Alright, Marvel Fans, you can exhale now.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is an absolute thrill from start to finish. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the addition of this movie, absolutely blooms with a kick-ass showstopper thanks to the high kicks, the heart, and the hilarity of Shang-Chi. Thanks to an engaged cast, the latest Marvel Cinematic offering is a product of great storytelling, complicated father figures, epic mythology, and some awesome fight sequences like we’ve never seen before from Marvel Studios.
Every ounce of this journey is worth you masking up and trekking off to the theaters (as it won’t be streaming on Disney+ until at least 45 days after its release). Don’t worry, I won’t spill any of its secrets, but watching a hotel valet named Shaun (Simu Liu) stop running from a dark and complicated past and become every ounce of mighty marvel muscle as he fights onboard careening city buses in San Francisco and then, ultimately, in a smattering showdown of mythological might is pure popcorn poetry.
This movie is a non-stop assemblage of Jackie Chan-like theatrics and stunts, complete with two action set pieces in its first half and a second half which will leave your jaw on the floor due to its cosmic martial-art(istry). The point is that if you like cinematic spectacles with a great heart and a charismatic cast, then Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is DEFINITELY your ticket to ride.
Director/co-writer Destin Daniel Cretton has done something incredible with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Is it every bit of the amazing journey we’ve been promised? Indeed, it is. Do we get some familiar faces? We do. From Benedict Wong to Ben Kingsley, Marvel enthusiasts are going to love what is in store as, suddenly, those who had issues with Iron Man 3 get the explanation they feel needed. But, when it comes to expanding the cultural faces and backgrounds of Marvel’s superhero line-up, much like Black Panther and Captain Marvel before it, this is where Shang-Chi absolutely EXPLODES with cosmic glee.
Co-starring Michelle Yeoh and the gloriously funny Awkwafina, who grounds Shang-Chi at almost every turn, the cast dynamic here is as much as a treat as the CGI, which is tastefully and commandingly handled throughout a tale which spans across a mystical past in the Ta Lo kingdom involving the Ten Rings to San Francisco and the children of the warrior Wenwu (a GREAT Tony Leung who brings much complexity to his role), Xialing (Menwhog’er Zhang) and Shang-Chi.
The new face of Marvel is inclusive and it feels oh so very RIGHT NOW that it’s literally hard not to stand and applaud HARD when the cut-scenes go by and the credits roll on this hard-fought and warm-hearted action flick. Watch a villain’s son rise to be the hero he was always meant to be!
Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings is now playing in theaters.
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, and language.
Runtime: 132 mins
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Writer: Dave Callaham; Destin Daniel Cretton; Andrew Lanham
Cast: Simu Liu; Awkwafina; Tony Chiu-Wai Leung
Genre: Action | Fantasy
Tagline: A Marvel legend will rise.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Son, it's time for you to take your place by my side."
Theatrical Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Official Site: https://movies.disney.com/shang-chi-and-the-legend-of-the-ten-rings
Release Date: September 3, 2021
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Shang-Chi, the master of unarmed weaponry-based Kung Fu, is forced to confront his past after being drawn into the Ten Rings organization.
