The newest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (AKA the MCU), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is one of the best to come. Being one of the first movies to bring in the new age of Marvel it had to be a strong one and I know that I am not the first to say that this movie is amazing.
Shang-Chi is a story about family (with a lot of action thrown in). This movie really feels like a breath of fresh air for Marvel considering it is only one of two MCU movies that doesn’t take place in New York. The beginning takes place in San Francisco and takes us to China and ends in another world of fantasy.
The main shining point of Shang-Chi is the characters and how they interact with each other. My favorite relationship of the whole movie is the relationship between Katy, portrayed by Awkwafina, and Shang-Chi, portrayed by Simu Liu. I was so excited to see that Katy and Shang-Chi’s relationship was completely platonic. The movie did a great job in portraying that they both care for each other and can have physical interactions without it being romantically driven. I was also amazed to see how Shang-Chi’s little sister, Xialing, is with others around her. Xialing, portrayed by Meng’er Zhang, has a lot of built up anger towards her family but is friendly to Katy. It’s interesting to see a character with a sort of quiet anger. The final big relationship is Shang-Chi’s father and his children. This is the relationship that the movie really focuses on. It shows Xu Wenwu, portrayed by Tony Leung Chiu-wai, and how he used to be a good father but time has reverted him back to his old ways.
This movie is amazing and if you haven’t seen it you’re really missing out. I saw it twice and each time I was blown away with just everything about this story.