OnScreen Review: "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings"
Ken Jones, Chief Film Critic
Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is off and running. Black Widow may have served as the official launch of Phase Four, though for unclear reasons as to why it ties in beyond it’s post-credits scene, but I suspect that fans of the MCU will look back on Black Widow’s swan song as a bridge between Phase Three and Phase Four as the legend of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings grows. Which it will. Shang-Chi is a confident and worthy addition to the MCU roster, now 25 films deep.
Leading the charge onto the scene is Simu Liu, an actor who prior to this was best known for being on a popular CBC comedy, Kim’s Convenience. Liu plays the titular Shang-Chi, an unassuming and apparently underachieving young man making a living in San Francisco as a valet with his best friend Katy (Awkwafina). Turns out, though, that Shang-Chi is actually laying low because of his family ties; his father is Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung), an ancient man who has lived for over a thousand years because he possesses the ten rings, mystical rings of power and unnaturally long life (*Gollum, Gollum*, no Precious, not that kinds of ringses). Wenwu has amassed great power over the centuries, running a clandestine organization known as the Ten Rings and is intent on bringing his son back into the family business, with an even greater power grab in mind that threatens earth and other realms.
For fans of the MCU, there is a lot to like from Marvel over the last decade and this impressive run of blockbuster moviemaking. One of the best treats though has been watching Marvel expand its horizons in multiple ways. Marvel’s superpower with the MCU has been its ability to seamlessly blend their storytelling and brand with established genre fare or expanding to embrace more cultures; Shang-Chi, like Black Panther before it, accomplishes both.
Shang-Chi employs martial arts and wuxia elements throughout the film. A beautifully choreographed fight in the prologue between Wenwu and Shang-Chi’s eventual mother, Li (Fala Chen), starts as fight and subtly progresses into a kind of mating dance. Later on, Shang-Chi is confronted by his father’s goon on a San Francisco public bus and the fighting that proceeds leans into the style of Jackie Chan or Stephen Chow, a chaotic ballet of fists and feet while trying to protect his fellow passengers.
Another strength of Marvel is to build up the supporting cast around the superheroes their movies are focused on. In addition to Awkwafina as Shang-Chi’s closest friend Katy, there is also his estranged sister trying to make her own way in the criminal underworld, Xu Xialing (Meng’er Zhang). She is given her own story to flesh out through the course of the film, as someone who grew up in the shadow of her brother and had to work twice as hard to be recognized. Michelle Yeoh even makes an important appearance as their aunt, providing Shang-Chi with some valuable lessons on embracing every aspect of who he is. There is a open hand/closed fist theme that runs through the film, and she puts a fine point on it. Benedict Wong, a growing crowd favorite in the MCU, also gets a few scenes for levity and to provide some tie-in into the greater MCU that Shang-Chi and Katy are getting sucked into by their actions. Finally, a widely derided character in the MCU is given a redemption that actually does a fair job of rescuing the character from his previous scorn.
In the end, though, this is Shang-Chi and Katy’s movie; it’s their journey and their arc that the audience is ultimately invested in. There are some hints of a romantic future for them, but the movie presents them as platonic best friends for the most part, which is sort of refreshing. Awkwafina is a scene stealer, generating a lot of laughs but also providing some emotional and personal grounding, the avatar of the audience in a lot of ways in entering into this mystical world. Not to rely too much on comparing this movie continually to Black Panther, but it is hard to avoid the comp of how Simu Liu is comfortable taking a back seat in his own movie to let he co-stars shine, much in the way that Chadwick Boseman allowed others to shine. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that he is in the class of actor that the late Chadwick Boseman was, but it’s clear that the importance of ensemble that Liu likely learned from being on a sitcom has carried through with him. There is a quiet confidence and comfort that exudes from his acting. It can’t be easy to be a relative no-name stepping into the main role of an MCU blockbuster and sharing scenes with the likes of Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh, but Lui does it with ease.
Speaking of Leung, his casting in this film brings a certain level of gravitas to the film, much in the way that Robert Redford’s casting in Captain America: Winter Soldier gave a rub to that film’s paranoid spy thriller bona fides. Leung has a much larger role than Redford did, though, and he is also a highlight of the film. I’m sure essays have been written about the man’s eyes, after all, he is known in international cinema as the man who can speak with his eyes. He is arguably the most impressive actor that has graced the MCU, and his portrayal of Wenwu, a conflicted and complex character, is essential to the film. It’s a shame that when Leung has carried so much of the film as the nominal villain that he takes a back seat to the inevitable CGI-fest in the third act. But every moment that he is on screen is a treat, especially for American audiences as this is likely their biggest exposure to one of the finest actors in the world. One can only hope that this leads a few people to seek out more of his work, particularly his collaborations with Wong Kaw-Wai.
It also needs to be said that all of this is tied together quite well be director Destin Daniel Cretton. After a lot of success with indie and arthouse films, this is easily the biggest undertaking that Cretton has undertaken as a director and he nails it. Again, it’s a credit to Marvel that they invest in these directors and empower them to carry out their vision for the characters. And there’s another example right around the corner with newly minted Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao with The Eternals and then Nia DeCosta next year with The Marvels. The future is bright for the MCU, in front of the camera and behind it.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a sure crowd pleaser. It’s an enjoyable movie experience that is packs a punch and is packed with a lot of laughs. It also has a lot more depth, substance, and heart than probably half of the MCU. It leaves you wanting more, eager to see what role Shang-Chi plays in the MCU going forward, but also what stories await for him, Katy, and others.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars