman tells her that now he walks two worlds: the world of mortals and the world of magic.
How does Tom lose the Phoenix?
Soon, the whole group of Zodiac Warriors are reunited at the Temple of Twelve. However, some of the Zodiac Warriors don’t show up, which leads to an uneasy situation. In the meantime, Tom, to avenge his grandmother’s death, goes to confront Miss Loo. The Zodiac Warriors reached there as well, but it was already too late. They somehow manage to escape Loo’s dark magic. However, a couple of Zodiac Warriors become her captive in the process.
Thankfully, the Phoenix stone is still with the guardian, but Tom comes to learn that Rav’s mother is Miss Loo. Anyway, Tom focuses on his training. To gain complete power as a guardian, he must be able to see the Phoenix inside the stone. Only Tom’s lineage is able to see that, and this is the reason why they have been guardians all along. Since Tom is failing every time, Hu loses his patience and kind of shouts at him.
Later, Mistral, the dragon, tells Tom that on that night, during the fight between Mrs. Lee and Loo, Hu died protecting him. Later, after thrashing Loo in the battle, Mrs. Lee gives a part of her soul to save Hu. This is the reason why a part of her soul remains inside Hu. Tom goes back to his home to understand the reason behind choosing him as the guardian. Later, he sees her grandmother but thanks to Rav, who tells him that she is Loo in disguise. They somehow manage to escape, but Loo has the Phoenix with her.
The Tiger’s Apprentice (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
How Does Tom Win Against Loo?
Tom lets the remaining Zodiac Warriors know that he has lost the Phoenix, so they start finding it. Hu tells Tom that Loo will use the stone on the eve of the Lunar New Year when the sun sets. Tom uses his senses to track down Loo in the crowd. After a lot of fighting, Tom fails to protect Hu from being caged inside Loo’s umbrella. But just before that, Tom sees Mrs. Lee in Hu’s eyes. Later, with Rav’s help, Monkey frees all the other Zodiac Warriors.
It is again too late as the sun is almost down, and Loo has activated the Phoenix stone to suck all the souls out of the mortals. The Zodiac Warriors fail to use any power to stop Loo from destroying the world. Just then, Tom finally sees the Phoenix inside the stone. Tom sort of removes the darkness that is torturing the Phoenix with compassion and lets her shine as brightly as possible. This completely destroys Loo from the scene, giving back the souls to all the mortals. Thus, Tom saves the world with his grandmother’s advice that says they do not always have to fight. All they need is to be a little clever and compassionate.
But, during this, Tom dies as the Ghost Cart arrives to pick up his soul. But, Mr. Hu, with the help of the other Zodiac Warriors, performs Na Kua, which leads him to the Ocean of Tears. There, Mr. Hu pleads to the Empress so that she can save Tom. Finally, just like Mrs. Lee, Mr. Hu gives away a part of his soul to save Tom. Later, we see them reconciling as a family. Mr. Hu offers his shop as Tom’s new home.
What Happens in the Mid-Credit Scene?
In the mid-credit scene, we see Tom training with Mr. Hu. The more Tom is struggling, the more Mr. Hu is leveling up his training. Suddenly, we see Tom jumping from a height and landing on the ground like a tiger. Since Mr. Hu has given a part of his soul, Tom, the first of his lineage, has turned into a Zodiac Warrior apart from being a guardian as well.
