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Between the ages of 40 and 50, a significant shift occurs in Hollywood for women, where many find themselves relegated to the rather unremarkable role of someone’s mother, while their male counterparts continue to secure roles as superheroes and romantic leads. However, Michelle Yeoh, at the age of 61, defies this conventional trajectory.
Renowned for her iconic roles in Hong Kong martial-arts cinema, she has transformed the stereotypical portrayal of mothers in the industry. From her commanding performance as Eleanor Young in “Crazy Rich Asians” to her Oscar-winning role as the multiverse-exploring Evelyn Wang in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Yeoh is not merely playing maternal figures; she is redefining the archetype of the matriarch.
In “The Brothers Sun,” an eight-episode Netflix action dramedy by newcomer Byron Wu and frequent Ryan Murphy collaborator Brad Falchuk, Yeoh continues this transformative tradition. Initially, her character, Eileen Sun (aka Mama Sun), seems to fit the familiar mold of the immigrant mother investing all her energy in the success of the next generation.
However, as the series unfolds, her own ambitions and relentless drive come to the forefront. It is this character arc, along with Yeoh’s compelling performance, that elevates the series beyond a mere spectacle, despite its occasional excess.
“The Brothers Sun” narrates the tale of a divided nuclear family living continents apart. In a modest Los Angeles home, Eileen cares for her son Bruce, a medical student with a hidden passion for improve. Unbeknownst to Eileen, Bruce has been diverting her tuition checks to fund his true calling. Simultaneously, Bruce’s estranged father, known as Big Sun, leads a powerful triad, the Jade Dragons, and has groomed another son, Charles, into a deadly assassin. The Suns separated years ago for their safety, guided by the mantra “Protect the family.”
Charles, acting as Eileen’s bodyguard, arrives in L.A. after an attempt on Big Sun’s life. As he and Bruce uncover the reasons behind Eileen’s significance to their father, they must also grapple with revealing Bruce’s criminal lineage.
Meanwhile, Bruce, aiming to recover misappropriated tuition money, reluctantly joins his loyal friend TK in a small-scale drug operation, oblivious to the larger criminal empire looming over them.
The first episode captivates with its fast pace, humor, and inventive hand-to-hand combat scenes. The show maintains its entertainment value thanks to a talented cast and dynamic action sequences. “The Brothers Sun” skillfully addresses the complexities of Hollywood’s reductionist Asian stereotypes, exploring the contrast between the “model minority” nerd, the cutthroat gangster, and the so-called tiger mom without overtly patting itself on the back for its critique. However, as the season progresses, with episode runtimes exceeding an hour and a growing entanglement involving law enforcement and vigilantes, even the most innovative fight choreography begins to feel like a means to stretch a narrative better suited for a feature film.
