Marvel's latest outing gives us all the spectacle and fantasy we come to expect from the MCU, but as its core is a compelling family drama, and a few dragons too.
The long-awaited Shang-Chi finally hit cinemas over the last week and was met with both box office and commercial success which perhaps surprised many. Although after seeing the film it makes sense. Shang-Chi is a rollicking adventure with fantastical settings and action sequences, possibly the best action the MCU has to offer thus far.
The performances from the cast were all solid; Simu Liu's titular performance embodies both the normal-everyday worker 'Shaun', emulating his character Jung from the TV show Kim's Convenience. However he also embodies the so-called best martial artist in the Marvel universe with his exceptional action sequences (more on that later). I'd say the supporting cast are also good but the cast is so fleshed out and pivotal to the story that it doesn't even feel as if Shang-Chi is the main protagonist. This isn't detrimental to the film but rather shows how strong the characters are. Awkwafina's Katy provides the bulk of the film's comic relief successfully, but also has her own meaningful side plot often missing from Marvel side characters. Tony Leung, Meng'er Zhang and Michelle Yeoh also provide solid performances, especially Leung whose tragically conflicted yet stubborn nature is portrayed expertly. The visual effects too are up to typical Marvel standards, with a few exceptions perhaps but nothing significant enough to critique too intensely.
Shang-Chi also comes with a very compelling element, that of family. Family really drives the story, all the motivation behind most of the characters is family oriented, whether that be saving family, bringing family back or reconnecting with family. This is an element of the MCU that is relatively unexplored (minus perhaps GOTG2 with the father/son themes). While the film portrays an epic scale of martial arts, fantasy and action, the true weight of the story is in the familial and emotional connections that develop between characters in an impressive and moving way.
That being said, the best element of the film has to be the martial arts and action. This potentially puts the rest of the MCU's action to shame (all of which is either decent to very good). The bus sequence towards the start of the film is particularly spectacular with its use of frequent long shots and expert stunt coordination, akin to the Daredevil Netflix series (but perhaps a smidge better even). The latter action sequences do have the same hangover many other MCU films do in that they become very CGI and fantastical to a point of unrealism, however when the story revolves around a mystical land and dragons then a certain level of fantasy can be accepted and only really portrayed through CGI.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings really defines the 'Master of Kung-Fu' and brings an exciting, modern and fantastical element to the MCU which may come to define the new post-Endgame era of Marvel. While the formula may be similar to that of other MCU films, it is a whole new flavour - exciting times for MCU fans.