Shang-Chi and The Legend Of The Ten Rings

Boy oh Boy it's time for a Marvel Studios movie review!! I've been waiting so long for a Marvel Movie to release in theatres in India so that I can have those 2019 vibes again😭. And the fact that November and December are also packed with Eternals and Spider Man: No Way Home makes me wanna go and cry😣😭. Anyways, I'll stop fanboying over marvel and start the review.

Let's get into it.

THIS REVIEW IS SPOILER FREE

Overview

Shang-Chi and The Legend Of The Ten Rings (simply known as Shang-Chi) is a superhero/action movie, based on Marvel Comic's character 'Shang-Chi'. Produced by Marvel studios' head Kevin Feige, Shang-Chi was released on 1st September in India and it's the first marvel studios production to be fully released in theatres and NOT on any OTT platforms after 2019.

IMDb: 8.1/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% fresh

Casting

Look, I know this isn't a category that is usually in my blogs, but this movie has forced me to introduce it this time! Shang-Chi has a fully Asian Cast or a cast that is of an Asian descent. Now, what makes it special is that it's seldom that Hollywood does these kind of experiments and this is the first time Marvel Studios has done one! The movie literally has a whole realm full of Asian people 😭😂. That's like asking Americans to save the world every freaking time! (which happens in every other Hollywood sci-fi project lol). Anyways, what Marvel did here is very much appreciated.

Personal Opinion

Starting off, this movie feels fresh and gives out such feel good vibes. When I went to the theatre to watch this film, I had little to no expectations despite all the hype on social media, because I am a firm believer of 'Expectations are the thief of joy'. And I'm so happy to tell you guys that my belief paid off! I came out of the theatre feeling so satisfied and happy! Shang-Chi provides certain perspective to the MCU that has never been seen before. This is the first time that Marvel has dived deep into the world of Mystic arts and Kung-fu and I absolutely loved it!

The music of the film is ON POINT. The action sequences, along with the fabulous music, are jaw dropping and the cinematography of the film is exceptional! Kudos to director Destin Daniel Cretton and cinematographer Bill Pope for the brilliant work.

30 mins into the film and it did not feel like a Marvel movie at all! Now if you have been following the MCU for a while, you must know that in each and every marvel movie, there are certain things like a reference to the S.H.I.E.L.D or the Hydra, the Tony Stark sass or the Steve Roger stubborness in one way or the other. Surprisingly, there's NONE of that in this film! And that's why it feels so different considering the fact that it's still a Marvel movie!

Having said all that, the film carefully shows the process of how Shang Chi overcomes his fear as well as the complexity in the soul of Shang Chi's father (Wen Wu) and conveys the beautiful message, "The pain of our past isn't reason to destroy its fuel meant to re-channel to bring life" as quoted by Erik Voss from The New Rockstars Youtube Channel.

Action Sequences and Acting

Since it's a Superhero film, this category deserves a separate mention. Right off the bat, Simu Liu (Shang Chi), Tony Chiu-Wai Leung (Xu Wenwu/ Shang Chi's father), Meng'er Zhang (Xu Xialing/ Shang Chi's sister), Michelle Yeoh ( Ying Nan/ Shang Chi's aunt) and many more are phenomenal in their fight scenes. I have a personal preference towards martial arts fighting scenes as witnessing people moving their body in such a poetic manner and simultaneously teaching the opponent a lesson is always a delight! Inspiration has been drawn from earlier legendary films like Enter the Dragon (1973) and Kung Fu Hustle (2004). There is definitely a Bruce Lee- Jackie Chan vibe to the fight scenes and you will absolutely love it. One thing to note is that they do not use any modern technologies or weaponry to fight. Instead, there is a subtle mix of magic and technology in their classic weapons which include batons, swords, nunchaku, shuriken etc.

The direction, cinematography and the music of this film compliments the action sequences and enhance their overall appeal. It is very refreshing to see a new kind of magic (different from the Kamar-Taj magic in the MCU) being used by many characters in the film.

Shout out to Ben Kingsley as well. He plays the classic role of Trevor (The Mandarin from Iron Man 3) in this film. He is such a versatile actor. Whether it be a role of a psycho doctor ( in Shutter Island) or the role of a wannabe actor (in this film😂), he can nail both of these polar opposite roles! His comic timing as well as the seriousness that he brings to his role is remarkable and worth watching!

Awkwafina (Katy in Shang-Chi) is as usual her charming self. Although she doesn't posses any super powers, she plays a very vital role in the movie (you have to see the movie to know her importance, no spoilers here!) She has superb comic timing and has a great on-screen chemistry with Simu Liu (Shang Chi himself). She gives out some of the most chill vibes and has a goofy nature on screen, which reflects her real life nature as well😂.

All said and done, she has done a remarkable job and I absolutely love her character.

P.S. She was so good in Crazy Rich Asians as well😭

Final Say

This movie is full of colors (unlike DC lol), dragons and ancient mythological stuff, which has never been seen in Marvel films. It introduces new concepts, new enemies, new realms, new mythological characters and a whole new magic to the MCU which makes going forward in the MCU all the more interesting. Featuring the OG characters like Abomination and The Mandarin (as seen in the trailer) combined with the epic post credit scenes (Yes, there are two of them!!), I can comfortably say that this movie lives up to the hype.

The only downfall that I could point out in this film was its easy predictability. Since I'm a huge Marvel fan, I overlooked it, but, if one really sees it from a critique's point of view, one may find this a problem.

Nevertheless, I strongly recommend you to go watch this movie in theatres and enjoy the epic experience!

My rating: 8/10

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