Film Review – Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Striking from its first propulsive moments, Shang-Chi is much the same for those curious about the new kid on the block entering the Marvel game but, much more exciting, is that it is a new beast (or should that be a dragon?) altogether. We’ve gone so far down the line with the MCU introducing new characters across the decade and more since its inception but after the game-changing after-effects of Avengers: Endgame that saw many of our favourites either retire or leave us, some freshness and vibrancy was needed, and boy, does this one deliver.
Drawn back to his past after escaping to the US, Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) is a skilled martial artist who was trained from an early age by his father, Wenwu (Tony Leung) as part of the Ten Rings organisation who have aspirations of outward expansion (code word: domination). After his mother’s (Fala Chen) passing when he was young, he fled but as his father’s power becomes overpowering he is forced to return with his friend Katy (Awkwafina) to confront him and his sister, Xia’ling (Meng’er Zhang), who is hasn’t seen since his departure.
You can feel director Destin Daniel Cretton‘s love and compassion for the character as it seeps through every pore of the film, embracing both the relevance and culture of the character and the comics, beautifully bringing such a distinctive and original voice into the vast mix of the franchise superpower. Much of it is a thing of beauty, whether the sprawling metropolis of Japan or the winding streets of San Francisco – as well as some other secret locations better seen with fresh eyes – so it’s impossible to take your eyes off it, mainly due to the legendary Bill Pope‘s wondrous cinematography. There’s much going on underneath the regular crash-bang too, as Cretton and co-writers Dave Callaham and Andrew Lanham explore themes of isolation, masculinity, legacy, representation, and displacement.
Indeed, special mention must go to the fight sequences and choreography team for this one as everything feels much more muscular and forceful than what has gone before, with Liu throwing himself into the role with both strength and grace, as does Tony Leung who oozes class throughout. There are kinks in the armour, though, especially in its exposition-heavy middle where a couple of story strands are misjudged and perfunctory in the grand scheme of things, but it finds its footing again in a fantastic final act that has some of its most incredible sequences.
What will strike a chord is the cultural relevance of the story, not just for those who have such a strong bond with the character but for cinema and indeed the world as a whole. Ten years ago, many would have never foreseen Shang Chi jumping from the colourful pages of its comic books but as Marvel continues to expand more widely than even they had imagined, but with this following the impact that Black Panther made in 2018 – and still does – itโs an important and welcome milestone we hope continues across many other art forms.
The big question for fans, as ever, is where Shang-Chi will sit in the ever-ballooning Marvel rankings that usually change at least twice a year. Much debate will begin and much change will ensue but it’s safe to say that it’s one of the series’ most accomplished debuts thanks to an almost perfect concoction of players, filmmakers, story, and cultural importance that will hopefully send ripples through the industry in all the right ways. We can’t wait for more.
โ โ โ โ
Action, Adventure, Superhero | Cert 12 | Cinema, 3rd September 2021 | Marvel Studios, Disney | Dir: Destin Daniel Cretton | Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Fala Chen, Meng’er Zhang, Benedict Wong, Florian Munteanu, Michelle Yeoh
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
About the Author
