Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings marks the MCU’s 25th film and, in typical MCU fashion, it proves to be visually dazzling. This film has a healthy dose of humor and a story that’s mostly engaging even if it does take the more conventional route instead of being more daring.
Led by an all-Asian cast, it stars Simu Liu as the titular character who discovers his family is a part of an ancient dynasty known as the Ten Rings. The Ten Rings also refer to 10 actual rings that give their users power and immortality.
Shang-Chi is confronted by a group of men on a bus due to wearing a pendant that was given to him by his late mother. Shang-Chi is convinced that this organization is looking to finish off him and his family for good.
Awkwafina costars as his best friend Katy. She provides comic relief and nearly all of her one-liners work. She’s drawn into this plot by being a fish out of water. The two have terrific chemistry.
In the film, Shang-Chi is reunited with his long-lost sister Xialing (Meng’er Zhang). She resents her brother for abandoning her as a child, but he desperately needs her help in fending off this organization known as the Iron Gang to keep them from getting their hands on the Rings.
I mentioned this movie is visually dazzling and it doesn’t disappoint in that department. The martial arts scenes are eloquently choreographed and never feel repetitive. There’s a poetic fluidity as well as a massive intensity throughout. It’s oftentimes reminiscent of The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
We get the obligatory backstory on how Shang-Chi and his family acquired the rings and that’s probably the dullest part of the film due to it taking that conventional route that the MCU is known for, but where Shang-Chi lightly stumbles there, it more than makes up for in pure visual spectacle. This is certainly the MCU’s most mind-bending movie since Doctor Strange.
The cast does a great job at bringing their characters to life in an authentic way, representing Asian culture in a positive manner. They never feel like stereotypes. Instead, we get fully fleshed out characters who have dimension and motivation. I think this movie will do for the Asian market what Black Panther did for the African American market.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings isn’t the most original entry in the MCU, but it’s a film that knows how to strike a balance with a fantastic story, memorable characters and sensational action. It’s entertaining, impressive, funny, and satisfying.
Grade: A-
(Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, and language.)
