11/18/2023 0 Comments Shang chi actor characterThese scenes are clearly-staged and well-choreographed. In fact, “fight sequences” might be a better descriptor for most of the action here, as the film relies less on CGI and explosions and more so on martial arts. But what makes the film truly stand out in this long-running franchise is its fresh action sequences, led by the late great Brad Allen, the supervising stunt coordinator for the film. Shang-Chi largely avoids the standard MCU plot of the main character learning to become a superhero, as the titular character’s journey is learning to be himself and accept his legacy, both the good and the bad. It’s not long before “Shaun’s” past catches up to him, and he’s forced to go back to where it all started-and confront his warlord father. He spends his days working as a valet driver at a fancy hotel alongside his best friend Katy (Awkwafina), and they spend their nights singing karaoke till the sun rises. Fast forward to the present day, Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) is now in his 20s, living in San Francisco, and going by the name “Shaun,” having left his past behind and started a new life in the States. Eventually, Wenwu has a son, Shang-Chi, and raises him to become an elite assassin. This opening narration speaks of the legendary Ten Rings, magical objects (weapons?) thousands of years old, whose possession is in the hands of Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung), who uses the rings to conquer kingdoms, topple governments, and alter the course of history across centuries (the rings grant Wenwu immortality) he names his world-dominating army the Ten Rings. The film starts with dialogue spoken in Mandarin, immediately informing viewers this is not your standard American superhero flick. So how does Shang-Chi compare? In short, it’s one of the most uniquely entertaining installments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it still suffers from some of the pitfalls that plague most MCU films. Being the first anything comes with incredibly high expectations, oftentimes impossibly high, and especially so in the highest grossing film franchise of all time (by a margin of $13 billion). It’s a shame it’s taken this long for any Asian character to headline their own film, but, alas, here we are. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the 25th film from Marvel Studios, but their first starring an Asian lead and majority-Asian cast. While my reviews are typically spoiler-free (only revealing as much as trailers do), this proved difficult to do for this review since the trailers for the film barely revealed any plot details (which is good!). Warning: the following review contains minor spoilers for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
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