Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

One of my favourite aspects of the MCU is how it continues to evolve, introducing us to previously unseen realms and untapped genres just when we think we’ve seen it all before. For this reason, I’ve been eagerly awaiting “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”, the first Asian-led film in the MCU promised to deliver incredible action and an exciting eastern style to the franchise.

Thankfully, “Shang-Chi” is a worthy addition to the MCU, the cast are terrific and the action is absolutely stupendous. The first half of the film is almost flawless, which makes the weaker second half all the more frustrating. We’ll get into my criticisms of that side of the movie later, but suffice to say, if the entirety of “Shang-Chi” had been as phenomenal as its first hour, it would have sat comfortably amongst the MCU’s top tier entries. That isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy this movie immensely, but it did let itself down. That being said, “Shang-Chi” is definitely worth rushing out to see on the biggest screen you can find!

Just as “Guardians of the Galaxy” brought us the cosmic corner of the MCU, “Doctor Strange” delved into the mystical side of the series and “Black Panther” introduced us to the nation of Wakanda in all its Afro-Futuristic glory, so too does “Shang-Chi” add a new layer to the ever-expanding franchise. It’s thrilling to visit a secret dimension filled with magical creatures and an underground fighting ring that takes influence from a culture the MCU hasn’t really touched on as of yet. It keeps the series fresh and makes new instalments standout from those that came before. Also, the almost exclusively Asian cast in “Shang-Chi” is another step forward for representation in Hollywood, which is obviously a good thing.

Speaking of the cast, the performances in “Shang-Chi” are fantastic; every actor brings something unique to the film, whether that be humour, heart or charisma.

Simu Liu is tremendous as the titular martial arts master, he’s charming, relatable and believable. He makes the character’s relationships feel authentic due to his realistic chemistry with the other actors. I completely believed that Liu was performing all the breath-taking stunts throughout the film, he clearly worked himself to the bone to make the character’s abilities seem as natural as possible. Liu balances the typical MCU jokes with the intense drama that unfolds between Shang-Chi and his family extremely well. This is the most excited I’ve been for a new MCU character to join the Avengers since “Doctor Strange”, Liu is a star in the making and I can’t wait to see what he does next!

Tony Leung was amazing as Wenwu, an antagonist that felt unique when compared to other Marvel villains. Leung has a commanding, magnetic screen presence, making him both captivating and fearsome, which underlines the notion that Wenwu is one of the world’s most dangerous individuals.

Awkwafina did a great job as the film’s comedic relief character Katy, although not all her gags landed, I thoroughly enjoyed watching her and Simu Liu on-screen together, their interplay was hilarious and the heart-felt scenes between them were engaging. I was pleased that Katy and Shang-Chi remained friends throughout the film, meaning that Awkwfina’s character wasn’t relegated to a generic love-interest.

Michelle Yeoh is one of those actors who never gives a performance that isn’t brilliant. She always embodies her characters with a sense of gravitas and likability, whether she’s playing one of the best characters in the “007” franchise, or voicing a goat in the greatest animated movie ever made. As expected, her role in “Shang-Chi” is no different. Yeoh might only appear in the latter part of the movie, but she makes a big impact all the same. I sincerely hope that she reappears in the MCU soon, which is quite likely considering she also played a minor role in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2.”

When it comes to hand-to-hand fight sequences, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” has some of the best since “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” The choreography is balletic, the sound design is powerful and the cinematography is astonishing. It’s worth seeing this film in IMAX if you can, the action is presented in expansive wide-shots and long-takes that immerse the audience in the beautiful battles the filmmakers have crafted. Without question, the movie’s most superb set-piece is the bus brawl. This slice of pulse-pounding perfection was a joy to behold, featuring creative visuals, just the right amount of slow-motion and the song “Run It”, which provided an awesome backing beat. Watch “Shang-Chi” just for this action sequence alone, it’s the type of spectacle that reminds us why nothing can replace the cinema experience!

I was very impressed with Joel P. West’s score here, the relaxing Asian melodies and electrifying action themes heightened the film’s best moments and got stuck in my head long after the movie finished.

The character of Shang-Chi and his world were very well-integrated into the wider universe, this may not feel like a traditional MCU movie, but the links, easter eggs and cameos are incredibly satisfying. Whether it be a poster for a post-Blip helpline or the return of a noteworthy bit-player from “Spider-Man: Homecoming”, the fan service in “Shang-Chi” was expertly-pitched.

This isn’t a spoiler as his appearance is in the trailer, but Benedict Wong’s Wong is in “Shang-Chi” and I couldn’t be happier. Wong is one of my favourite supporting characters in the MCU, he’s hysterically funny, cool as ice and iconic. Come on Disney, give Wong his own movie, the people demand it!

I was over-the-moon with another cameo here, I won’t give away who it is (although this familiar face has been given their own character poster) but as someone with a lot of nostalgia for a certain Phase 2 movie, I was glad to see this person again!

Unfortunately, whilst I have nothing but praise for the first half of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”, there comes a point where the quality of the film begins to wane.

After a stunning, neon-soaked fight in Macau, the pacing of “Shang-Chi” plummets off a cliff. There’s an onslaught of flashbacks and a multitude of slow scenes that overstay their welcome as the movie ever-so-slowly gears-up for the third act. The third act wasn’t bad, but the CGI battle was underwhelming when compared to the earlier sequences which included visual effects, but remained focused on the human beings hitting each other, rather than the CGI itself. Beyond that, the final battle felt very drawn-out; when the movie wasn’t centred on the conflict between Shang-Chi and Wenwu, I felt my investment in the story slipping.

In conclusion, despite its poorly paced and lacklustre second half, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is Marvel’s best solo film since “Black Panther.” Unlike “Ant-Man and the Wasp” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home”, which I enjoyed upon first viewing but have since fallen down my ranking as time goes by, “Shang-Chi” will likely remain in the upper half of the MCU. I don’t know if I liked it more than “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”, but I think I enjoyed it slightly more than “WandaVision” and it’s certainly better than “Black Widow” and “Loki.” I’m very much looking forward to seeing what the MCU has in store for Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings next!