Marvel Studios is back with yet another superhero. They tackle another cultural story, one similar to their idea with Black Panther, but they tell it in a completely different manner. With the creation of Shang-Chi, Marvel really impressed audiences. 

The first thing I noticed about the movie was that the major parts were spoken in Mandarin Chinese, which I thought was a nice cultural touch to the movie. Having the actors speak in Mandarin also exposed audiences to the major aspects of Chinese culture, and that was one of the reasons why I think this movie was appealing to audiences. I think that was the major reason behind the movie’s success in the box office.

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” also had a creative cast full of well-known actors such as Awkwafina and Ben Kingsley. But, I could tell the cast was more about actors who could represent the characters well. That being said, the majority of the cast were Chinese actors such as Simu Liu, Meng’er Zhang and Fala Chen. I loved this aspect of the movie because it did not focus on any one actor; rather, it genuinely felt like every actor’s individual talent, from Awkwafina’s humour to Simu Liu’s stunts, were equally highlighted. 

The movie also felt balanced in terms of humour, sadness and action. It never overused one aspect over the other, so I felt that it gave viewers a well-rounded source of entertainment. 

Aside from the cast, the plot was also very enticing. I personally thought that the plot was very real and unfiltered. It showed the reality of life, rather than glorifying anyone’s actions. The main character, Shaun (Shang-Chi), was portrayed as an imperfect protagonist, haunted by how he betrayed his father. I felt that he was portrayed as a normal human being rather than an actual hero, because the bulk of the movie focused on the circumstances he was forced into that made him decide to rebel against his father. In other Marvel movies, such as Black Panther, the hero was depicted as destined for that role, but here it was both a choice and sacrifice that Shang-Chi chose to make. It was the same with the antagonist, Shang-Chi’s father, Wengwu (played by Tony Leung). Instead of showing him as a true antagonist, the movie chose to portray him as a father and husband who dealt with issues of his own. 

In addition to the plot, another favorite of mine was the visual representation. I thought the effects and the CGI were the best in this movie. I noticed that there were some scenes that were put in slow motion in order to emphasize the actions taking place, and I thought that was fantastic. I was genuinely in awe whenever those slow-motion scenes would come in. Additionally, the CGI was also fantastic. The movie included some fantasy creatures like dragons and soul-eating monsters, and the clear CGI made the creatures seem real. Most movies these days don’t do justice to CGI, but this movie made great use of it, and I enjoyed it very much. 

Lastly, the fight scenes were absolutely stunning, especially the way the powers of the characters were shown. The fight scenes were in slow motion, so people could take in what was happening. I felt that the fight scenes were more graceful, which made them look more like a dance rather than a fight. Each fight scene showed these graceful movements, completed with bright colors, soft sounds and natural elements, such as water and leaves. My overall rating of this movie is a 10 out of 10 rings. 

I truly think “Shang-Chi” is another one of Marvel’s best movies ever made. It combines elements such as humour, visual appeal and compelling storyline to make this a good experience for viewers. While it does have a fair share of lightness, it also tackles serious issues as well, and is overall a masterpiece. Tickets are still available at Cinemark, Alamo Drafthouse and AMC, so be sure to check it out soon.