User reviews

*Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings* is a significant step forward for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, offering a fresh perspective and a rich cultural tapestry. The film introduces a new hero, Shang-Chi, and explores the mythology of the Ten Rings with a blend of action, humor, and emotional depth.

Simu Liu delivers a charismatic performance as Shang-Chi, capturing the character's internal conflict and journey of self-discovery. Awkwafina's comedic timing provides a welcome counterbalance to the film's more serious moments. However, the film's supporting characters, while competent, lack the same depth and complexity as the protagonists.

The film excels in its action sequences, blending martial arts with traditional superhero fare. The bus fight scene is a standout, showcasing the characters' skills and creativity. The introduction of the magical realm of Ta Lo brings a sense of wonder and mythology to the story, expanding the MCU's cosmic scope.

While the film's exploration of Chinese culture and mythology is commendable, it occasionally feels superficial. The mythology surrounding the Ten Rings is intriguing but could have been explored in greater depth. Additionally, the romantic subplot between Shang-Chi and Katy feels underdeveloped and somewhat forced.

Despite these shortcomings, *Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings* is a promising addition to the MCU. The film's exploration of family dynamics and the complexities of intergenerational trauma is a refreshing departure from the typical superhero fare. With its strong action sequences and charismatic lead performance, the film offers a solid foundation for future installments.

This was just a lot of fun. The story wasn't as tight as it could have been, but I found myself enjoying the whole movie regardless. The fight choreography was bangin', and all the action was just very well directed. Everything felt purposeful and exhilarating. The beginning of the movie feels like a straight-up martial arts movie and then as it progresses we get more and more fantasy elements working their way in which felt like a nice contrast. The music definitely felt like it added a lot here. I kept being reminded of how mixing different elements in with the more traditional orchestrated sounds really worked for Black Panther's soundtrack, and I honestly think this film did it even better. I think that, all in all, this is probably the best thing Marvel has produced since Endgame.

I'll be honest - Marvel movies are not in my top 20 or even 50 but within the Marvel "Universe" I would say that Shang-Chi is in my top 5. I know, it's blasphemy and all that but think about it - is it better than Iron Man? I would admit yes - it's origin story is arguably better, and it's characters are a lot deeper. The Mandarin is a conflicted man, with evil but good as well, like real life. Is this movie better than The Avengers or Ragnarok or Infinity Wars? Hard to say, which means it's right up there with the best (of Marvel) in my opinion.

Plus, I'm a sucker for Chinese movies with the Chinese language being spoken - 1 of my favourite of all times, if not my absolute favourite, is of course 'Hero.' The Chinese language and the artistry of it's culture are magnificent.

All in all, well done Marvel, director Destin, and all those who worked to make this movie a reality. This is not just your average summer action movie; it's close to being a Masterpiece. And the humour is pretty swell too!

Cheers.

I'll start by saying that if you're looking for a great story, you'll be disappointed. Shang-Chi is a pretty standard hero's journey at its core, which is a shame because the story could have been inspired by House of Flying Daggers and other wuxia titles.

So why a rating so high? Because where the story falls, everything else excels.

Shang-Chi is visually spectacular and a real treat for the eyes with some visuals that are incredibly distinct for the MCU. In regards to aesthetics, Black Panther walked so Shang-Chi could run a marathon.

The fight scenes are all amazing. There's one weak fight, but it's meant to be weak, and they're all very long, which is great to see. One of the early ones went on for a solid 5 - 10 minutes, which was unexpected but far from disappointing.

The first actual fight scene is my favourite in the MCU, and I was worried none of the others would top it, but they were all delightful to watch, and I was so glad they did a parallel of it later on. Either way, the writers went hard on the fight scenes and that paid off.

In summary, the story is lacking, but I'm glad in a way because that allowed everything else to shine. And shine, it did. I hope future directors take lessons from the aesthetics and choreography of Shang-Chi.

Really entertaining movie. Actors were great Simu Liu brought it big time he is excellent as the main character. Awkwafina is hilarious and I wish she had more screen time. As far as Marvel movies goes, it's not the best one but still very good.

Overall this movie exceeded my expectations. I wish I had gone to see it in theatres because visually, this movie is stunning. All the fight scenes, especially the ending would have looked even cooler on the big screen.

But stepping back and thinking about the actual story, it's kind of random, predictable at times and I'm not seeing how they're going to incorporate it into the rest of the MCU.

The other thing is the fight scenes: the choreography, the cinematography, the effects, they were great, and I think they knew that, so they took advantage of it. During the first half of the movie there would be a new fight scene every fifteen minutes that looked fantastic, but seemed to last just a bit too long.

All in all I liked it. The acting was pretty good, the pacing was reasonable, the soundtrack was unique and the visual effects were a strongpoint It was a good movie.

Everything comes in it beautiful science fiction and beautiful mythical creatures. Sometimes you have creatures that don't seem real, but these just seemed real. Well done! There was a bit of avatar feeling in it. Fighting for the safekeeping of peace. Really beautiful. And self-acceptance was also nicely incorporated.

Truly an amazing movie! This movie depicts family very well. The visual effects are stunning, the martial arts are incredible, and there is just enough humor in it to relieve some of the darker notes. I can't wait for the sequel!

Destin Daniel Cretton's 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' marks a bland start to the new phase of Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is a spectacle with regards to action sequence and fighting choreography, but the film misses a solid storyline for an origin story as its titular character lacks personality and does not go through any heroic transformation story arc. Simu Liu has a strong presence as Shang-Chi, yet he is overshadowed by many of his more experienced co-stars.

