Property Review: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Photos courtesy of IMDB.com

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Marvel Studios, 2020

Shang-Chi rings in new standard

Perfectly imperfect. That’s what Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings represents. Yes, it’s formulaic and yes, it’s a by-the-numbers origin story at a time when Marvel needed to continue swinging for the fences in the MCU. But it’s a not bad by any means formula-driven origin story, and it’s exciting and beautiful to watch.

Shang-Chi comes into the MCU at the point when all the main fighting is well and done and no one knows what the next threat is going to be. The Avengers Initiative is in rest and recovery mode after the Battle of Earth with Thanos in 2023, Tony Stark is dead and most of the squad is occupied elsewhere. The remaining guardians are folks like Wong and Dr. Strange, who keep an eye on threats and work to find other like-minded individuals to join the Avengers. Shang-Chi has been living another life away from this hoopla but his father, better known as the real Mandarin, is bound and determined to drag him back in. It’s obvious that Shang-Chi will join the Avengers at some point, and that’s not a problem because going into this it should be apparent that it’s the direction the story should go. So, in this case it’s the journey that’s more important, and it’s a good one.

Simu Liu, whose star is rightfully shining, is fantastic as Shang-Chi. He brings depth to a character who starts out the reluctant hero raised in abusive trauma to a strong hero ready to make the moves he needs to help and save lives. Awkwafina, who is normally not the funniest, is a boon here as Katy, Shang-Chi’s sidekick and voice of reason. She’s funny here and the softening of the story, which desperately needs it given the themes of child abuse and death. Liu and Awkwafina have great chemistry, and it’s a joy to see them onscreen together constantly. Liu also has great chemistry with Meng’er Zhang, who plays his sister Xialing. That bond is essential to what the film is about: Family and the bonds that strengthen or weaken it.


And then we get to the brightest stars of the show: Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh. Leung is an absolute silent scene-stealer as Wenwu, Shang-Chi’s father and the ancient but current wielder of the Ten Rings. He speaks, he acts and then the impact hits and it’s strong. Wenwu is a man of action, devoted to his family but also a man of cruelty and retribution. There are so many layers to Wenwu that contradict each other and yet, he’s surprisingly simple. He loves, yet he kills, sometimes in the same breath. But with Leung’s deft touch, you sympathize with Wenwu, which is the mark of an excellent character and actor. Michelle Yeoh is exactly what we need from her: The voice of reason and the voice of strength. Yeoh’s character is gentle, yet firm and strong and is what the film needs to bring everything together in the right balance. She is the bridge between the gap for Shang-Chi’s maternal and paternal lines and the glue that holds everything together right as it falls apart.

Shang-Chi isn’t a masterpiece, but with breathtaking action and a solid cast, this is a must-watch in the MCU origin story lineup of its future heroes. Throw in some recognizable cameos in the obligatory post-credit scene and Shang-Chi does a great job of getting us acquainted with a newly recruited Avenger and setting the scene for a new class of heroes to pick up the mantle of saving the MCU. Welcome aboard, Shang-Chi.

Like the comics: 9
Acting: 8
Story: 8
Total: 25/30 or 8.3

HOW WE GRADE
We score the properties in three categories: Casting (or voice acting in cases of animated), plot and similarities to its source material. Each category receives points out of the maximum of 10 per category and 30 overall. The percentage is the final score.

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