Shang-Chi, the master of unarmed weaponry based Kung Fu, is forced to confront his past after being drawn into the Ten Rings organization.
I was never one of those kids who read comic books growing up, at age 12, I was out with my friends making films with my Bell & Howell 8mm movie camera so while I was familiar with Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, the X-Men, and The Avengers, I had never read any of them. But when Marvel began producing their own properties in 2008 starting with “Iron Man,” I instantly became a fan. Naturally, as a filmmaker and movie critic, films are my passion and my life and I would much rather watch the exploits of The Avengers or any other Marvel-themed story transpire on the big screen over reading them in a comic book but that’s just my personal preference.
as Xialing.
Shaun (Simu Liu) and his best friend Katy (Awkwafina) live and work in San Francisco, valet parking cars at a swanky upscale hotel. Shaun moved from China to the United States years ago when he was a teenager and learned how to speak English so he could blend in. In a flashback, we see a preview of his life as a young boy before his move to the US, including his sister Xialing (Meng’er Zhang), their mother Jiang Li (Fala Chen), and their father Wenwu (Tony Leung). Wenwu is the leader of the Ten Rings, a terrorist organization that seeks to destroy world peace. He is an ancient warrior-king, over 1,000 years old, and his enduring youth and seemingly eternal life hail from ten mysterious Makluan cylindrical rings he discovered a long time ago in China’s Valley of Spirits, with each ring containing the soul of a long-dead legendary cosmic warrior. Five rings adorn each of his arms and can function as projectiles but they also have the power to manipulate various forms of energy including the minds of enemies, generate lightning blasts, emit freezing blasts or lower an opponent’s body temperature, and the ability to produce waves of heat and flame, amongst many others.
When Wenwu met and fell in love with Jiang Li, they had two children and he gave up the rings so he could live the rest of his life as a good man, husband, and father but after her death some years later, he fell back into his old ways and began training Shaun, whose real name is Shang-Chi, as an assassin. When Shaun was old enough for his first assignment, he left home but never returned, vowing to never be anything like his father. He moved to America, changed his name, and learned to speak English. One day, Shaun and Katy are traveling home on the bus when they are attacked by a group of men. One of them demands the pendant hanging around Shaun’s neck, a gift his mother gave to him years ago but he refuses. A big fight ensues and eventually, Shaun and Katy escape but the men disappear, along with Shaun’s pendant. He informs Katy that he must travel to Macau to warn his sister, Xialing, as she has a pendant identical to his but they arrive just as she is being attacked. After putting up a good fight, Shaun, Xialing, and Katy are apprehended by their father’s henchmen and brought to his hidden fortress, where he proceeds to tell them that their mother has reached out to him from beyond the grave, claiming that she is being locked up, against her will, in a cave in a secret valley. Wenwu gives them the task of arriving at the secret location to prepare the way for him and his men.
With no choice in the matter, the trio arrives at the location but are greeted by her mother’s people who inform them that the voice Wenwu has been hearing is not that of his wife but of something much more sinister, waiting to be let out. As Wenwu and his army travel toward the secret location, Shaun, Xialing, and Katy must make a decision: stand by his side or oppose him and his army and prevent them from unleashing hell on earth.
I knew absolutely nothing about Shang-Chi before attending the press screening and it worked to my advantage. Going in blind, so to speak, made the entire film more enjoyable. There were no expectations, like the anticipation that had built up for “Infinity War” and “Endgame,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” stands on its own two feet and does so admirably. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bad Marvel movie, technically at least, they are outstanding, and get better with each new entry into the fold. I do know what I like, however, Thor, The Avengers, Captain America, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, but I was never taken with the Ant-Man movies, they just didn’t have the same emotional depth or weight demonstrated by their fellow brethren. “Shang-Chi” not only offers exceptional displays of various martial arts, it also introduces Asian folklore and mythology into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it wasn’t until I saw it manifest on the big screen that I realized how just much we really needed it. If Marvel can incorporate alien races and alternate realities, why not incorporate old legends that evolved here on earth long ago?
Simu Liu as the titular hero proves to be more than capable of holding his own against fellow heavyweights Michelle Yeoh, Tony Leung, and Benedict Wong. Awkwafina as Shang-Chi’s best friend Katy is comic gold, and it was refreshing to see both characters as best friends instead of clichéd romantic interests, although that could most certainly change in future iterations as they have undeniable onscreen chemistry. Director Destin Daniel Cretton, best known for the 2017 indie hit “The Glass Castle” and 2019’s emotional and impassioned “Just Mercy,” doesn’t allow his lack of big-budget filmmaking experience to stop him from delivering one of the best Marvel movies to come along in some time, I just hope he can continue to balance his indie side along with his newfound blockbuster perspective.
In Theaters Friday, September 3rd
