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A Review of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)”

 

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I once said after watching Black Panther, that it would be cool if there was an all Asian cast similar to it. There were some all Asian cast movies like Crazy Rich Asian (2018), but that is a romcom, and Mulan (2020), but that was bad. In comes Shang Chi which is the first Asian lead Superhero movie ever. The premise is “Martial-arts master Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) confronts the past he thought he left behind when he’s drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization”. So does Shang Chi succeed in giving us a good all Asian cast big blockbuster or is it just another failed attempt?

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Firstly, the action sequences and choreography are some of the best from Marvel since Captain America and the Winter Soldier (2014). Martial arts are the focus of the action scenes in Shang Chi and they are beautifully choreographed. We get the classic wire-fu/floating style of Crouching Tiger but we also get some Jackie Chan style with the utilization of the environment for the action. Each action scene is memorable and stunning to watch. Additionally, the action scenes avoid using lots of cuts and shaky cam which I was so grateful for. It is also clear that the actors themselves rehearsed the choreography making the fights feel more believable and gratifying. It does become a more typical MCU action sequence by the third act but even that is still pretty enjoyable even if it isn’t as good as the first two acts.

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The cinematography by Bill Pope (Matrix trilogy, Spiderman 2 and 3, Scott Pilgrim) is also excellent in Shang Chi. Skyscrapers and forests in Marvel movies have never looked as good as it has in Shang Chi. Bill pope and director Destin use the lighting and colours very effectively and allow for some genuinely beautiful shots. The music score by Joel P. West is also pretty good. Joel utilizes more electronic sounds and pop/rap songs for the scenes in the city but uses more traditional Asian instruments for the mystical areas. Joel’s score captures the scene and the pop/rap songs themselves are also quite good albeit not as memorable as the Weeknd or Lamar from Black Panther. I also love the story and exploration of “family” with Shang Chi whilst not using Asian stereotypes. It also doesn’t overuse humour like in Marvel’s previous outing, Black Widow (2021), where they use jokes every couple of minutes and ruin a serious scene. Shang Chi thankfully avoids doing this, thus allowing the emotion of a scene to linger longer. There are still jokes though but they are genuinely quite funny.

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Furthermore, Simu Liu is charismatic, charming and cool as the titular character Shang Chi. I think Marvel succeeds again in the casting department as Simu Liu delivers on making me believe that this guy is a top tier martial artist. I also think Simu gives a good performance during the more emotional moments as well. His chemistry with Awkwafina who plays Shang Chi’s friend Katy is great too. The banter between Shang Chi and Katy is some of the funniest scenes and makes me believe that those two were friends for years. However, Tony Leung who plays the main villain Wenwu (the real Mandarin) is the one that steals the show. Tony Leung is just phenomenal as he can convey the exact emotions of his character just through body language alone, it is just masterful acting. My biggest worry with MCU origin movies is that the villains are lacklustre but Shang Chi does not fall into this. Wenwu is very sympathetic but also extremely fearsome. He is also the father of Shang Chi which makes the conflict between them feel more meaningful and tragic. Wenwu is not a straight-up evil person as he does still have good in him and I like that.

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Unfortunately, Shang Chi suffers from having the 3 villain problem. Razorfist played by Florian is Wenwu’s henchman and he doesn’t get any backstory. I don’t mind him that much though as he is mostly there to chase Shang Chi like a 007 henchman. There is also a scene where he does seem visibly worried about Wenwu’s health which gives him some character depth. On the other hand, the 3rd villain Death Dealer who is a mysterious assassin of Wenwu is a massive disappointment. He looks very cool and visibly distinct from other ten ring members and is relevant to Shang Chi’s past but amounts to absolutely nothing.

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Moreover, there is also a 3rd hero to Shang Chi and Katy with Shang Chi’s sister Xialing played by Meng'er Zhang. She doesn’t get enough interactions with Shang Chi, Katy or her father Wenwu and that feels like a waste. It’s a shame as her interactions with both Shang Chi and Katy are enjoyable and she also doesn’t interact with her dad Wenwu which is just a missed opportunity for her character. The movie also has a pacing issue as it slows down significantly in the second act. It just featured a lot of talking, exposition and flashbacks which I felt could have been cut down by a couple of minutes.

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Overall, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the all Asian cast movie I have been waiting for. It delivers on the action, story and characters while being an exciting new addition to the MCU. I can’t wait to see more of Shang Chi and finally get to see an Asian in the Avengers team.


 

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