Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021 Film) Review

And now, an early review for the last new Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film I watch in the next two years, "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings."

After striking out to make a life for himself, Shang-Chi must confront his past and reunite with his father, the leader of the Ten Rings organization, with help from his best friend, Katy, and estranged sister, Xialing.

Simu Liu leads this new MCU stand-alone picture as the titular Shang-Chi. Awkwafina, Meng'er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Michelle Yeoh, and Tony Leung star alongside Limu in this true ensemble.

Destin Daniel Cretton ("The Glass Castle," "Just Mercy") directed "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" and co-wrote the film with Dave Callaham and Andrew Lanham. Kevin Feige and Jonathan Schwartz co-produced the film. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distributed "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" through Marvel Studios. It is Rated PG-13 and is 132 minutes long. "Shang-Chi" is an exclusive theatrical release, unlike the previous Disney releases, which were simultaneously released in theaters and on Disney+ with its $30 Premier Access fee.

Overall Thoughts

To all those burnt out on the MCU, who feel like everything they produce looks and feels the same, this is the film for you. "Shang-Chi" is the shot in the arm, that rush of new blood that the MCU needs and has at last delivered. It is completely stand-alone, with only the most surface level of references to its brethren, has characters that are fully-realized, and, best of all, has the will to break and mold the existing MCU formula into something that is fresh, full of life, and looks nothing like what the franchise has given previously. If the MCU is resolved to continue, "Shang-Chi" creates a perfect example of how to do it. The film presents itself as a true Asian story about the culture, its ideals, and the people who share it. It is meaningful, rather than trying to be meaningful. Case in point, much of the dialogue in "Shang-Chi" is spoken in different foreign tongues, many of them having connections to Asian culture. There is not a single word spoken in English until after the lengthy opening prologue. Contrast this with the recent "Mulan" remake and how it has Hong Kong-American actor Tzi Ma narrating the film in English. This is one of many deliberate, decisive choices that not only separates "Shang-Chi" from other MCU films, but elevates it to being a truly special film.

This is one of the more thematically enriching films I have watched in some time. Many of the MCU films have succeeded at promoting heroism through all its characters over the years, and yet they've only focused on that main point however many times they've twisted it depending on who the central character is. "Shang-Chi" doesn't fall into this one category. The themes aren't all about right and wrong, good and evil. Fittingly, they're much more influenced by Asian beliefs of potential, peace, ownership of self, understanding between conflicting sides, and achieving rest for the soul using the utmost decency that's given to every human being in this world. One of my favorite lessons I learned early in my youth was the idea of realizing the extent of my privileges and not taking them for granted. This film teaches a similar lesson, presenting a main hero who actively chooses a life apart from his potential, not realizing his potential lies in a place apart from a past he mistakenly believes it is entwined to. Some of the best lines in the film demonstrate these all-encompassing points so precisely. There are also just as many occasions where they're proven visually.

(Photos Courtesy of Marvel Studios)

Simu Liu holds his own among such name talent playing in supporting roles. As Shang-Chi, he's a hero that the MCU sorely needs, one that can be playful and crack a few jokes but is always genuine in his words and his deeds. The MCU has an abundance of witty, sarcastic smug heroes. Even characters like Peter Parker and Scott Lang, for all their sincere moments, are guilty of this. Liu's Shang-Chi is a counter to that. Many times I got the feel of a Christopher Reeve/Chadwick Boseman-type superhero from him, someone who can play the everyman and be a friend to all while still carrying the weight of an immense responsibility, but who can be very all-business when called to. It's a refreshing presence to have.

Knowing the premise in advance, I feared the idea of Shang-Chi's father being the villain. Too many fathers in media are depicted as either incompetent or the devil incarnate and the MCU has particularly fueled this with a whole host of rotten, unsympathetic fathers, from Thanos to Ego to Adrian Toomes/Vulture to Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, the list goes on. Here's a father character in Wenwu/The Mandarin, Shang-Chi and Xialing's father, with real conflict, conflict on his morality, his family, and his life choices. Through the lens of myths and tales, he's presented as a power-hungry maniac when closer inspection does not show him as so unfeeling. Tony Leung validates the heart of his character, conveying love, sorrow and a sense of longing the audience can find sympathetic and then invest in his future.

