Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: A New Fan Favourite Emerges

It’s a rare even that I go to watch a Marvel film with zero knowledge of the main characters, but it’s a refreshing and exciting feeling. The last time it happened was “Guardians of the Galaxy” so when I stepped into my screening of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” I knew it had some big shoes to fill for me personally.

The film follows the story of Shang-Chi, son of Wenwu (The Mandarin) who possesses the power brought by the ancient Ten Rings. Shang lives his life out in California, but when his past catches up to him he must spring into action to prevent dark forces from consuming his world.

Due to having no previous experience with the source material, I can’t accurately comment on how much justice the film does to the original portrayal of the characters or plot (I’m told adaptations were made) so I can only review this as a neutral and a newcomer to the world of this character.

Simu Liu brings a very likeable character to the MCU. A refreshing part about Shang-Chi is that he’s actually a very formidable and strong character before he even comes into contact with the world of the Ten Rings. He’s a master in martial arts and a trained killer who can more than fend for himself. He also comes across as a character who wouldn’t use the tools that give him enhanced powers until absolutely necessary, which gives him a bit of grounding and actually gives more value to the powers down the line.

The supporting cast actually provided more of a presence in my opinion. Tony Leung as Wenwu gives us a strong villain but also a conflicted father dealing with the challenges of mourning. He’s a character we never really know what to feel about and that’s something I love. Awkwafina as Katy is a constant bright spot and will be a fan favourite for many films to come, while Fala Chen as Shang’s sister is a strong character that I can’t wait to see more of.

The film also sees the return of Ben Kingsley who previously portrayed Trevor acting as The Mandarin in “Iron Man 3” almost as a hilarious nod to fans who hated what happened in that film.

Perhaps the film’s biggest win is in the action sequences. The fight choreography is some of the best of any film in the MCU so far — and it extends to the cinematography in these portions too. We get an idea of what to expect from the very first action sequence in a fight scene on a bus, where it leaves you awestruck and excited for what the film has to offer.

Another strength was the screenplay — with a runtime of 2h 12 mins, you’d expect the middle section of the film to drag but even with a few flashback portions the film flows very nicely at a good pace and most importantly, stays engaging throughout.

If I was to look for negatives in the film, there isn’t many to find. One big miss for me was the climax portion — while it was a visual effects masterpiece and had big payoffs to the father-son relationship and rivalry (which I’m a personal sucker for) it did drag in places where I felt it could have sped up without dwelling on certain shots or events.

Another was that I felt Shang’s sister was under-utilised despite being given a strong background and being a great character in her own right. This may be a bit premature as I don’t think this is the last we’ll see of her.

The final issue, which is a minor one in comparison, is that for the neutral viewers experiencing this character for the first time it might be a lot to take in here. Spiritual elements, other dimensions, mythical creatures and people with the ability to manipulate the elements. Yes, this era of Marvel films is beginning to become a bit more brave and adventurous with the characters and stories it introduces, but these things might be hard for a neutral or a first timer to process in one go. That might be a slightly harsh criticism.

In summary, the film introduces what is definitely going to be a prominent character in the future of the MCU, proven by the nature of one of the two post-credit scenes (as always, no spoilers) and a sure shot fan favourite.

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is out now in cinemas only.

Rating: 8/10