‘Brothers from the Sun’ review: Michelle Yeoh shines in this entertaining family crime story

exist sun brothersyou can be one of two things: a killer or a fool.

These are the labels given to the show’s eponymous partners, Charles Sun and Bruce Sun (played by Justin Qian and Li Shansong), by members of the underworld. One grew up in Taipei and became a consummate assassin, while the other is an improv-loving Los Angeles native who has no idea his family is part of a powerful organized crime syndicate in Taiwan.

When their father (Cousney) is assassinated, Charles and Bruce must work together to protect their mother (Michelle Yeoh), and unpack some major emotional baggage in the process. The journey that follows is filled with brotherhood, martial arts, and a surprising amount of churros, all of which make it extra fun to watch.

what is sun brothers about?

Justin Chien and Sam Song Li in “Brothers of the Sun.”
Photo credit: Michael Desmond/Netflix

as sun brothers From the beginning, the Sun family split into two halves. Charles lives in Taipei with his father, Taiyang, and leads the powerful Jade Dragon Triad. Since childhood, Charles has been his father’s right-hand man, a trained killer whose ability with unconventional weapons earned him the nickname “Chairman Legs.”

Meanwhile, Sun matriarch Erin lives in Los Angeles with her youngest son, Bruce. Their lives don’t include the luxury cars and spacious apartments enjoyed by Yulong’s premium members. However, both are much safer off the grid. Bruce doesn’t even know his family’s motive for the crime. His biggest worries are paying for college and hiding his love of improv from Erin. The only kill he dreams of is bringing the whole thing down on the stage.

That all changes when an unknown assailant attempts to kill Big Sun, forcing Charles to visit his family in Los Angeles. As Erin prepares to take action to fight for the Jade Dragon, Bruce is understandably terrified of the truth behind his family. Charles, for his part, was unimpressed by how “weak” Bruce was. Cue this odd couple dynamic!

As the investigation into who attacked the Great Sun unfolds, new questions arise. Charles crosses paths with his old friend Alexis (Heidi Kwan), now an aspiring district attorney investigating triad activity in Los Angeles. Bruce attempts to juggle his newfound family responsibilities through improv and his evolving relationship with classmate Grace (Madison Hu). On top of that, staying alive in the face of constant attacks from hostile Triads and other enemy forces is paramount. The task may be daunting for Charles, Eileen, and especially Bruce, but in terms of action scenes, it provides us as viewers some serious enjoyment.

sun brothers is a martial arts-fueled explosion.

Li Songsong and Zhen Yuning in “The Sun Brothers”.
Photo credit: Michael Desmond/Netflix

every episode sun brothers Giving us some high intensity fight scenes. Some are serious, such as foiled assassination attempts. Others are more ambitious, such as a massive brawl on a golf course.The best of these scenes, however, combine this ambition with sun brothersStupid streak.

Take the show’s first battle, for example. The attackers burst into Charles’ apartment in Taipei as he was baking a delicious-looking cake and watching an episode of the show. Great British Baking Show. The episode plays out in the foreground, with Charles delivering a spectacular beating in the background (at least with the help of a rolling pin). It’s just a hint of the playful jokes to come, which will keep the show feeling light and fresh even as the subject matter gets darker.

sun brothers Don’t shy away from families that are broken inside.

Li Songsong, Michelle Yeoh and Justin Qian in “Brothers of the Sun”.
Image source: Courtesy of Netflix

sun brothersFight scenes and the promise of a criminal conspiracy may draw viewers in, but the real focus of the story is the relationship between Charles, Bruce, Erin, and the great, distant sun. Here, the show draws on themes from parental stress to the immigrant experience.

In Bruce and Charles, we see the influence of two completely different upbringings. Charles was hard-hearted and made a mistake. He rarely lets his guard down, and rarely does anything detrimental to his father. For him, family, duty and honor are one and the same. Bruce, on the other hand, doesn’t feel that sense of responsibility beyond not wanting to disappoint Erin. He doesn’t want to join gang life, preferring to be free to do what he wants.

“In Taiwan, we have a word to describe this,” quips Jade Dragon lackey Xue Xue (played by Zhang Junxue). “American.”

Bruce and Charles were polar opposites in personality, but they both saw what the other had that they wanted. Although Charles doesn’t want to admit it, he longs for Bruce to have choices in his life. Charles offers Bruce a chance to step up and take control of his life in a new way. As long as they can find a way to fit in with each other, their differences can become their strengths.

Their mother Eileen was shown to be sun brothersThis most captivating role is due in no small part to Michelle Yeoh’s steely performance. While living in Los Angeles, Erin has found new ways to network and stay up to date on all things underworld. She’s far more handy than many criminal masterminds – even her own son – give her credit for, so it’s always a joy to see her take down her opponents with a snarky remark or a devastating message.

There’s no denying that Yang is the star of the show, but co-stars Qian and Li also do solid jobs. Money is great in the fight scenes, but he also brings an impressive vulnerability to Charles as his walls begin to come down.Li is sun brothersA sweeter balance, playing Bruce as both a clueless newbie and a surprisingly creative problem solver.He still carries most of the sun brothers‘s comedy material that may be hit or miss.

sun brothersThe tonal shifts between comedy and drama are occasionally problematic, especially in the early episodes. Still, as the show progressed through eight episodes, the confidence it gained snowballed into a nail-biting showdown. Indeed, this proves that if you combine Michelle Yeoh with any type of action and comedy, you’re going to have a great time.

sun brothers Premieres on Netflix on January 4th.