Review: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

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Shaun (Simu Liu) has been living his life in San Francisco fairly lowkey. He's a valet along with his best friend Katy (Awkwafina) but after a shocking display of power while being accosted on a bus, Shaun is forced to admit to Katy that his name is actually Shang-Chi, and his father (Tony Leung) trained him to be an assassin at a young age. His father has God-like strength due to the 10 rings he's in possession of, and now he needs his son to come back into the fold. 

We're getting to a point in the MCU where I'm not very familiar with the newer properties they are bringing in. This one, and the upcoming Eternals I know next to nothing about, so I'm just along for the ride, and what a wonderful time this was.

I loved this. As I'm writing this review now, I wish I could go back to the theater and watch it again. I loved the banter between Shang-Chi and Katy. I like that they're not love interests, but just BFFs. That sets it apart from most of the other MCU origin stories. The fight choreography is outstanding and I think this might have the best score in the entire MCU. I've had the soundtrack stuck in my head all day.

Liu is a great lead. He's very charming. It's Tony Leung who gets the most to do acting wise, and he was fantastic. I also loved the other bits of the MCU they brought in, particularly the only part of Iron Man 3 that I liked. 

My biggest peeve was the ending. I know why the Visual Effects team stages CGI heavy battles at night. It's just easier to render, but for a film that was so vibrant and fun, when the sky all of a sudden turns overcast during the big battle scene, it just looked ugly and reminded me of The Justice League in the worst way. 

This is one of the strongest MCU origins to date, and I can't wait to see how he meshes with the other Avengers.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B+

Memorable Quote: "That dragon just vomited a water map and now I don't know what's real." - Katy (Awkwafina)

Comments

  1. Often Off TopicSeptember 7, 2021 at 2:17 PM

    So with you about the relationship between Shaun and Katy. They had such great chemistry I kind of wanted a romantic angle, but on reflection I'm glad they stayed BFFs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 8, 2021 at 9:32 AM

      I am too, it's different. We don't really have a relationship like that anymore now that Steve and Nat are no more :(

      Delete
  2. thevoid99September 7, 2021 at 6:01 PM

    I enjoyed this film and I like the fact that the film introduce us to a hero that we don't know about yet it felt fresh and exciting as I'm eager for what Shang-Chi, Katy, Xialing, and the rest of the gang will do next as well as what will they do with the other people in the MCU and what songs will they sing at a karaoke bar. I'm never going to get that image of Wong singing "Hotel California" out of my mind as I was singing along to that song with a few others who were much older than me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 8, 2021 at 9:32 AM

      Yes me too! I can't wait to see who they meet first.

      Delete
  3. RuthSeptember 7, 2021 at 9:30 PM

    I'm w/ you about the bombastic, CGI-fest ending... I kind of glossed over during that part. But overall it was a lot of fun, Shang-Chi and Katy are a hoot and yes, it's refreshing that they're not romantic partners.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 8, 2021 at 9:31 AM

      I loved them chemistry. Glad Wong took her along too lol

      Delete
  4. keith71_98September 9, 2021 at 9:35 AM

    I've soured more and more on that ending since first seeing it. It's sooo overloaded with CGI and (as you mentioned) it's so gloomy. For me some of the action in those scenes were too murky to make out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 9, 2021 at 2:15 PM

      It was getting very Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen there for a minute lol

      Delete
  5. Azka KamilSeptember 12, 2021 at 3:39 AM

    great your post

    ReplyDelete

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