Awkwafina does her usual loud, hyper, sarcastic, fun-loving attitude as Katy, Shang-Chi's best friend. Either you are a fan of it or not. I personally am. That she's played by Awkwafina alone makes her more than a throwaway love interest, but the writers then give her an arc befitting her performance. One that, gratefully, has nothing to do with her relationship with Shang-Chi, or Shaun as she knows him before the truth comes out. Instead, it's a wise, underplayed journey about aspirations and accomplishments. Meng'er Zhang feels like the odd-one-out in the cast. Michelle Yeoh is simply majestic. While not a main feature, she provides another essential oomph to an already first-rate cast. Meng'er Zhang as Xialing, Shang-Chi's sister, has her own nook in the plot about her father's treatment of her and his imbalanced treatment of members of the Ten Rings. The amount of time dedicated to her might seem ironic to her story in the plot for some. I, personally, thought she had the right, precise amount of focus.

Renowned cinematographer William Pope, or Bill Pope, is behind the camera for this film and he provides "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" with its own visual flavor. More so than a majority of MCU films, the story is told as much visually as is done with dialogue and narration. There are opportunities for sit-downs and chats, to be sure. Other times, all he needs to do is frame the camera a certain way, capturing the actors or a certain action or movement and there is so much to read into and interpret. For the action sequences, he applies the same fluidity of movement he brought to "The Matrix" trilogy and Sam Rami's "Spider-Man trilogy. Characters will be flipping around, throwing all sorts of kicks and punches, and the camera will always be tracking them throughout. When it comes to capturing the locations, he excels, showing off details both immense and miniscule. It helps when the production and costume design consists of a wide color palette. That grey look that the MCU is known for and somewhat chastised for is used as an effective contrast to the more magical, supernatural elements of the story. Some elements are muted a tad to keep the look from feeling so artificial, allowing the film to maintain its tangibility.

Editors Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir, Nat Sanders, and Harry Yoon compliment Pope's camerawork, holding long enough on the action shots without them feeling too drawn out. The use of temporal and spatial editing provides their own narrative knockouts, though its implementation of psychological editing is the most effective. Seeing as it's an origin story, there are many intercuts between Shang-Chi's present state and his upbringing. Many of the same shots and moments from his past are used, taking on multiple connotations in the visual and narrative storytelling. The action in "Shang-Chi" put many of its contemporaries to shame. That Bill Pope is behind the camera already gives it an edge, but then the martial arts fights are choreographed like elegant dance numbers. Each fight is different from the last. The setting and presentation changes, but then there is a different speed and movement to the fighters. Many sequences play like a great showcase of martial arts for those uninitiated with Wuxia films. For those who are, it's still impressive. Highly recommend watching this film in IMAX as the film is entirely presented in the full aspect ratio, providing the most immersive experience.

On the outside "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" would appear intricately designed for mainstream consumption. The thought is not untrue and there are MCU hallmarks to be found. But while many MCU films are heavily governed by formula, this film molds the formula around its story, rather than molds its story around the existing formula. It uses established elements and ideas of MCU storytelling to appear familiar to audiences, only to surprise them with a different spiritual sense that they will not have felt from this series before. In this manner the proceedings feel more natural than obligatory. "Shang-Chi" may not be a complete reinvention of the wheel. Instead the structures are made anew again due to the confidence and clarity of the people making this film. Even as familiarity with Asian culture and Wuxia films will vary between audience members,"Shang-Chi" is a marriage of old and new that will find the commonalities between them and present something that may indeed mean something to all.

Conclusion

This has been my "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" review. I realize the film is due to hit theaters soon, so for those who have not seen it yet, are you planning to and what's your anticipation level for it? For the few that have seen the film, what are thoughts on it, my review, and are there any details I missed? Share all those thoughts in the comments below. You can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. This is Dallin, your resident film fanatic. Thank you for reading.