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For the 25th movie of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the company looks to one of
its lesser-known characters to help take the brand name forward. Not that Shang-Chi
is an obscure superhero, but he doesn’t quite have the marquee value of previous
characters, presenting a challenge for the production to deliver a memorable
introduction for a wide audience. And “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten
Rings” does just that, presenting an interesting new face on the scene, and the
urban and mystical realms he inhabits. Television star Simu Liu gets a critical
career at-bat with the eponymous role, and he makes a strong impression,
becoming a compelling focal point for the feature while producers fill
supporting parts with screen legends, familiar Marvel faces, and comedians,
working extra hard to make sure the launch of Shang-Chi goes down smooth with
comic book maniacs and the people who love them.
Shang-Chi (Simu Lui) is trying to live a normal life in San Francisco, spending
his days with pal Katy (Awkwafina) as they enjoy their time as habitual
underachievers. That peace is soon shattered by the arrival the Ten Rings gang,
who seek a special pendant Shang-Chi keeps around his neck. Understanding this
new reality, Shang-Chi explains his complicated secret history to Katy as they
travel to Macau, revealing that he’s the son of Wenwu (Tony Leung), a man who
has spent the last 1,000 years defeating enemies with help from ten magic rings
of power, only to turn away from violence after falling in love with Jiang Li (Fala
Chen), a member of the hidden community, Ta Lo. After his wife’s death, Wenwu
has returned to madness, gearing up to conquer Ta Lo, requesting help from Shang-Chi
and his sister, Xialing (Meng’er Zhang), who once refused their father’s demands
for submission, and plan to battle him once again for their freedom.
The director is Destin Daniel Cretton, continuing Marvel Entertainment’s mission
to pair art-house helmers with blockbuster offerings, with the “Short Term 12”
and “Just Mercy” filmmaker facing a mighty expositional challenge with this
movie. There’s a lot of ground to cover when clarifying various worlds, and the
picture gets off to a rousing start while detailing Wenwu’s rise to power,
clearing all challenges away with the power of the bracelet-like ten rings
before being stopped in his tracks by Jiang Li, who’s not a typical adversary.
Their battle scene gives Cretton an opportunity to stage his own tribute to
wuxia cinema, creating a bruising ballet for the twosome, who trade magical hits
and flirtatious looks before love eventually claims their hearts. It’s a
gorgeous sequence, quickly followed by the introduction of Shang-Chi, who goes
by “Shaun” in San Francisco, enjoying a low-impact life with goofball Katy,
which eventually comes to an end when brutes from the Ten Rings confront him on
a city bus, commencing an amazing battle on the moving vehicle that shows off
Shang-Chi’s martial art skills and Cretton’s unexpected control of screen chaos.
It’s one the sharpest action sequences the MCU has produced to date, offering a
blistering reveal of Shang-Chi’s hidden skills and thrilling use of San
Francisco road hazards.
The story travels to Macau to introduce Xialing, Wenwu’s discarded daughter and
a powerful warrior in her own right. She owns a gambling palace for streamed
fights, which defines her physical capabilities, identifies her estranged
relationship with Shang-Chi, and moves Katy forward as the audience surrogate,
with the slack-jawed woman overwhelmed by all she’s learning about her best
friend, including the magical world he’s been forced to return to. Peace doesn’t
last for long, leading to yet another outstanding battle scene (this time on the
scaffolding of a skyscraper), which keeps the movie on the move, but the
screenplay (by Cretton, Dave Callaham, and Andrew Lanham) eventually slows the
film during its second act, where even more explanation is required as family
business is tended to, with Wenwu exposing his reasoning for invading Ta Lo,
trying to make the impossible a reality.
It’s somewhat strange to watch “Shang-Chi” take an extended breather after a
dynamite first act, but dramatics aren’t troublesome, giving Lui something to
play as the character deals with his past, and Leung is terrific as Wenwu,
portraying a subtle stage of obsession that drives the character to extremes.
Zhang also makes a fine impression in her screen debut. It’s the comedic aspects
of the feature that feel awkward, keeping Awkwafina quippy and screamy as Katy,
and there’s an old face from the MCU past who returns to duty, bringing broad
acting and a faceless, winged pet with him. His presence is only necessary to do
a little
Iron Man 3
ret conning. But becomes a supporting part, not just a cameo.
Unfortunately the third act of the features goes full-on Marvel Formula, paring
heroic growth (Michelle Yeoh shows authority as Shang-Chi’s aunt, Ying Nan) with
massive displays of CGI creations. The movie gets noisy and excessive when it’s
proven itself to be more than capable with cleanly imagined scenes of conflict,
diminishing the rush of the first hour. Bigness doesn’t have to be a thing here,
but the MCU has one way of doing business, and they’re going to do it, making
absolutely certain Shang-Chi gets the royal treatment to best preserve his
chances of becoming a mighty force in the brand name’s future (and let’s hope
that happens). It’s a slightly uneven picture, but when “Shang-Chi and the
Legend of the Ten Rings” concentrates on raw power and unusual obstacles, it’s
the type of electrifying superhero introduction that every fringe character
should enjoy.
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