An Honest Review Of Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings

I went into seeing Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings not knowing what to expect out of the movie. Having spent very little time reading comics after 1990, I was completely unfamiliar with the cannon for the movie. To say that I was pleased after the movie is an understatement.

A conqueror, a soldier, and a traveler that ran through the world taking whatever he wanted, finds himself up against something he didn't expect, the love of his life. When he cannot resist the guardian of Ta Lo, Xu Wenwu, turns his back on the warring ways he once lived and sets out to conquer something new. With a wife and children, he is content to spend his life living a peaceful existence. Wenwu takes off the rings, for the first time in a thousand years, but only for a while, the life he now sought to live not one he was ready to master.

His oldest, after leaving home, turns up in San Francisco. Living under an assumed name, Shang-Chi is someone his father would consider an underachiever, a slacker, and not living up to his potential. Parking cars for a living, hanging out with his best friend and fellow slacker, Katy; the two spend their days slaving away and their nights singing in karaoke bars while getting drunk. It all seems innocuous until a bus ride to work is interrupted by an attack of the Ten Rings Clan that forces Shaun/Shang-Chi to face his past. Knowing that his sister is in danger, Shaun travels to Macau.

From the beauty and splendor of Macau to the excitement of the local fight club scene we're treated to the wonders of the Asian world. As they enter the fight club, Marvel Alum, Benedict Wong is in the midst of a cage fight with abomination, so we're treated to a double treat. Abomination VS Wong sounds like something that you'd expect to see in one of the many video games that include the Avengers. Wong in a cage fight doesn't exactly fit with the character we've come to know and love. Somehow, the scene works thanks to the splendid writing and the work of visionary director, Destin Daniel Cretton.

The action in this, the 25th entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe is well-paced and spaced out at intervals that keep it from feeling like a fight movie, even though the fans of martial arts fighting are in for a treat. From the first fight scene to the fight club sparring session between Shang and sister Xialing (Meng'er Zhang), this is an incredible example of the classic martial arts fight scenes many of us grew up watching.

Fans of Marvel Comics will appreciate the continued continuity as this relative unknown to some fans ties in with the original members of the Avengers and brings back a few tidbits from the past. As the kids try to figure out what to do the Ten Rings clan catches up with them in Macau and they find themselves face to face with their estranged father, Wenwu. Shaun's emotions run high, remembering the life his father forced him into, as Shaun, his sister Xialing, and Katy (Awkwafina), are taken captive.

Landing at the Ten Rings compound, the children have come home to find the madness of their father hard to believe. The grieving widower, still longing for his lost love, is bound to find her and bring her back from death. Enter the history of their mother, her death, and Ta Lo. Thrown into captivity, unsure of their fathers' claims, the kids know what they have to do, find the entrance to their mothers' home, and save it from their crazed father and his army of ninja-like warriors.

With stellar performances by Michelle Yeoh from Star Trek Discovery (Michelle Yeoh), Wah Yuen (Master Guang Bo), Tony Chiu-Wai Leung (Wenwu), and appearances by Ben Kingsley (Iron Man 3), Benedict Wong (Wong) the cast was incredible. The storytelling by Director Destin Daniel Cretton was marvelously done as we are introduced to this new world of martial arts and magic.

Ta Lo is a world not seen before in the MCU and its' addition is right up there with the skilled creation we're accustomed to by the folks at Marvel. With the magical creatures, the mysticism, and the honor of the simple life the people of Ta Lo live, it makes you want to know more.

Overall, after seeing the past 24 entries into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shang-Chi and the Legend Of The Ten Rings is right up there with Guardians of the Galaxy when it comes to new properties. The underlying stories of family drama, unspoken romance, and heartache fill the slower moments with plenty of emotional connection for the fans. While reviews are subjective, as a fan, in my opinion, this is the best origin story the MCU has done since Iron Man. Shang-Chi and the Legend Of The Ten Rings was a stunningly visual, excitingly intelligent introduction to the world of the Ten Rings with a cast that outperformed expectations, and a crew that should continue to be proud of the final product for years to come.