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As human beings, we are in constant change. As we grow up, we pick up things from everybody we interact with and everywhere we end up at. But there is always an undeniable tie to our past, our parents, our ancestors. Regardless of how much we might want to run away from it, we are bound to stop running and go back, for one reason or another. That reality is at the core of one of the latest MCU offerings.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings follows the titular character (Simu Liu), who know goes by the name of "Shaun", as he is forced to face his past and his true identity when his father Wenwu (Tony Leung), the immortal leader of the Ten Rings organization, draws him and his sister out on his search of a mysterious mythical village.
The second film within the MCU Phase 4, Shang-Chi has as much similarities as it has differences with the films that precede it. It is refreshing to see a different and somewhat more obscure superhero in the franchise, and Simu Liu is pretty good in his portrayal. He has a good mixture of laid back charisma and emotional weight, mixed with some good comedic timing with best friend Katy (Awkwafina).
But I think the biggest strength the film has is in Tony Leung as Wenwu. In a way, this is as much his film as it is Liu, as we see his character traverse various moral shades of grey. Some of those layers are owed to the script, but I think a lot of it falls on Leung's nuanced performance, which is a treat through almost all the film.
And I say "almost", because as much as director Destin Daniel Cretton try to distinguish it from the rest of the MCU, it is evident that it has to follow a formula; one that requires a big, bombastic climax full of huge CGI creatures and special effects. Cretton does a solid job through the first acts, and there's a beauty to those wuxia-like fight scenes between Wenwu and Shang-Chi's mother, Ying Li. But it is in that formulaic climax where the film becomes less interesting.
Despite those issues, I would say Shang-Chi still ranks slightly above average within the MCU catalog, mostly thanks to a solid cast. The character of Xialing, Shang Chi's sister, could've been fleshed out more, but I suppose they'll get into that in the future. I also loved Katy's little arc, and it was fun to see the way they inserted Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery into the narrative.
At the end of the day, Shang-Chi might be an entertaining and satisfying film, but it just can't run from the past and traps of the MCU formula. As it is, it falls within the same "low floor/high ceiling" standards that the whole franchise has established. If it weren't for the performances, this would probably be a notch lower.
Grade:
SHANG-CHI
AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS
(2021, Cretton)
A film with the number 10 (Ten, Tenth, etc.) in its title
AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS
(2021, Cretton)
A film with the number 10 (Ten, Tenth, etc.) in its title
"My son, you can't run from your past."
As human beings, we are in constant change. As we grow up, we pick up things from everybody we interact with and everywhere we end up at. But there is always an undeniable tie to our past, our parents, our ancestors. Regardless of how much we might want to run away from it, we are bound to stop running and go back, for one reason or another. That reality is at the core of one of the latest MCU offerings.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings follows the titular character (Simu Liu), who know goes by the name of "Shaun", as he is forced to face his past and his true identity when his father Wenwu (Tony Leung), the immortal leader of the Ten Rings organization, draws him and his sister out on his search of a mysterious mythical village.
The second film within the MCU Phase 4, Shang-Chi has as much similarities as it has differences with the films that precede it. It is refreshing to see a different and somewhat more obscure superhero in the franchise, and Simu Liu is pretty good in his portrayal. He has a good mixture of laid back charisma and emotional weight, mixed with some good comedic timing with best friend Katy (Awkwafina).
But I think the biggest strength the film has is in Tony Leung as Wenwu. In a way, this is as much his film as it is Liu, as we see his character traverse various moral shades of grey. Some of those layers are owed to the script, but I think a lot of it falls on Leung's nuanced performance, which is a treat through almost all the film.
And I say "almost", because as much as director Destin Daniel Cretton try to distinguish it from the rest of the MCU, it is evident that it has to follow a formula; one that requires a big, bombastic climax full of huge CGI creatures and special effects. Cretton does a solid job through the first acts, and there's a beauty to those wuxia-like fight scenes between Wenwu and Shang-Chi's mother, Ying Li. But it is in that formulaic climax where the film becomes less interesting.
Despite those issues, I would say Shang-Chi still ranks slightly above average within the MCU catalog, mostly thanks to a solid cast. The character of Xialing, Shang Chi's sister, could've been fleshed out more, but I suppose they'll get into that in the future. I also loved Katy's little arc, and it was fun to see the way they inserted Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery into the narrative.
At the end of the day, Shang-Chi might be an entertaining and satisfying film, but it just can't run from the past and traps of the MCU formula. As it is, it falls within the same "low floor/high ceiling" standards that the whole franchise has established. If it weren't for the performances, this would probably be a notch lower.
Grade: