"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" Brings a Beautiful Mythology, Awesome Martial Arts, and Epic Fantasy to the MCU

 

Going to the cinema to catch the newest Marvel movie is about as eventful as it gets when it comes to going to the movies. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings opens this weekend, and we finally get a good glimpse at what this new phase of the MCU will be. Yes, we got Black Widow earlier in the summer, and as awesome as it was, that movie didn't really do anything to move the MCU forward, (save for the end credits scene, but that's about it). With Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, we get the first major Phase Four release, and it blasts onto the scene in epic fashion. As I write this I'm about half an hour removed from my screening and I cannot get over how awesome it was. A second viewing can't come fast enough.

Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), a master and kung-fu, is forced to face his troubled past after his father - the true leader of the Ten Rings organization - reels him back. We were first introduced to the Ten Rings back in 2008 with the very first entry into the MCU, Iron Man. They were the organization that kidnapped Tony Stark out in the desert. We were confronted with them again in Iron Man 3, and in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings we get the true backstory for where the organization came from, how it stayed to prevalent, and who was actually leading the organization. Xu Wenwu (played brilliantly by Tony Leung) has been wielding the mystical ten rings, items of immense power, for many years. He's trained his son to be the ultimate hand-to-hand fighter, but Shang-Chi wants nothing to do with that life. After escaping to American for ten years, he's forced to confront his father, his destiny, and what will eventually be his epic introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Right off the top I will say this is unlike any of the other MCU films we've seen so far. In almost a weird way it doesn't even feel like a comic book movie. This is a martial arts/fantasy epic that makes subtle connections to things we've already known within the larger universe, but if you were to remove those small moments, this would still be an awesome film all on its own. My favorite aspect is the fact that there's this huge mythology that is introduced which serves as a driving force throughout the story. For a franchise that is 25 films in, it's awesome and refreshing to see this kind of wide-swing approach. I was completely swept up in Shang-Chi's story, his background, and his eventual rise to hero status. He's a flawed character, a man searching for who he really is, and one who carries an immense weight made up of guilt, shame, heartache, and anger. When forced to confront those feelings, he's then forced to make a choice as to who he's going to be - this becomes daunting when faced with the immensity that his his father. By the end of the film, Shang-Chi's journey is so well-earned and satisfying that it makes me excited about when and where we'll seem him next.

The action in this movie is top notch, and some of the best we've seen in the MCU...maybe even the best. I'd even put this up there with some of the great martial arts films of the past, because the way the action is used and shot is not only clean and beautiful, but it's so intricately connected with the story that it becomes more of a narrative tool than just a fun visual. This genre within the vein of a comic book movie is so refreshing, and I think it's exactly what we need to kick off this new phase. I gotta hand it to the cast and crew who did a phenomenal job. Simu Liu slays it as Shang-Chi, and his fight scenes were gripping, entertaining, and so incredibly exciting. The use of the ten rings as elements of battle felt new and awesome as well. His chemistry with Awkwafina, who plays his best friend Katy, was great and their dynamic in the movie really works. As I mentioned before, there are a few connective moments with characters we've met already to help link this movie to the larger universe, but there was one in particular that I didn't expect to see and left me hysterical whenever this person was on screen. No spoilers here, so you'll have to see for yourself.

I really don't have any comic book reference for Shang-Chi, so I went into this not knowing anything about the character, his mythology, and what his place in the larger scheme of things will be. It was so great to see this almost-entirely Asian cast bring this cultural icon to the big screen, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Shang-Chi have a similar effect on cinema-goers the world over as Black Panther did. Representation matters, and this movie - even beyond those barometers - is something special. I say believe the hype because it's real. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a blast of a time in theaters. It's action-packed, emotional, funny, visually stunning, full of awesome fantasy elements, and really nails the landing by the movie's end. Stay through the end because there are two end-credits scenes that you won't want to miss. I highly recommend this movie, and as I said before, I can't wait to get out and see it again.