Marvel’s Shang Chi Turning Heads in Post-Pandemic world.
Movie Poster of Shang Chi
I have always been a Marvel fan. I can remember in the second grade being taken to see The Avengers for the first time. Now almost 10 years later (dang I'm getting old), much has changed in the world of the MCU and ours. Along with the creation of stream services taking hold on how we intake media and the COVID 19 pandemic changed how we watch movies. With Shang Chi being one of the biggest successes of the post-pandemic movie scene.
Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi. He must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization. While taking place on Earth, Shang Chi doesn’t feel attached to what has happened so far in terms of previous movies and T.V. shows. With Shang Chi going live on Disney+ on November 12, 2021, I believe that this Marvel movie, while following the general formula, will be important and worth watching to learn about these new characters and storylines.
Director, Destin Daniel Cretton, well known for directing Short Term 12 (2013) takes up the job of giving us the first Marvel Cinematic Universe with a leading cast of all Asian descent. Earning at the moment $430,073,168 worldwide. Shang Chi is one of the best movies coming out of the Pandemic and proves that people will still go to a movie theatre.
Liu’s performance as Shang Chi was one of a seasoned actor. While Marvel movies aren’t known for their deep characters, Liu gets us invested in Shang Chi’s story. While Liu was the main character, Awkwafina's character Katy took the crown for performance. We’ve all seen the movies where the female lead is given a role to be nothing more than some bland arm candy for the male lead. Katy is not that character. While being able to bounce off Liu’s humor like lifelong friends. She truly grows from a valet driver to a character worthy of respect, finding what she wants to do in her life.
Along with them is an ensemble great side characters with Meng'er Zhang as Xu Xialing who is Shang Chi sister and the return of Benedict Wong as Wong from Dr. Strange (2016) having some small but hilarious appearances with the reintroduction of Abomination who hasn't been seen since the Incredible Hulk (2008).
From Left to Right: Meng’er Zhang, Simu Liu, Awkwafina
One of the greatest parts of Shang Chi was the fight scenes, led by lead stunt choreographer, the late Brad Allan. Allan got his start being part of Jackie Chan's stunt team, and the inspiration shows throughout the movie with the flow and quirks reminiscent of Rush hour (1998) or The legend of the drunken master (1980). Allan made Shang Chi while being a superhero movie. Feels like they came directly out of a Kung Fu movie from Hong Kong.
The cinematography of the fight scenes, thanks to cinematographer William Pope, Cretton, Allan makes the fight scenes not just look amazing. Flowing like they were telling their own story. With the camera movements and slow frames seeming like it came out of a Kingsman movie.
This movie, while entertaining, has some glaring issues. I don't feel that Liu’s story was an arc, rather than a slightly curved line. Shang Chi never really changed in any significant way, and the growth they tried to show was subpar at best. And of course, the third act is a "bombastic, over-the-top, CGI heavy action sequence that starts to test your limits" (News.com.) Throwing away the meaningful and well-thought-out fight scenes for him riding a Dragon while fighting a King Ghidorah Cthulhu hybrid. They jumped the shark and honestly took me out of the magic and disrupted the flow of the movie.
Overall Shang Chi is another Marvel movie. If you love spectacle and high-octane action with solid humor throughout. You will love this movie. While Shang Chi doesn't change the formula for Marvel movies. It is still worth a watch and would recommend it to anyone.