Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | Film Review

If I am being honest, walking into Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, I was more interested in the popcorn. Unlike what seems like everyone around me, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has done little for me since the euphoric ending to Avengers: Endgame. It is a newly minted crime to say anything less than glowing in regards to Marvel properties, but their recent attempts have simply felt more like product than entertainment. Insert next hero to sell the next mashup to sell the next toy to sell the next Disney+ subscription. Repeat. Trailers for Shang-Chi had not shown me anything to disprove this theory either.

Holy hell, it feels so good to be wrong!

Simu Liu takes on the titular role of Shang-Chi, known to his friends simply as Shaun. When we first stumble across Shang-Chi, he is casually joyriding his way through life as a parking attendant by day, karaoke beast by night, with his best friend, Katy (Awkwafina). Both are underachievers, and Katy’s family remains forever disappointed in her perceived wasting of absolute potential. That all changes when Shaun is attacked on a city bus one random morning, and his true lineage comes crashing out.

Shaun, aka Shang-Chi, is the son of Wenwu (Tony Leung), the bearer of the legendary Ten Rings which contain an unbeatable power that has allowed Wenwu to rule the underworld with an army of assassins for centuries. After a family tragedy causes him to regress back to his maniacal ways, Wenwu tasks his son with a personal assassination, which causes Shang-Chi to flee from both his father and his little sister, Xialing (fiercely portrayed by Meng’er Zhang), and start life anew.

To avoid spoilers, all I will say about the remainder of the plot is that Shang-Chi is needed to thwart an attempt to destroy his deceased mother’s homeland of Ta Lo, an enchanted realm where Asian culture meets mysticism. Issues between his family and his underlying destiny culminate in a bombastic battle between mythical creatures, enhanced ninjas, and more radiant light than has been seen since the conclusion of The Last Dragon.

This is a stacked cast confidently led by Simu Liu as Shang-Chi. Packing equal parts heart, grace in fighting style, and charm, Liu doesn’t take long to establish why Kevin Feige placed his bet on Liu’s shoulders. Awkwafina drops her trademark wit for much-needed comedic relief, but also infuses Katy with enough character to stand on her own, apart from similar roles in the MCU. Katy becomes PART of Shang-Chi’s journey rather than a jokey spectator. Michelle Yeoh also pops in midway through as Shang-Chi’s Aunt Ying Nan, stealing every scene the camera finds her in.

Tony Leung as Wenwu is given the difficult role of being the one character with who we should somehow both fear and empathize. Wenwu is a father who loves his children, yet has seen much more in his lifetime than they could ever imagine. Therefore he believes in teaching them to be forceful, unafraid, and calculated. Though he has tried to temper his ways, tragedy has nonetheless struck their family, and he now feels compelled with his new plan of action, one imbued with equal parts viciousness, desperation, and love. Leung delivers on all fronts, leaving us with a villain who does what only the best foes can: one whose motives are terribly rational when looked at from the respective character’s heartbreaking point-of-view.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton orchestrates the most visceral action sequences and heart-stopping choreography yet seen in the MCU. Unlike many of the bland, repetitive set-pieces of recent installments (super peeps fighting super baddies over super glowy thingys), Cretton and his crew stage several scenes that are easily the most memorable of the year. Whether it be the insane bus brawl where martial arts meet Keanu Reeves, or the intense fisticuffs amidst skyscraper scaffolding, or even a pair of dancing dragons and flying monkeys; the action in Shang-Chi is among the BEST in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Marvel films are usually solid, but in all honesty, I haven’t seen much in the way of creativity since Black Panther. Captain Mehvel underwhelmed, Doctor Strange can disappear in the Multiverse for all I care, and Spider-Boy forgets his own history by replacing Uncle Ben with whoever is popular at any given time. Finally, I have something to get excited about in the MCU again because Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was the most dynamic, fun, clever MCU film in some time.

Exploring mysticism, Asian culture, the typical Marvel daddy issues, and utilizing ingenious choreography; this is one film worth a trip to the theater for repeat viewings, and a hero I’m dying to spend the next decade with.

Follow our further discussion on Shang-Chi via this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast: