The Tiger Hunter (2016) User Reviews

Better than one reviewer led me to believe

[anomac · 7/10 · 12 April 2017]

I went into this movie expecting the worst, after reading another review but was totally surprised by this movie. I enjoyed it, a lot.

I do not normally write reviews but I thought I had to add another perspective to the one that nearly made me miss out on watching this movie.

Okay it wasn't laugh out loud, though I did find myself chuckling more than half a dozen times, this was a heart warming story about the underdog rising from his position. Not to harrowing heights but to his rightful place. It was about one man uncovering the true treasures in life. Friendship, respect and yes, love.

I liked it because it was told from a totally different and quite a quirky perspective. The world is different and this was another side to the multi faceted coin called life.

I walked out of this movie with a smile on my face and made me once again believe in the goodness of people.

One reviewer had us believe the movie was chaotic but I had no problems following the story as it was simply laid out with its mixture of flashbacks and real time. Set in the late seventies India and America. It showed us another viewpoint. It showed America as a land, people in far off countries, often though of as a place of unlimited opportunities and freedom. Although the reality was far from the truth. It showed a love story that not only felt real, it's a reality for many people facing parental expectations and arranged marriages.

This movie also showed us that even though America didn't live up to its initial expectations, it was still a land that offered freedoms that their home countries didn't. It showed them happy in there lot. A place where even a street sweeper owned a car.

One reviewer would have us believe that the actors didn't seem to enjoy themselves in the making of this movie yet I felt that is far from the truth. I just saw them having fun with it all under the guise of making this entertaining movie.

Will it win an Oscar, no. But it definitely isn't a waste of an hour and a half of your time.

Likable if pedestrian tale!

[prendj01 · 7/10 · 6 May 2017]

One reviewer hated this and sure it's no polished Hollywood blockbuster.

Yet it is a charming tale about a young man who travels overseas to pursue his dreams and live up to his fathers image.

I found it funny and refreshing to watch a movie about a group of non alpha males who want to love and support each other. Remaining optimistic in the face of depressing realities of their daily lives.

You won't regret watching this if you like family movies or low humour drama's with a happy ending.

Give it a go, you can always switch off or turn over if it's not your thing, but I think you will end up watching it to the end.

Interesting colourful story

[redwanrashid · 7/10 · 23 May 2020]

This movie had a really had lot motivation dialogue , I don't know why it's so underrated.

not the most hilarious movie, but not bad!

[creepingde4th · 7/10 · 28 June 2020]

This wasn't a laugh-out-loud kind of movie, but it definitely wasn't a bad one. It's easy for me to get confused during movies, but this one was easy to follow. It's a good story told from an interesting point of view that I haven't really seen before. Also, Danny Pudi is an awesome actor!

I wouldn't advise anyone to go into this movie expecting it to be a hilarious oscar winner or anything, but it was a good story that left me smiling. It's worth a watch, I'd say.

Abed Hunts Tigers

[questl-18592 · 6/10 · 29 September 2020]

After watching Community I'd watch about anything with Pudi. This was entertaining enough but it really needed some focus and polish. Pudi was charming, as was Manji and even Heder but the rest of the movie is so generic and underwhelming.

I appreciate the diversity of the film and it is funny at times, it just doesn't do anything particularly well. Fortunately, the charm of Pudi, Manji and Heder loft this up a bit but not enough for me to give it a strong recommend. Makes for good background noise though.

It looked like no one had fun making this, I had even less fun watching.

