‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ review: Dir. Destin Daniel Cretton (2021)

A few months back, Marvel finally released Black Widow. It disappointed at the box-office in comparison to Marvel’s other films, but was also released directly onto streaming platform Disney+. This in itself became drenched in controversy, but Marvel’s latest Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings gets an exclusive cinema release.

Shang-Chi signals Marvel’s first Asian superhero in a leading role, and the film certainly nurtures and embraces the cultural aspects that inspire this superhero. Within the first 10 minutes you would be excused for forgetting you were watching a Marvel film at all. With narration summarising the life battles of Wenwu (Tony Leung) and his grasp for power, followed by a stunning sequence that pays homage to China’s wuxia genre of martial arts. 

This opening sequence sets the bar for the rest of the film, which it thankfully lives up to throughout. The choreographed fight sequences are the best in the MCU’s history. They are shot with respect for the artists and their skills, with editing used to support them, rather than trying to make for a kinetic, bombastic, and loud affair. You see early on, when a fight turns into a literal dance, that Shang-Chi respects its roots.

The casting of Leung is also a huge bonus. Appearing here in his first Hollywood picture, Leung is Hong Kong royalty. He’s demonstrated his Martial Arts skills before, but it’s his subtle nuances that elevate his role as the villainous Wenwu (even he finds the name ‘Mandarin’ pretty daft). What could have been another throwaway villain becomes a sympathetic and emotional core to the film, and one that is perfectly suited to Leung.

Despite all this however, we must still remember we are in a Marvel film, and it doesn’t take long before the film settles into more familiar territory. Simu Liu is the titular Shang-Chi, a young man who ran away from his crime boss father and his gang of assassins at a young age. After his father’s minions come looking for him, Shang-Chi teams up with best pal Katy, a predictably fantastic comic relief, to search for his long lost sister Xialing (Meng’er Zhang). The adventure sees them battle aboard a bus in San Francisco, get involved in cage fights in Macau, and eventually wind up at Wenwu’s base of operations.

By having Shang-Chi fully aware of his past and abilities, it alleviates the film’s repetitive exposition. The exposition is still there by the bucketload, but it is told through flashback, dialogue, and even by a wood carving at one point. It also helps that each revelation feeds into the family dynamic between Shang-Chi, Wenwu, and Xialing, which inturn solidifies this as one of the more dramatic of Marvel’s canon.

Liu is a respectable lead and his chemistry with Awkwafina is commendable. He’s not too dry, nor too flippant. Awkwafina adds humour and heart, and it helps the film that she is a friend and not a love interest. A romantic angle would have complicated the film’s main themes that it addresses. The rest of the cast, which we don’t want to spoil here, all have their place and do their jobs well. The final act of the film is where everything really comes to life though. It captures the mythical, magical, fantasy that could separate this franchise into a world of its own. From glorious CGI beasts, to ancient weapons utilised in exciting ways, this is an Asian martial arts fantasy epic first, and a Marvel film second, but don’t worry, you’ll still have plenty of cameos, references, and a formula that has grown the MCU to what it is today.

Destin Daniel Cretton handles every aspect with so much confidence that it’s almost a shame we will have to wait for a few years until Shang-Chi’s next solo instalment.