Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

“Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) must face the past he thought he left behind and confront his father, leader of the dangerous Ten Rings organization.”

The next phase of the MCU has taken a much different approach than the original origin stories of The Avengers and the characters that have made up the core of this cinematic universe that has made billions of dollars worldwide. With the expansion of content coming not just to the movie-theaters, but also to streaming services with television shows, Marvel is calling up a vast array of diverse comic book characters to help lead audiences into the next phase of their universe, and beyond.

One such character is Shang-Chi, the Master of Kung Fu, who first appeared in 1973 during the height of the kung-fu craze that swept the United States, with films from Bruce Lee breaking box office records. It’s an interesting move by Marvel, especially given the reception of Iron Fist, which did not do as well as its predecessors on Netflix. It was a move that, given the reviews of the film, turned out to be one of the best directions the MCU could have taken. Because of the oversaturation of the MCU in the media, in both movie theaters and on streaming, it’s a vital move that shows growth and diversity in a genre that can easily become stagnant.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is first and foremost an origin story, and it’s a good origin story. One of the things that makes the film so interesting is that it doesn’t owe any other film or character any screentime in order to get its point across. This isn’t Captain America: Civil War, where you’ve got to carefully tinker with the pacing to ensure all twenty superheroes get their due screentime. We’re able to take a breath from that world and focus on a new character that, to this point, hasn’t had any contact with that world whatsoever. That being said, there were ample opportunities to introduce bits of recognizable story ideas from other films in the MCU, and it was done very well, to the point you may miss them if you aren’t looking carefully. Call-backs to Iron-Man 2 and 3, Doctor Strange, and even a film as of yet thought to be unconnected to the entire MCU. Although I’m sure there may be more, what is refreshing about this film is that it doesn’t beat you over the head with these references. We’re allowed to get to know Shang-Chi and his family without all the baggage that may come along from other franchises.

The conflict in the story is timeless, a son not wanting to follow in the footsteps of his father, rifts between family, father/son type stuff. The family history is explored in depth, with excellent pacing that keeps the audience entertained throughout the unfolding of the family drama. While this may be a familiar story in other genres, the MCU doesn’t often see these types of characters. Super-heroes are generally loner types with few attachments, solitary, brooding folk who push those closest to them away. Shang-Chi is the opposite. He doesn’t just come from a troubled past, but he’s found a way to leave that part of himself behind, get a crazy best friend named Katy who has no ambition in life, and bring her along on the most insane journey she can imagine.

Katy (Awkwafina) is the outsider looking in, the every-man, or woman in this case, who reacts to the events unfolding as we the audience would in that situation. It’s a fun gimmick and the major source of the comedy of the film. While I thought Awkwafina was beyond excellent in Jumanji: The Next Level, for her portrayal of Danny DeVito, it turns out that she really just is like Danny DeVito, crabby, sarcastic, and seems like she’s in dire need of a nap at all times. She’s a great side-kick, but doesn’t bring much of anything different than you’d expect of the comic-relief, which is unfortunate. There is another reoccurring character whom I won’t disclose in case there are any readers who haven’t seen it and have stayed away from spoilers. This character was a surprise to me, and was absolutely hilarious, in my opinion, paired with a strange, cuddly-creature and given some great moments. While my first instinct was that they would over-use this duo and run it into the ground, perhaps in a marketing effort to sell plush toys, it was the exact opposite, and they were utilized almost the precise amount, which in my eyes was a complete surprise and made me respect the filmmakers that much more.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings brings a lot of diversity in terms of story, locations, and culture, but one of the biggest drawbacks of the film is that most of the beats are entirely the same as any other film in the MCU. It’s entirely predictable from start to finish, and while the aforementioned traits of the film do bring new directions and new content, with the oversaturation of the genre in so many different mediums, something needs to change in order to keep the train rolling on to the next phase of the MCU and the culmination of the what this current phase will end up being. That’s my only issue with this film, is that you could substitute almost any comic book character in this story, tweak a few minor details, and it would have the exact same effect. In order to keep moviegoers coming back, fresh and new things need to happen.

We were given a digital code to review this film, which is now available on Disney+. The physical copy doesn’t come out until the 30^th of this month, which will surely be packed full of extras, with superior video and audio, something that cannot be accurately reviewed based on internet connections. The majority of the public may not care for the enhanced qualities physical media offers, but if I can make this a soap-box for just a brief moment, this is a pivotal time in the industry, especially with Disney and their streaming service. We’ll never see Disney+ original titles on physical media. The Mandalorian will never sit on your shelves, because it is in the better interest people have subscriptions to watch it. Keep that in mind when you make your decision to add this to your collection or simply stream it. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a great addition to the MCU, and it should make a great addition to your physical collection. Pick this one up in a week!