[vrajabhumi · 3/10 · 29 March 2017]

I had high hopes since the main actors in this are known for being fine comedic talents. Danny Pudi, Rizwan Manji, Parvesh Cheena and of course Jon Heder. I thought, wrongly, that this would be a comedy. I think the new writer/director Lena Khan along with the other writer and seasoned pro Sameer Asad Gardezi were trying for a dramedy, but unfortunately it is not dramatic in the sense of telling a compelling story, and the comedy (I'm being kind calling it that) was reliant on the quirky Rizwan Manji's character - where the quirkiness is supposed to be funny - but is really just quirky. They try to cram too many things into 90 minutes and the result is nothing works because we have no connection to the different episodes of the story. We have one part flashback which doesn't have any real connection to the story in the present (the '70s), and which takes away a large chunk of time; we have another story about love, which is not really given much time to allow us to know what these characters are like or why they like each other; there is another story about a drama at the workplace which is not only deadly dull but entirely predictable; there is another story about a dumb quirk of Rizwan Manji which is supposed to offer some comic relief but is dumb and not funny; there is another story having to do with following your dreams rather than suffering through family expectations to be happy - but it comes across as sappy maybe because it is not given enough time to explore those characters. Watching these talented actors slog through the unfunny dull script which tries to rely on unearned sentimentalism (too much going on to have time to go into anything beyond a fleeting caricature) was tedious and boring. It was also uninteresting as far as stories go in the first place. I mean with all the stories you can tell about immigrants from India - why waste so much talent and energy with such a sappy and dull concept? Maybe it is based on a true story, I don't know, but being true doesn't mean interesting to watch. India and Indian immigrants are a potential goldmine for film, especially comedy since Indian culture clashes with the rest of the world in an innately funny way so often. The vast and wide variety of cultures and stories that can come from India and from Indians for drama as well, or any other genre makes India a great source for new stories. But this was not that. There is nothing in this script or on the screen that needed to be made, especially in light of such a vast potential at hand.

Great lighthearted comedy with wonderful storyline!

[safoora-41413 · 10/10 · 27 September 2017]

This is a great light hearted comedy that anyone can relate to! It is a beautifully executed storyline that gives you perspective on the struggles of our immigrant relatives. The characters are wonderful and the acting is really well done. This story is exactly what was needed with the current political climate. I truly enjoyed this family friendly movie with a great message!

Great Movie

[fireworkslvr-53952 · 10/10 · 11 May 2018]

This movie was great! I admit that it may be slightly cheesy and naive but I just wish more movies would be made with a positive message like this. The world needs more films like this!!!

Wonderful movie - heartwarming and funny!

[gemmaa-louise-305-889030 · 10/10 · 10 September 2017]

I received a recommendation to see this movie and I was not disappointed. I enjoyed watching it immensely and spent most of it chuckling to myself.

It is a beautiful story and the perspective it was shown from was actually quite refreshing. The actors also did a wonderful job!

Whilst everyone is entitled to their own opinion, you shouldn't let the negative review put you off - it's worth a try at the very least! :)

Go see this darling film!

[penniellington · 10/10 · 24 September 2017]

I've seen this movie three times and laughed out loud every single time. Lena Khan's directorial debut is a revelation. Funny, touching, absurd, heartwarming and sentimental, this hits all the right notes. A feel good movie that'll leave you smiling.

Danny Pudi is charming as Sami, an engineer who heads to America to make a name for himself, so that he might live up to the legend of his father, the great tiger hunter, and also woo his childhood sweetheart Ruby. Karen David sparkles as the best friend/object of Sami's desire. You believe their friendship is real and their chemistry leaps off the screen.

Jon Heder and Kevin Pollack turn in fantastic performances as "coworkers" at Sami's depressing job (he works in the basement, drafting designs all day for a failing microwave business). But the real star amongst the dozen sidekicks is Babu, played with crackling glee by Rizwan Manji. Babu is the id of the movie, a cheerful immigrant living the American dream with his General Lee car and his "fiancée" Mary Tyler Moore. Babu is every college student moving out for the first time, into an apartment with their best friend (or 13), dead broke, but full of hope and excitement.

Seeing this film not only reminds you of how much immigrants have made the US what it is, but it also hearkens back to a time when the American dream seemed tangible, romantic, and possible. Frankly, the world needs more Samis, Rubys, Babus, Alexes, Kareems, Rehans, Vikrams, Abdullahs,Parags and Siddeshes.

