The fourth phase hits! – review of the movie “Shang-Chi and the legend of the ten rings”

Comic book story

Developers from Marvel Studios have more than once used less known characters and introduced them to the MCU very skillfully. This time they chose a hero who was known only to the most faithful fans of the House of Ideas. But Shang-Chi is not a “freshman” at all. He made his comics debut in 1973 in the 15th issue of the Special Marvel Edition. Since then, he has appeared in notebooks many times, although he almost never played the first violin. Readers have come to know him as a killer trained by his evil father. He did not have any superpowers, but hard training allowed him to become a true master of martial arts. His fists, kicks, speed and coordination made it possible for him to face superhuman opponents. Shang also quickly discovered that it was being used for evil purposes and decided to turn to the good side. One of the first heroes he met on his way and who introduced him to, among others from the Avengers, there was Iron Fist. Later, Shang collaborated with Daredevil and Black Widow, joined the Misty Knight team, taught Spider-Man special moves, and was invited to the Avengers team by Captain America and Iron Man. It was also the first line of defense against Thanos. Despite all these activities, he was always overshadowed by others. Perhaps this will change thanks to the latest movie from the MCU stable.

The scheme remains unchanged

While Shang-Chi and the legend of the ten ringsopens a new phase of Marvel, and there is a lot of news in it, the plot is conducted in a way that is well known to viewers. We start with getting to know the story of the main character – his youth, family conflicts and training. Just like in the comics, also in the movie, the father decides to make his son a martial arts master and a merciless killer. Shang escapes from his family home to the US. Years later, however, he is found by his parent, who decides to bring him to his homeland and set off on a mission with him and his daughter. The young warrior, however, does not believe in his father’s good intentions and manages to escape once again. Together with her sister and friend, she sets out to a mystical land to warn its inhabitants about her daddy’s plans. It turns out that trying to invade a village from another world can also endanger Earth!

Girls Rule!

The title character of the film was played by Simu Liu – an actor you may know from Pacific Rim or the series Taken. I must admit that he found himself wonderfully as a warrior. His martial arts shows are as convincing and refined as possible. Except that, apart from the successive series of blows, little can be said about him. And it is probably not even the fault of the artist himself, but of the script. Besides him, we can see Tony Leung as Xu Wenwu, the father of Shang-Chi, on the screen. As the main antagonist, he performs brilliantly. The viewer does not get the one-dimensional “evil” that the MCU has so far lacked, but a complex character, full of dilemmas, internal struggle with himself and having specific reasons to act in this and no other way. Leung’s acting experience is also evident, and it’s a shame he gets too little time in the film. Florian Munteanu as Razor Fist and Ben Kingsley returning to the MCU as Trevor Slattery also have their own moments. The first of the gentlemen is one of the main antagonist’s subordinates, who primarily focuses on subsequent action scenes. The second one plays the role of a comedian who is supposed to introduce a little more slack on the screen. From the entire cast, in my opinion, two heroines are the best. The first is Meng’er Zhang as Xu Xialing – the sister of the title character. This is a confident woman who can reach for what she wants, and on the way kick the asses of theoretically bigger and stronger men. The character is greatly developed, and the scene after the credits makes the viewer not quite sure what to think about her. By the way, we can assume that we will meet her again. In turn, a great addition to Shang-Chi is Katy Chen, played by the winner of Awkwafin’s Golden Globe. It is her sharp retort, jokes, gags and behaviors bring a lot of positive energy to the film. It is simply impossible not to like the heroine. He’s a bit like Luis withAnt-Man , though he has a much bigger role to play. Although she is supposed to play the role of our warrior’s assistant, sometimes it seems that she plays the first fiddle in this duo.

Finally, the new mascot, Morris, should be mentioned – a fantastic creature with six legs, wings and no mouth, who came from another world and gets along very well with Trevor. The stuffed animals with his likeness have already appeared, and the creature itself has gained the sympathy of viewers. If his popularity grows even more, he will probably return to Marvel movies as well.

From sensation to fairy tale

Although the plot of Shang-Chi and the legend of the ten rings is predictable, it is also unusual for a Marvel show. The first part of the film resembles an action movie straight from Hong Kong. The heroes mainly fight each other using eastern martial arts. By the way, everything happens in quite unusual scenery, such as a crowded bus or scaffolding on the top floors of a skyscraper. Later, however, we move places straight from Asian legends. There are fantastic creatures and even a Chinese dragon among them. I must admit that visually, the different world makes an amazing impression. Until you would like to go there for a vacation, or maybe even longer? Despite considerable differences, both halves fit together and constitute a coherent whole, which the viewers should be satisfied with.

As for the soundtrack, this one can also be associated with Asian culture most of the time. Only during the action scenes, especially in the first half of the film, is it more sensational, with just the right amount of tension and stronger hits. The viewer also has the opportunity to hear some real hits, including the famous Hotel California by Eagles, although this time it is performed by Shang-Chi, Katy and Wong! And you better plug your ears then!

Bruce Lee forever alive!

At one time, Marvel decided to pay tribute to the famous Bruce Lee and introduced Iron Fist and Shang-Chi to the comics, which were to be his improved versions. By the way, he wanted to open up a bit more to the Asian market. Now he does exactly the same in his cinematic universe. Shang-Chi and the legend of the ten rings is definitely an interesting adventure and a pretty good opening for the fourth phase. The warrior has a chance to become the new Avenger, and his partner a character that makes many viewers smile. It seems, however, that it was largely about attracting viewers from the Far East. Will this art be successful? Time will tell.

Check out the movie Shang-Chi and the legend of the ten rings in Cinema City!