Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
4.5 out of 5 stars
Prepare to have your socks knocked off by MCU’s first Asian lead superhero that’s easily one of the best movies Marvel Studios has ever made, and instantly becoming one of my favorites of the year. The mesmerizing martial arts joining forces with incredible fantasy will leave any and all picking their jaws up off the floor. Simu Liu does not disappoint as Shang-Chi. It looks and feels as though him and this role, which will undoubtedly change his life forever, is truly meant to be. Awkwafina is fantastic as his best friend, and the same can be said for Meng’er Zhang and Michelle Yeoh – playing his sister and aunt, respectively. And in his portrayal as Xu Wenwu, father of Shang-Chi and his sis and leader of the Ten Rings for around a thousand years – Tony Leung cements himself as one of MCU’s top-tier villains. His greatest desire is to have a family reunion and free his wife he lost long ago. Love hurts and his pain can cause a ton of carnage when wearing those mighty rings.
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12) from a script he co-wrote with Andrew Lanham and Dave Callaham, they tell an outstanding origin story that’s beautiful, refreshing, visually stunning, and funny with a few fun surprises for fans to eat up. The phenomenal fighting sequences, the explosion of cultures, mythology and magic, and, of course, Morris are prime examples of what I’m talking about. The finale goes more than a tad haywire and is distracting in parts due to being soused in CGI. However, it still doesn’t even come close to ruining the specialness of what we’re witnessing and the widespread meaning at its emotional center. Shang-Chi is catapulted to legendary status in his big screen debut, leaving us itching for when and where he’ll show up next.
We dive into Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on the latest episode of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast, which you can listen to here:
Listen to “Ep. 82: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Spoilers)” on Spreaker.Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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