As usual, the minute I heard that “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” was coming to theaters I was beside myself with excitement!
And it seems that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has perfected its casting to the point where the characters portrayed by these actors make it harder to see them as anything else.
That being said, my favorite parts were the special effects, comedic timing and fight sequences.
The battle choreography is definitely a form of art in my book and I’ve always been fascinated with martial arts since I was a child.
Plus, this is one of the few other MCU movies that has an awesomely blended soundtrack featuring classical music and contemporary.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Shang-Chi.
Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 25th film in the MCU.
The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, from a screenplay he wrote with Dave Callaham and Andrew Lanham, and stars Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Meng’er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong, Michelle Yeoh, Ben Kingsley, and Tony Leung.
It’s rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, and language and lasts two hours and 13 minutes.
Also, don’t forget to stick around after the credits for extra clips.
Thousands of years ago, Xu Wenwu (Leung) discovers the mystical ten rings which grant their user immortality and godly powers.
He establishes the Ten Rings organization, conquering kingdoms and toppling governments throughout history.
In 1996, Wenwu searches for Ta Lo, a village said to harbor mythical beasts in order to expand his power.
He travels through a magical forest to the village entrance but is stopped by village guardian Ying Li (Chen).
The two fall in love, but the villagers reject Wenwu so Li leaves her home behind to be with him.
Wenwu abandons the Ten Rings in return, choosing to live simply as a man and they have two children, Shang-Chi (Liu) and Xialing (Zhang).
When Shang-Chi is 7, Li is murdered by Wenwu’s enemies, the Iron Gang.
Wenwu once again takes up the rings to massacre the Iron Gang then resumes leadership of his organization, and has Shang-Chi undergo brutal training in martial arts.
Xialing secretly copies every ounce of training she sees Shang-hi undergo along with the rest of the Ten Rings recruits.
When Shang-Chi is 14, Wenwu sends him to assassinate the Iron Gang’s leader.
After fulfilling his mission, a demoralized Shang-Chi runs away to San Francisco and adopts the name “Shaun.”
In the present day, Shang-Chi works as a valet with his best friend Katy (Awkwafina), who does not know about his past.
They are attacked on a bus by the Ten Rings, who steal a pendant that Li gave to Shang-Chi.
Wenwu anonymously provides Shang-Chi with the location of Xialing and, fearing that the Ten Rings will go after Xialing’s matching pendant from Li, Shang-Chi decides to meet her in Macau.
And that’s when things get even more interesting!
If you’re unsure about the film, there’s no shame in waiting for it to hit the Disney+ streaming platform on Oct. 18.
