How do you start a movie review that you’ve been waiting your whole life to write? At first, I thought of writing a critical analysis of Marvel Studios’ venture into uncharted territory and the hype that accompanied the journey. Then, there was a very straightforward and highly unbiased description of the film as if it were found in a history book or wiki page. One draft might have even started with a deeply personal story about otherness in Western media. But after clearing the page over and over again, the best way to start this review is incredibly simple: I love Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
With roots deeply planted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that trace back to the very beginning, Shang-Chi finally reveals the origins of the mysterious terrorist organization from Iron Man and Iron Man 3 known as The Ten Rings. In this film, we follow the titular Master of Kung Fu played by the charismatic Kim’s Convenience star Simu Liu as he is forced to confront a checkered past that he thought he left behind in favor of a new life in America. With the help of his best friend Katy (Awkwafina), his fight-club-forged sister Xialing (Meng’er Zhang), and the mystical inhabitants of his mother’s village, Shang-Chi must stop his power-hungry warlord father from unleashing an unfathomable evil onto our universe.
Much like the movements at the foundation of any martial art, Shang-Chi starts with a burst of grace and energy thanks to a fight scene featuring Jiang Li (Fala Chan) and Wenwu (Tony Leung). This first sequence set the stage for a movie filled with insanely awesome fight choreography, which is exactly what True Believers needed after the disappointing showing from Marvel’s other Kung Fu master on Netflix’s Iron Fist. From the bus scene seen in the trailers to Xialing’s fight club to the bamboo scaffolding to the movie’s sprawling finale and everything in between, the action was engaging, brutal, and beautiful all at once.
Director Destin Daniel Cretton managed to channel some seminal films such as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Hero, and pretty much any Jackie Chan you could think of. It was probably easy to take inspiration from those films since many of the cast (like Leung and Michelle Yeoh) and crew (specifically legendary stunt coordinators Brad Allan and Andy Cheng) were directly involved with those classics and more. By having a masterful team of stunt people and veteran cinematic fighters that really understood real Chinese Kung Fu, it gave Shang-Chi the sort of authenticity that audiences have been craving. My only real complaint with the movie is that Fala Chan didn’t get one more epic fight scene during the denouement to show just how much of a badass Jiang Li is, even against the odds.
Not only did Marvel’s first Asian superhero deliver physically, but his origin story delivered emotionally as well. Cretton, David Callaham, and Andrew Lanham crafted a story that works as both an exciting new chapter in the MCU and a standalone summer blockbuster. The captivated audience goes along with Shang-Chi on this journey as expectations in the script are subverted for comedic purposes in really fun ways, but also in ways that specifically dismantle outdated tropes and stereotypes from mainstream media that have plagued the Asian community for decades. (Sorry not sorry, British novelist Sax Rohmer. No Fu Manchu here.)
This engaging, pitch-perfect, action-packed script was the fuel for several solid performances. Simu Liu is charismatic, strong, lovable, and emotional. People who have been saying that Asian men can’t be leading men clearly weren’t looking hard enough since he’s been right there in Canada doing his thing. (The Kimbits have known all along.) Awkwafina takes her usual comedic relief sidekick schtick and elevates it by finding a happy medium between her performances in Crazy Rich Asians and The Farewell. When given the opportunity, she has a range to play with. Newcomer Meng’er Zhang is an alluring presence that will literally kick someone’s balls into their throat if they cross her. She joins an elite group of sisters like Shuri and Yelena that have as much excitement for the future in the MCU as their top-billed brothers.
But the real breakout performer of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has to be Tony Leung. Though he is a well-respected veteran in the entertainment industry at this point and is considered one of Asia’s most successful and internationally recognized actors, this marks his Hollywood debut. Finally, general western audiences can see why he’s been so acclaimed for so many years. With a single look or facial expression, Leung can convey such deep emotion. Though he’s painted as the villain (in particular, the real Mandarin referenced in Marvel’s One Shot All Hail The King), there are times when you can see where he’s coming from and are almost on his side. After seeing his take on Wenwu, you’ll have no problem ranking Leung right up there with Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk, Robert Redford’s Alexander Pierce, Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger, and Daniel Bruhl’s Baron Helmut Zemo as some of the MCU’s greatest villains.
After reading over 800 words of your usual movie critic banter, you’re probably wondering why this is a review that I’ve waited my whole life to write. If you look me up, I’m sure that you can find countless superhero movie reviews where I talk about how legendary this one is or how that one is the best yet. But Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings hits differently. As an Asian American, I grew up without regularly seeing myself in the media that I would consume. And when I did, those characters weren’t central to the narrative. (Don’t even get me started on Long Duk Dong.) There were a few notable exceptions, but overall, Asians were relegated to stereotypical supporting, background, or antagonistic roles. Far too often, Asians were depicted as “other” or “not equal” in western media despite being one of the largest demographics in the audience. Even movies that are about Asian martial arts like Karate Kid or 3 Ninjas featured white protagonists saving the day. The narrative continuously represented only one section of the world outside our windows.
Being a life-long fan of superheroes and movies, it meant a lot to me that Marvel Studios seriously committed to authentically diverse stories told by the people with those experiences. Though the themes and feelings that Shang-Chi experiences are universal, a lot of Asian people can really relate to assimilating to fit in by hiding the culture that their parents represent. And thanks to this movie, a good chunk of people out there can finally be seen as a lead character of a major motion picture. Yes, this isn’t the first Hollywood movie with an Asian lead, but with the power of Disney, Marvel, and arguably the most successful film franchise of all time, the visibility afforded by those associations really enhances the message that representation is important and characters in the movies, books, and shows that we consume are just like us. Representation matters.
And honestly, with the past couple of years being filled with hate speech and violence directed towards Asians around the world due to ignorant misinformation about COVID, the community needed a big win and this is it.
At the end of the day, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings manages to capture the fun and excitement of 90s martial arts action comedies but brings them into the modern-day. A big chunk of that modernization comes from the fact that Hollywood has finally made a story like this Asian-centric and gave it the proper Hollywood blockbuster budget it needs to succeed. Everyone involved took great care to deliver authenticity in every aspect of the storytelling. And just as Captain America: The Winter Soldier worked as both an excellent Marvel superhero movie and spy thriller, this was an excellent Marvel superhero movie and martial arts action-comedy.
Now Shang-Chi gets to stand with giants like Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, and Captain America on the big screen as an equal. For some, this might not mean much, but for others it’s everything. It works on a lot of levels. So bottom line: If you are comfortable with going to a movie theater right now and can do so safely, you should absolutely see this movie as soon as you can.
