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Star Rating:
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the origin story for the Marvel character Shang-Chi in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It takes place after the events of Endgame. I’ll start by noting that, aside from being a Marvel fan in general, I didn’t have much interest in seeing this movie when the trailers first came out. I’m not familiar with Shang-Chi. I’ve never read any of his comic books. I’ve never seen him in any of the Marvel comics I’ve read. I wasn’t interested, and I didn’t find the marketing enticing like it has been for other Marvel films. However, this movie surprised me, and I enjoyed it.
It feels more like a kung-fu movie than a Marvel superhero movie, which is fitting for this character. It gives us something different from the usual superhero movies we’ve been seeing. A kung-fu film is obviously not an original concept, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen one made.
I got a lot of different vibes from this movie. The opening scene reminded me of the video game, Dynasty Warriors. The mother’s fighting style reminded me of Avatar: The Last Airbender and the air nomads’ ability to bend their element. Shang-Chi’s fight with his father felt a lot like a fighting game, such as Soul Caliber or Dead or Alive. I highly doubt this was done on purpose, but because I like these things, I think they made me enjoy the movie more.
The movie has well-choreographed and filmed fight scenes. Again, they are more akin to old kung-fu style movie fighting, so if you appreciate that form of hand-to-hand combat, you will enjoy this one. Despite the necessity of introducing a new character, the movie’s definitely action-packed. In my review of Black Widow, I mentioned that the movie felt slow at times, as if there wasn’t quite enough action. This was not the case with this film. I never got that lulling feeling. It is as action-packed and fast-paced as other Marvel movies.
I don’t know these characters, so I don’t know if the portrayal’s accurate. Awkwafina’s character reminded me of other characters I’ve seen her play, but I haven’t seen too many movies with her. Still, she has some funny lines, particularly the Dragon Ball Z reference she makes near the end. I enjoyed that one. I don’t understand how the sister has such good fighting skills just by watching others fight rather than being taught, but this isn’t the first time that concept has been used in entertainment.
Overall, I enjoyed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. If you like kung-fu movies, then you will enjoy this one. There’s plenty of action. The movie doesn’t explain the rings. At first, I thought this was a negative for the film, until the end credit scene offered a reason why. It’s also a little difficult to understand when the movie takes place in the universe because the hints are in the background, but this isn’t a major issue.
What do you think of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings? Let me know in the comments.