Source: IMDb
Marvel's new entry into Phase 4 is strong and stays on track with their major themes. Good and Bad, Love that is found, love lost, and that going through pain and suffering gives you strength. Simu Liu is great as the next action hero in the Marvel universe. Director Destin Daniel Creton did an awesome job paying homage to the old school martial arts movies with a new twist. The colors, imagery and cinematography were beautiful. The story was well written and covers all the basics of the Marvel movies.
Source: Marvel Entertainment Youtube Channel
Simi Liu plays the title character, and his best friend is Katy, who is played by Awkafina. They have great chemistry as best friends and at one point, I thought they were going to kiss but they kept their relationship platonic. We also find out that Shang-Chi has a sister Xu Xialing played by Meng’er Zhang who is not happy to see her big brother after years of him being gone. The father is the real Mandarin and leader of the Ten Rings Xu Wenwu played by Tony Leung. The action starts when Shang-Chi gets attacked on the bus by Razor Fist played Florian Munteanu and the rest of his father’s crew. Shang-Chi realizes that his father wants him and his sister, from there, he and Katy go to find her.
I liked the fact that the action is well placed and goes with the movement of the story. The fight scene on the bus is crazy! We learn about what motivates Shang-Chi, his sister and their father. The growth of Katy and realizing her purpose is subtle to see but when she learns how to shoot an arrow, we all see how she can continue to fit within the Marvel Universe. In searching for his sister, we find Wong, played by Benedict Wong, cage fighting. This was a little off putting and had people asking where Dr. Strange is and what this appearance really means.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a solid entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Simu Liu is appealing as the title character, and you seem to care about him and his relationships. Awkafina was good as a side kick who goes along with her best friend on this journey and in the end finds her own purpose. I can’t say enough about the colors that the characters wear, especially when they are at Ta Lo, which is the home of Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing’s mother Yeng Li played by Fala Chen, who is the love and motivating factor of their father Wenwu . Some of the action scenes look more like a dance than a fight and it was beautifully choreographed as with all the fight scenes in this movie. The wire work and some of the cinematography reminds of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The way the fights flow and the beauty of the shots are captivating.
Marvel phase 4 has arrived!
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a solid entry to begin the movie phase of the Marvel Universe and I’m sure that Shang-Chi will appear again in either The Eternals, or Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.
Do you think this is a strong Marvel entry? Are you excited about the first Marvel movie in phase 4? Let’s discuss!