After Avengers: Endgame sunset many of the major players from the last decade of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the brand is primed to offer fans something different. Much like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America offered superheroes in a framework unheard of for a film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings pushes Marvel’s reach even further. It still has a lot of the same core components that made past Marvel hero debuts great - like a creative director, a strong script, a compelling villain, and a lead actor with undeniable star power - but it takes viewers into a completely new world.
The crux of Shang-Chi is the story of a man (played by Simu Liu) who escaped his father’s shadow. It’s just that this father happens to be a seemingly immortal figure called The Mandarin (Tony Leung) who wields a set of 10 magical rings (they are really more like bracelets/arm bands) to pummel his opposition. For close to 1,000 years, the Mandarin ruled the known world with the help of his ten rings, before eventually settling down and having a family. But that quiet life is short-lived for The Mandarin, and for Shang-Chi it became clear it was time to break free from his father’s control.
Fast-forward a decade or so, and Shang Chi is trying to live a normal, slightly impoverished life with his best friend Katy (Awkwafina). The two have a bond that anchors both the heart of the entire film but also provides a lot of the humor. MCU movies tend to carefully balance action and comedy, and Shang-Chi is yet another stellar example of that tightrope act.
Speaking of that action, as Shang’s past begins to invade his present, the film blends martial arts, parkour, and general bombast in a way that feels fresh for the MCU. While there are quite a few exciting set pieces, a fight sequence on a moving bus in San Francisco stands up there as one of the best Marvel action scenes ever.
At times, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings relies too heavily on CGI, especially in its later action sequences. It’s a common complaint about the MCU but usually, the story and the character work are strong enough to make those elements worth overlooking. The same is true here, as Simu Liu and Tony Leung’s father-son relationship is dynamic enough to make their inevitable showdown electric and emotional. And make no mistake, Simu Liu is a bona fide star. Whatever the MCU has in store for fans in the future, we hope that it includes as much Shang-Chi as possible.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the 26th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Simu Liu plays Shaun (Aka Shang-Chi), a valet living and working in San Francisco, along with his friend Katy (Awkwafina), when one day, his past comes knocking back at his door. To protect himself and Katy, Shaun reveals himself to be Shang-Chi and his lineage, with his father being the actual "Mandarin," the leader of the Ten Rings criminal organization. His father is now reaching out to him, and his estranged sister and Shaun must head back to China to save his sister and figure out his father's true motivations. Shang-Chi was one of the first films in the fourth phase of the MCU.