Review: Shang-Chi is one of Marvel’s best origin stories to date
This is the real start of the MCU’s fourth phase…
★★★★½
Shang-Chi, the master of unarmed weaponry-based Kung Fu, is forced to confront his past after being drawn into the Ten Rings organization. (IMDb)
After the cataclysmic events of both Infinity War and Endgame, it’s obvious the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) couldn’t just continue on with business as usual. It couldn’t be the same anymore, it needed a reset, and it has to build something new. With Destin Daniel Cretton’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings — which is a stunning, dynamic and action-packed story with a charismatic ensemble and a star-making lead performance from Simu Liu — it feels like that development is now happening in earnest.
I don’t mean to say that the films (and shows) of Phase 4 so far haven’t laid the groundwork. They clearly have, especially in WandaVision, Loki, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. But, it’s also fair to say that the whole “universe” can’t move forward by only focusing on existing characters.
The last proper “origin” story in the MCU is Captain Marvel, and while I like that film quite a lot, it’s in a bit of an awkward position between the last two Avengers films. With a real focus on family drama, character development, world-building and martial arts, though, Shang-Chi ends up being one of Marvel’s most impressive standalone features in years. This is a movie that someone new to the MCU would have no trouble understanding and following, and that’s exactly what’s needed right now.
What’s it about?
Remember the Ten Rings? In Shang-Chi, we meet the man behind the terrorist organisation at last, Wenwu (Tony Leung). Long before the group was responsible for the kidnap of Tony Stark, we see that he used the power of the rings to win wars and defeat rivals, while prolonging his life for a thousand years. In the present day, we learn that his son Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) turned his back on the ancient criminal organisation that his father runs. While he has run away from home and is now living in America, Shang-Chi’s past catches up with him when Ten Rings operatives assault him on a bus. From there, he’s set on a path that’ll lead him to an eventual clash with Wenwu.
An origin story reinvented
Since the character of Shang-Chi was first created in the 1970s, his backstory was in desperate need of an update. It doesn’t take much research to find out just how dated the character’s origins are, and how full of problematic stereotypes those comics were. He was originally the son of a character called “Fu Manchu”, and that figure embodied racial prejudices about Chinese people in the ’70s. For the MCU, Shang-Chi has a different father and, while he grew up within the Ten Rings criminal organisation, we see that he left Wenwu’s side at some point in his childhood to make his own way in life.
Where it fits in the MCU
Most of this movie takes place around the same time as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision and Spider-Man: Far From Home. That means it’s in the “present day”, aka, in 2023 and after half of all life had been wiped out for five years and then returned in the Blip. It’s here that we meet an adult Shang-Chi living in San Fransisco, going by the name Shaun. Awkwafina also stars as his friend Katy, who soon gets entangled in his adventures — and Meng’er Zhang’s Xialing, Fala Chen’s Ying Li, and Michelle Yeoh’s Ying Nan all play crucial roles that are a little difficult to talk about while keeping this review spoiler-free.
Some of the best action in the MCU
Shang-Chi excels in many areas — the whole cast is terrific, the visuals and special effects are spectacular, and it has a wonderful orchestral score from Joel P West. As a martial arts film, it’s also worth noting how exciting the action and choreography is throughout, and how it’s clearly inspired by the likes of Kung Fu Hustle, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix. Liu did more of his stunts in this film than most Marvel actors would, and when the camera occasionally settles down, we get to see some of the most thrilling and fast-paced hand-to-hand combat in the MCU so far.
Family feud
Shang-Chi also has a powerful script that focuses on family drama and embraces the complexity of the relationships in the story. Wenwu might be a villain and a terrorist who seems only motivated by gaining more power, but he’s a tragic figure too. He’s something of a romantic lead in the film through flashbacks and among the MCU’s strongest antagonists. Simu Liu is fantastic in the lead role too, bringing an energetic, comedic and charismatic presence to the hero. It’s a great sign that we’re left excited to see him interact with existing characters, something that’s essential for generating renewed interest in the overarching story for Phase 4 and beyond.
Where to watch
This one’s only in cinemas for now, which was the cause of a bit of controversy when Disney CEO Bob Chapek called its exclusive release an “interesting experiment for us” — unsurprisingly, that’s a comment that didn’t go over especially well with Liu. If you’re not up for going to the cinema at the moment, Shang-Chi should arrive on Disney+ at some point in mid-October, after its 45-day exclusive theatrical window.
Stray thoughts
- As with all superhero films nowadays, you’ll want to stick around after it’s over — there are two post-credits scenes
- Not just the first Marvel Studios movie with an Asian lead, Shang-Chi is also the first MCU film with an Asian director and a predominantly Asian cast
- Given that, it may seem odd that this film is pretty unlikely to get a Chinese box office release — there are a couple of factors at play here including that Marvel has tried and failed to convince Chinese audiences that Fu Manchu is not in this movie and that Liu has made comments referring to China as a “third world” country when discussing what his parents told him about living there — Eternals director Chloe Zhao has also said described the country as “a place where there are lies everywhere”, so it’s unsurprising that future MCU releases in China are in doubt too
- While the comic version of the ten rings are worn on the fingers, in this movie they’re Hung Gar iron rings worn on his forearms, to differentiate them from superpowered jewellery like the Infinity Stones— it’s a worthwhile change that contributes to the dynamism of the action
Need to know
Running time: 2 hours and 12 minutes
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Writers: Dave Callaham, Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham
Stars: Simu Liu, Tony Leung, Awkwafina, Meng’er Zhang
Verdict
One of Marvel’s best origin stories, Shang-Chi is moving and funny, with amazing stunts. Simu Liu is superb, as is the rest of the cast.
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