Web Exclusive: Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Review
By: Vir Shrestha
Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is Marvel Studios’ first theatrical release in over two years. While Black Widow was a prequel movie set before the events of Marvel’s phase four, this movie takes place in the present day MCU, expanding the record-breaking franchise with a martial-arts film. Rich themes mixed with exciting cinematography make Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings a moving origin story with promising new characters.
The movie at its core centers around the meaning of family. Shang Chi (Simu Liu) is first introduced as a valet in his mid 20s living in San Francisco with his best friend Katie (Awkwafina). Shang Chi seems to be a normal resident at first, but when assassins attack him on the local bus, he starts to suspect his father is behind it. Through a series of flashbacks, it is soon revealed what Shang Chi’s past was really like. As a child, he was taught how to be a killer. Everyday, he trained against his father’s guards, punching wooden figures until his hands bled. Then, at age 15, his father sent him on his first mission to murder one of his enemies. All this sets up Shang Chi’s father, Wen Wu (Tony Leung), to be a typical villain in the MCU with his ruthlessness and cruelty.
However, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings shines with the development they give to the main villain of the story, Wen Wu. Instead of focusing on developing just Shang Chi, director Destin Daniel Cretton focuses on building the dynamic of Shang Chi’s family. Nearing the climax of the movie, the audience finds out that Wen Wu was not always a vicious father. Long ago, he loved his wife and they had two children together. Wen Wu shut down his criminal empire and devoted all his time towards his family that he had longed for for so long. These were the happiest moments of his life, when he felt free from the burdens of his past life. I personally loved this unexpected depth they gave Wen Wu; it not only added a lot to his character but to the dynamic between the father and the son as well.
Everything changed, though, when Shang Chi’s mother, Ying Li, was executed in her own house by masked mercenaries. Wen Wu’s old enemies came back for revenge. A turning point in Wen Wu’s life, he now learned he could never put away his criminal past; he needed to be feared by his enemies so he wouldn’t lose anyone in his life again. Training Shang Chi was Wen Wu’s way of caring for his son, offering him protection from any threat in the outside world. I found this very endearing as Wen Wu’s intentions felt so pure. Though he was the villain, I respected his morals and his motivation for his evil deeds. The movie develops Wen Wu to the point where it felt like he had earned my respect.
During the climax of the movie, the heartbreaking image of Wen Wu’s past as a loving father and his current life back as a criminal are perfectly contrasted. Wen Wu’s vicious actions were his own personal way of caring for his family. By the end of the movie, I could understand the genuine intention fueling Wen Wu. To some degree, even the father-son dynamic was relatable. Leaving the theater, I was left pondering the parallels between the movie’s father-son relationship and my own.
The casting in this movie was also superb. Originally, I was worried Katie (Awkwafina) would be the annoying best friend whose only role would be comedic relief. However, that is not the case, as Katie complements Simu Liu’s Shang Chi very well throughout the movie. Not only is Awkwafina hilarious as usual, but she provides a great support system for Shang Chi during the more emotional scenes in the movie. The two have good enough chemistry where even conversations about their valet job can be interesting due to their impeccable delivery and expressions. Additionally, Simu Liu nails the lead role as Shang Chi. He has the charm of Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark with the humble nature of Chris Evans’ Captain America. Simu already seems to be a fan-favorite actor and I personally am very excited for his future MCU appearances. Lastly, Tony Leung naturally does an amazing job as Wen Wu. His acting range is so diverse; in this movie alone he brilliantly plays the lovable father and evil crime lord. Tony Leung also nails Wen Wu’s passive aggressiveness, as he seems so calm and collected yet you can still feel his power and viciousness hiding on the inside.
Finally, Shang Chi is Marvel’s first Asian lead, and thus, the movie takes heavy influence from eastern martial art styles. Specifically, the cinematography has many quick cuts and is mainly shot using practical effects, grounding the story within the present day MCU. The first action set piece is a realistic, fast paced scene on a moving bus in San Francisco. It is refreshing to see the MCU, which is so heavily known for the cgi effects, using hand to hand combat in these fight scenes in Shang Chi. For this sequence, the crew made sure to shoot on sight in downtown San Francisco instead of a green screen, again adding to the authentic feel of the action.
Overall, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a homerun for Marvel Studios. Director Destin Daniel Cretton reached into uncharted territory in the MCU seeking to create a martial arts film. A poignant origin story supported with great performances, Shang Chi is a promising character with a bright future ahead in upcoming films.
