(film review) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

What did I need from an MCU Disney Martial Arts movie? Well Martial Arts first and foremost.  I definitely wanted the sound of flapping clothes in the wind when someone is jumping in the air and I also wanted a great story, but something just as good/great as Black Panther (in the MCU), but for the Asian audience because, quality representation matters.  If the film looked just as stunning and as beautiful as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Hero, I'd say, Disney has done a great job with this film.  So, I guess the question then becomes, has Disney done a great job with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings? Yes, Yes they have.

Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) was raised to be a warrior by his father "The Mandarin" who is known to be a dangerous and powerful warlord and the leader of the Ten Rings organisation.  However, these Ten Rings are a physical instrument and weapons Shang-Chi will eventually inherit when they are eventually passed down.  Whilst trying to stay away from his father, assassins attack Shang-Chi and his friend Katy (Awkwafina) leading him to discover his father is looking for him which ends in a battle with his father's army and a struggle to save the world.

This film was great! What makes it worse, it was extremely difficult to try and explain this film without giving away spoilers because the trailers undersell the movie and the story although the trailers do look great, if martial arts is your thing, of course.  There are many layers to this movie while it moves at a steady pace introducing various genres whilst being comical in places with fight scenes that rival the movie The Raid (obviously not as gritty and gory - Disney and all).  The fight on the bus you see in the trailer, great. The fight on the scaffolding, great. The third act is both funny, informative and well, with a fight/battle of course, also great and takes the viewer on a fantastical journey that is both captivating and awe-inspiring.

This is the first acting I've seen from Simu and not only did he do his own fighting and stunts, he is just great as Shang-Chi and I would love to see more of him as this character. The filming of the fight scenes are not jumpy or subjected to shaky cam, so you see every detail of the fighting allowing you to follow it with the wide angles used.  Whilst Awkwafina is a person I'm slowly gravitating to as a actor I like, I haven't seen her in much, but what I have seen her in, she is quite good.  I think she was superb in Raya, but I would like to see more from her.  Shang-Chi's dad (Tony Leung) is excellent and the subtlety and power in his performance is almost Oscar worthy as there are moments where I was almost brought to tears from not only his performance, but the story itself.

The director did an amazing job with this film and whilst the trailers don't really give you the full story, the story goes beyond a boy with daddy issues.  As I stated earlier, there are levels to this movie not even hinted in this film where Love, Tragedy, Honour and Heroism is infused in the Chinese culture that makes a re-watchable movie and one of the MCU's best movies since Iron Man and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.  Definitely what we need from the MCU after the year with have had. 

(trailer review) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

(Rise Up Trailer)

(Need Trailer)

(Official Trailer)

(Official Teaser)

Here is something you can laugh at me about.  So I've been ill for the past couple of days (it got me!), so I've not been online as much as I would normally.  I'm constantly tired, not much energy, but there is something that I did notice, a Rick Ross song poster with 3 "rings" next to it.  Considering Idris Elba was recently cast to play Knuckles in the Sonic 2 movie, it is possible, my mind was on Sonic and not the fact that the new Song "Run It" has nothing to do with Sonic, a though I had when I saw the poster and more to do with Shang-Chi, also confirmed by the end of this trailer. Haha...

This is a great trailer.  It shows a bit more of the action and different characters such as Abomination a bit clearer, the shear size of him, fighting what seems to be Wong from Doctor Strange. A few fight scenes we have already scene but closing out with a gag which actually works for the audience because since this movie had been announced, everyone and their mother's cat had been trying to figure out, how do we say Shang-Chi?  This looks like it's going to be a great and fun movie.  I just hope they lean heavily into the "wire-work" martial arts like the old martial arts movies I used to watch growing up or more recent ones like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.  If nothing else, the sound of clothing blowing through the wind on a mid-air jump will be enough.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and starring Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Fala Chen, Meng'er Zhang, Florian Munteanu, Ronny Chieng, Michelle Yeoh.

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(trailer review) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

(Official Trailer)

(Official Teaser)

And just like that, Marvel wants to keep the momentum going and drop yet another trailer for Shang-Chi that shows not only a few scenes we have seen before, but different parts of those same scenes/fights and could there possibly be a reason to not be involved or interested in this movie? I mean they must have thought we have forgotten about this movie or something, like the buzz has died down.

The more I see of Awkwafina, brings me warmth and some much needed comedic value this movie will need to help balance out the tone.  A ruthless father trying to give his son his empire but his son is required to fight for it?  The legend of the Ten Rings?  What is done with the 10 rings and how they are being used in combat also looks great too.  Unless I'm mistaken, like a whip?  Oh and Shang-Ghi's Superhero landing is unrivalled!

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and starring Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Fala Chen, Meng'er Zhang, Florian Munteanu, Ronny Chieng, Michelle Yeoh.

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(trailer review) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

 

(Official Teaser )

And just like that, we have another trailer!
Right now Marvel are on a role and  whilst Loki is currently airring as a weekly show, soon Black Widow will come out and then this...and this looks great.

We see soo much more in this trailer.  We see the rings, how they work and what they do.  We see the training Shang-Shi had to endure and we see a lot more fighting,  A LOT more fighting and a Dragon!  Whilst a lot of publications/reviewers are saying this ISN'T Fin Fang Foom, I'm hoping it is.  I think what is wild, is the Abomination from 'The Incredible Hulk' and Wong from 'Doctor Strange'.  The levels has just gone up a notch.  Let me see a Fin Fang Foom though...

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and starring Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Fala Chen, Meng'er Zhang, Florian Munteanu, Ronny Chieng, Michelle Yeoh.

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(trailer review) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Disney are simply killing it.  Quality after quality after quality.  And in this case diversity.  Just like Black Panther was with an all Black cast bar a couple non-black, this seems to be the same and right in my wheel house! Are you mad?!!! Martial Arts movies!!!

Martial arts movies and 'House of Flying Daggers' jumping/flying through the air and the wind blowing through the clothes sound, I'm soo on board.  I had no clue what this film was going to be like as we were told, some kind of tournament and like an authentic martial arts movie...and they don't seem to be lying.  This is just the teaser, so I can't wait to see the official trailer as that is going to be bonkers, I can feel it.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and starring Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Fala Chen, Meng'er Zhang, Florian Munteanu, Ronny Chieng, Michelle Yeoh.

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