A movie for immigrants

[HeyJamie · 10/10 · 5 October 2017]

This is a film set in India and America, but it's not just the Indian immigrant story, it's every immigrant's story. Told with grace and humor this film will have you laugh as it simultaneous tugs at your heart strings because you just so badly for the Sami to make it. I loved the rich colors and textures of the film and want so badly to talk about what happens, but no plot spoilers here! This is honestly a film for our generation, a film that not just every immigrant should watch, but every American. Cannot recommend more.

Amazing!

[sohohouston · 10/10 · 30 September 2017]

I was blessed to have seen this movie. It made me laugh and it made me love life.

One thing is certain - this movie is unpredictable! Its humor is random but amazingly good at it. The writers did a great job at mocking talk shows, creating in the process an original piece of art, unique kind of show filled with great jokes, unexpected story twists, satirical segments!

Watch with your immigrant parents!

[sildarmillion · 8/10 · 5 May 2018]

Sorry, I know not everyone here has immigrant parents. I just meant that if you have parents or family members who immigrated in the late 70s/early 80s, or if you yourself immigrated during that time (and especially if you are South Asian), you might find a lot you can relate to.

I don't have immigrant parents either. In fact, I'm the one who immigrated. But things are SO different now compared to 10 years before I was born. I do have family members who immigrated during the time period in which this movie is set, and they are constantly reminding me how much easier I have it compared to them. And they would tell me stories like the ones you see play out on the screen. And watching it all happen, does make me appreciate my life so much. Because I had the support of those who immigrated from my part of the world in the 80s, I have a support system that they never had.

I'm making it sound like the movie is a downer, but it's really not. It's a pretty standard by-the-book comedy. As a comedy, I can't say much for it. But it does offer a perspective that is very rare in Western cinema. The movie follows an Indian guy called Sami Malik as he decides to chase the American Dream. But while Sami is the protagonist, you do get to meet a large cast of secondary and minor characters who are also immigrants from all over South Asia (and even North Africa). And it was nice to see that this movie at least briefly acknowledged the diversity within South Asia.

I will definitely be recommending this to all those immigrant relatives, and I'm sure they will enjoy this, but I also wonder if other immigrant communities might also find a lot here they can relate to. And as for those whose ancestors moved to America many generations ago, I think you can still get a nice sense of how the idea of America appealed so much to people from countries with limited opportunities.

Fabulous Film

[EmmaEsberger · 10/10 · 29 September 2017]

I absolutely loved The Tiger Hunter film. I watched it because it contains my favourite actress, Karen David. As always she was absolutely fabulous playing her on-screen character, Ruby.

Sami (Danny Pudi), an engineer, wants to follow his dreams. In order to reach his aspirations he decides to move to America. He is supported by his one and only true love, Ruby, who gives him everything she can to help him achieve his dreams. I love the bond between Ruby and Sami, they are just adorable.

This is a heartfelt movie showing the importance of acceptance, equality and love. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll absolutely love this film.

Emma Esberger <3

Realistic!Hilarious! Motivational! Good message! Feel-good

[parnildh · 8/10 · 16 April 2020]

A hilarious movie about the son of an Indian tiger hunter who is an engineer himself, and wants to make it big in American so as to win over the father of his childhood.

Let the Tigers Loose in Chicago!

[Sga-375-601159 · 9/10 · 2 December 2020]

This was a light hearted comedy that at the same time identified some of the current systemic problems in American manufacturing industry today. Not giving credit to the real engineers who can actually fix this stuff.

The wonderful actors shine in this film

[watermoongrrl · 10/10 · 12 September 2021]

Pudi and his co actors really gave the film warmth, humor and kindness. It is a feel good film that also quietly points toward some of the struggles immigrants can face in the US. It left me feeling a bit uplifted and hopeful, no small feat these days.