The story was riddled with holes and plot issues. Since when does Awkwafina's pedestrian character all of a sudden get invited to become part of the MCU team? What's her super power... stupidity? Don't get me wrong, I love her, but her character was lazily written. Then there's the whole daddy issues dynamic - Shang is with him, then against, then with etc.. Then we have these ridiculous dragons fighting, where one scores some power crystals and becomes stronger! This is just infantile lazy writing. There was zero shock value or anything spectacular in the entire runtime, with tedious long middle acts and a bumbling third act. The jokes were cliched and not funny. The funniest parts were Ben Kingsley's character, (of whom was in this for what reasons??) and the ending to go Karaoke - which was the only time I actually cracked a chuckle. You'd think with three writers we'd have something cohesive and coherent. But instead of a Marvel superhero story, we got a Disney evil vs good with dragons thrown into the mix. It's as if they tried too hard to create the Asian version of Black Panther.

It's a shame, because the directing and cinematography were spot on, and great S/VFX - although a little overboard with the CGI i.e. Dragons. The martial arts choreography was outstanding (although again, overboard after the awesome bus scene), and the casting and performances were excellent, especially Leung, who pretty much carried the film on his shoulders. It's a 7/10 from me.

I got to admit I wasn't particularly blown away by anything in the movie.. I might even say "I was bored" by it.

Don't get me wrong.. it IS a spectacle! The action is great. The locations are nice, costume design, sound design, etc. But it is (overall) a soft release not worth seeing in theaters.. specially as a follow-up to what Endgame was.

The biggest problem for me, is how the underwritten-lead has muddled personality (for reasons covered in the story), and is devoid of charm, personality and good lines of dialogue.

The next issue is the humor, which didn't land for me.. Not once. The supporting lead Awkwafina isn't her normal "loud" self that's supposed to be funny every time she opens her mouth. Her role is very supportive and a little dramatic. And while I questioned myself why was she even there for, it doesn't ultimately matter. She is another forgettable character that is given more importance than the role deserves.

Finally, the third act is weak. There's a balancing problem with stakes. You can't feel tension or weight to any action. And there's a lot of superficial "I can't do it" until they can.

In the end, this feels like a very safe plot, written in a way to appeal to china (considering how the Mandarin is portrayed), that ends up appealing to no one specific. Certainly doesn't feel like a Marvel movie.. but it was bound to happen if we are to be introduced to different aspects of the narrative. But it also doesn't feel like a comic book. It's more generic than that.

RATED 8/10 Language: English Source: Hotstar RECOMMENDED

The story and making is worth to watch in big screen with good sound system. The first half is filled with great actions and funny moments and it get into serious mode in the second half.

The second half is more traditional and sentimental....the decent story and colourful visual makes this so grand... Good movie to watch with family.

After 10 years of almost every movie being.armed combat, this one is fresh and the perfect start for phase 4 (yes, the start is with black widow but is something "old", too related to the previous phases), i loved every single moment, i got chills, i laughed. The soundtrack is astonishing, as the.cinematography. The best of the mcu if i may. Loved the colors. The fighting sequence leave you attached to the screen as they seem like they are dancing. All combined is something else, completely new and i can't wait to see more of simu liu as shang-chi because he was.brilliant.

Go see the movie!!

Watched the IMAX version! Best solo since Iron Man (2008)! I had no expectations of this before. But the movie is much more lively. Enjoyed every moment. And also very engaging from start to finish. A kinda Cute-Action movie with some fun stuff!

This is the first movie that focuses more on martial arts than Marvel's superpower thing. Love to see a mix of Marvel's MASTER-LEVEL-CGI with Martial art. Kung-Fu with this kind of visual effect! Marvel nailed it again.

I've always loved Marvel's casting. Katy is too perfect for her role. Loved her chemistry with Shaun. Also laughed out loud at her childish stuffs.

Just one thing, not a big deal, the action scene of 'Dragon Riding' doesn't fit into the usual Marvel movie. But as Chinese flavor, it is OK. Except for this, the cinematography and VFX are a lot mesmerizing!

The best marvel movie after Endgame. The story is a bit cliché but the rest is absolutely amazing. The fight scenes are the best in the MCU in my opinion. Simu Liu as Shang-Chi is perfectly chosen and all the other characters are nice and the all the actors do a good job. Act 3 is on another level that we haven't seen before in MCU and the visual effects are spectacular, by far one of the best origin stories from Marvel!

The goal of an MCU solo film is to sell the audience on a new character and power system. This movie does both perfectly, within the first 30 minutes we are drawn to Shang as a character and that lasts throughout the entire movie. The fight scenes have love and care poured into them and I hope they bring this team back for future MCU movies involving Shang because they pay homage to old kung fu movies beautifully.

I really liked that the actors spoke their native language, Mandarin, because it would've felt too Americanized otherwise. But there was something unfinished about this movie and I'm not sure what it is. The pacing was alright, a little too slow or fast at times, and as far as storylines go, it was not as exciting as I thought it would be. The fight scenes were great though, especially the final grand battle scene.

As an adult, I think this movie is a complete mess. The ancient master gets knocked out quickly while the car driver woman with 2 days of training saves the day. Everybody should point this as a big problem so maybe they would stop making this kind of situation in several recent movies. But people are always praising and giving good scores. I really can't understand. The film industry will not improve this way.

They're loveable, likeable and human. This movie was great and my only regret was not being able to see it in theaters but that's not it's fault! I truly hope the racism that came with the pandemic doesn't impede further success for this franchise.

This film us well written and directed. All the action sequences are well choreographed. This is an origin story but it will not give you marvel movie vibe(in a positive way) until and unless you will see the post credit scenes. Yes, there are 2 credit scenes. Simu liu and Tony was the highlight of the movie, Awkwafina has also performed well. Her chemistry with Simu was extraordinary and her comic timing was also perfect.