Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Movie Review

After a much anticipated wait, Marvel movies are back to theatres. The Marvel universe is expanding, bringing a whole new superhero to life. Shang- Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the newest marvel film and the first MCU film to be released to theatres in over two years. Although  watching movies from home was nice, watching movies on the big screens is a whole different experience especially when that movie is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

The film starts out in San Francisco where Shang-Chi lives, but as the movie moves along, Shang- Chi finds himself needing to travel to Macau and later to Ta Lo. Shang-Chi will be the MCU’s first Asian superhero, bringing much deserved respect to the Asian culture. Like many other marvel films, Shang-Chi is based on the Marvel comics created by Jim Starlin. This superhero also had his own comic series until the early 1980s, becoming one of Marvel’s greatest fighters. Shang-Chi was released to theatres on September 3, 2021.

As the movie starts off, Shang-Chi (or as he refers to himself at the beginning of the movie, Sean) is living a normal life in San Francisco. He works as a valet with his friend Katy, even goes to karaoke bars, and life just seems normal. Everything changes when one day Shang-Chi and his friend Katy are on a Muni bus and are attacked by the Ten Rings Army who steal the pendant that Shang-Chi’s mom gave him. Shang-Chi must face his past and stand up to his father while also trying to gain his sister’s trust. The movie takes the viewer through a rollercoaster of events building up the suspense for an unexpected ending leaving you wanting to see more.

Two weeks after its release, Shang- Chi is still the number one trending movie to watch all around the world. Well, almost all around the world that is. Shang -Chi has not actually been released in China yet. In China, foreign films have to be approved by the local government, but after comments made by the film’s star Simu Liu in a 2017 Variety interview, a release date for the movie may be out of reach. Recently, Simu Liu did a video with GQ about 10 things he cannot live without. One of the items Liu can’t live without is Vitasoy’s lemon tea drink. The drink is made by a Hong Kong company that many boycotted against for being anti-China. To this day, it is still unknown if Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will be released to China.

Although Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings faced some controversy, the movie still got a lot of positive reviews and feedback. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received a 92% on the tomatometer. Renuka Vyavahare, one of Rotten Tomatoes’s crtitics says “[It] has a certain spiritual calmness to it amidst the gorgeously choreographed action sequences. Never has a Marvel movie felt this unique in its execution and treatment. If you are looking for a film to end your big screen abstinence, this is the one.” Most fans’ reviews were really positive saying “One of the best (if not the best) origin story of a Marvel character ever!!”, and,  “The cast was brilliant, the graphics were amazing and I love the tie-in to another one of my marvel favorites.” 

Many of the fans and most of the critics emphasise how unique this Marvel film was compared to other Marvel films so far. The graphics, the fighting scenes, and everything in between brings this film together making it a new Marvel favorite for many fans.  

I have personally seen Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and absolutely loved it. I have to agree with many of the fans.The graphics and the fighting scenes and the storyline itself makes this film amazing and one of Marvel’s best movies. Each time a new Marvel film comes out I say that it is my new favorite film, but this film honestly sticks out to me, and I have a feeling that it’s going to stay my favorite film for months to come. I used to do Martial arts (Wushu, Kung fu) so seeing this film and all the fighting scenes in it, made it that much more enjoyable for me. If you’re a big Marvel fan or just a fan of watching new movies, I definitely recommend watching Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.