Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Synopsis
Marvel adds a character who packs quite a punch to its roster in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. When we first meet the twenty-something “Shaun” (Simu Liu), it appears that his life in San Francisco only consists of valeting by day and partying by night with his best friend Katy (Awkwafina). However, we later discover that Shaun’s real name is Shang-Chi, and he was trained from a young age to be the perfect assassin by his father, Xu Wenwu (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung); Wenwu is the power-hungry leader of a secret criminal organization whose ‘Ten Rings’ have given him a centuries-old lifespan and magical powers. We also learn that Shang-Chi fled from his father when he was 14, leaving his younger sister Xialing (Meng’er Zhang) behind in the process, and has been living in hiding ever since. But when Shang-Chi’s father sends men after him for mysterious reasons, Shang-Chi and Katy quickly embark on a fantastical journey filled with intense fights, incredible magic, and that which is most daunting: awkward family reunions.
Analysis
Shang-Chi has some of the best choreographed fight scenes I’ve ever seen in a Marvel property. Each hit lands with brute force, yet the incorporation of martial arts adds fluidity to fighters’ movements. Every combatant channels their personality through their fighting style; the elegance and grace that Shang-Chi’s mother – Ying Li (Fala Chen) – fights with shows that she’s a kind and peaceful person, while the brutality of Wenwu’s attacks is proof of his aggressive and hostile nature. I was particularly surprised by how acrobatic Simu Liu was: Shang-Chi is constantly swinging and flipping around his environment, which makes his fights feel very dynamic. In addition, having the camera aimed closely on Shang-Chi during fights creates a visceral experience for the audience. I also really appreciated how magic mostly complemented rather than replaced combatants’ fighting styles whenever it came into play. Magic thus makes scenes feel much more epic without noticeably sacrificing a sense of groundedness.
Another great aspect of the movie is its attention to its characters. First, I really liked the character of Shang-Chi. Simu Liu’s athleticism excellently sells his character’s martial arts mastery. Additionally, Shang-Chi’s positive character traits like determination and protectiveness of others make him someone to root for, while his flaws and moral complexity make him much more relatable and interesting. And showing how he’s a product of both his mother and father – as stated by his aunt Ying Nan, played by Michelle Yeoh – again makes him feel authentic. Second, I loved Shang- Chi’s dynamic with Katy. The two exhibited great chemistry from the beginning and the way they cracked jokes and goofed around in San Francisco made them feel like real people. Their relationship also gets surprisingly emotional as the movie progresses, which helps demonstrate its legitimacy. Third, the character of Xu Wenwu has a surprising amount of depth. While the film initially presents him as a one-note villain, certain events help evolve his characters and reveal his humanity. He can be genuinely loving and compassionate, and you’re able to understand why he returns to ruthlessness and what fuels his delusional endeavor. Leung also demonstrates great range in fleshing out his character, from conveying cool confidence at one moment to emotional distraughtness the next. Finally, I really liked how much the movie delved into Shang-Chi’s relationship with his father. Flashbacks to Shang-Chi’s childhood do an excellent job of showing you what led to the complicated father-son relationship in the first place. Their dialogue (in the modern-day) shows how much this past has shaped both men’s perceptions of each other, with some lines reflecting a solid familial bond and others animosity. And Wenwu and Shang-Chi’s rage towards one another in battle is conveyed through their use of destructive magic, which makes their fights epic. The movie thus gives its audience a reason to feel emotionally invested in the outcomes of these fights given how much time it spends developing the two characters. However, the character who I felt was woefully underdeveloped was Xialing. Her one-note trait of being a badass gets old pretty fast, her relationship with Shang-Chi is just a transition from mistrusting to trusting, and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t share one line of dialogue with her father. So while Xialing was there for most of the story and had quite a few good fight moments, she never truly seemed to step out from the background.
I also really enjoyed the movie’s celebration of Asian representation. The cast is predominantly Asian, and there are various lines of dialogue – including the opening exposition – that are spoken only in Chinese. The film presents different elements of Chinese culture, like the importance of one’s given name and honoring deceased family members. The movie also doesn’t explicitly highlight these traits or “justify” them, so by simply presenting them as is, the world feels natural rather than unusual. Incorporating all of these factors was a great way to explore a central component of Shang-Chi’s identity and presented a fully realized vision of inclusivity.
All that being said, I hated how formulaic the finale turned out. [***SPOILER WARNING FOR REST OF PARAGRAPH***] Once Ying Nan started talking about “The Great Protector” and soul-sucking demons, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach that typical Marvel fanfare would eventually replace the movie’s character-driven story. Sadly I was correct: Shang-Chi, his sister, and a dragon spend the last 20ish minutes of the movie battling demons and *gasp* a BIGGER demon. First off, compared to Shang-Chi’s fight with his father, the demon battle wasn’t that exciting. The first fight felt epic because of the excellent fight choreography and your level of emotional investment, while the latter failed to be either immersive or anything beyond generic. Additionally, the groundwork for the fight with demons isn’t laid until the second act, whereas the familial conflict is set up at the beginning! But worst of all, the finale performs a significant disservice to Wenwu. The way he died felt like an insulting way to end his arc and didn’t align at all with the family storyline, and its suddenness prevented any major reconciliation between Wenwu and his children. In essence, the finale served as an extremely disappointing end to a film that had a lot going for it. And I know that this wasn’t the intended direction Destin Daniel Cretton wanted to take with his film, but as for all Marvel directors, he was likely only able to express so much agency during the filming process.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you definitely should check out Shang-Chi in theaters. This origin story has enough there in terms of fantastic fight sequences, character work, and Asian representation to more than make up for its abysmal finale. I’d still like to live in a world where some Marvel movies are allowed to be self-contained and character-driven, but that’s neither here nor there. Shang-Chi will more than do for the time being, and I hope that the character’s given more interesting – and most importantly grounded – things to do in the future.