Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) Film Review

Starring Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Awkwafina (Katy), Meng’er Zhang (Xu Xialing), Tony Leung (Xu Wenwu), Fala Chen (Ying Li), Michelle Yeoh (Ying Nan), Ben Kingsley (Trevor Slattery), Florian Munteanu (Razor Fist), Benedict Wong (Wong), Andy Le (Death Dealer), with Dee Baker (the Voice of Morris), and Tim Roth (the Voice of Emil Blonsky / The Abomination) and a credits scene featuring Brie Larsen as Carol Danvers and Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner

SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton

Produced by Kevin Feige with Jonathan Schwartz

Written by Dave Callaham, Destin Daniel Cretton, and Andrew Lanham

Music by Joel P. West

Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures

Run Time: 2 hours and 12 minutes

World Premier: August 16, 2021, at the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles, California

Opening Weekend Box Office: $75 million (North America)

Worldwide Box Office: $432 million

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company

Fun Shang-Chi Facts

Shang-Chi was created for Marvel Comics by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin, debuting in Special Marvel Edition # 15 in December of 1973). Marvel icon Stan Lee first tossed around the idea of bringing Shang-Chi to life in a live action project during the late-1980’s. Lee reportedly considered Brandon Lee to be the ideal actor for the role. Visually, the Shang-Chi comic book character was based on the look of Brandon’s father: Bruce Lee.  

In August-2017, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige organized his latest Marvel Studios Creative Retreat in an effort to begin developing plans for Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The goal was to develop a blueprint for the next five-years of Marvel Studios projects post-The Infinity Saga. No public announcements were made, but Feige and his team first discussed their visions for future Marvel Studios projects such as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Black Widow, and Eternals.

On March 13, 2019, Marvel Studios announced the hiring of Destin Daniel Cretton to direct the upcoming Shang-Chi film. After his hiring, Cretton admitted that he had previously been uninterested in directing a superhero film, but found himself drawn to Shang-Chi due to the opportunity to help create a world and character that Asian children could look up to and see themselves in. The hiring of Cretton for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings made him the first Asian to direct an MCU film.

On July 20, 2019, Marvel Studios presented their full Phase Four slate at San Diego Comic Con. The Hall H panel marked Marvel Studios’ landmark tenth appearance at San Diego Comic Con following previous appearances in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017. During the presentation, Kevin Feige announced Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings for a February 12, 2021, theatrical release date. Simu Liu (as Shang-Chi) and Awkwafina (the first person cast for the film by Marvel Studios) were introduced on-stage while Tony Leung was confirmed to be portraying the actual Mandarin, who would finally have his true face revealed within the Marvel Cinematic Universe after teases in Iron Man 3 and the Marvel One-Shot: All Hail the King. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings would furthermore be the first MCU film to feature a predominantly Asian cast.

Simu Liu trained in tai chi, wushu, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, Jiujitsu, boxing, and street fighting to get himself into superhero shape. Liu had previous training in taekwondo, gymnastics, and Wing Chun.

In February of 2020, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings commenced filming.

On March 12, 2020, Marvel Studios halted production on its upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings film due to concerns relating to the sudden Coronavirus outbreak. 10-days later, Marvel Studios completely shut-down due to continued concerns over the COVID-19 Coronavirus, closing the Marvel Studios offices in Burbank, California.

On April 3, 2020, Marvel Studios announced its revised film slate after the previous slate was shaken-up by the Coronavirus. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was pushed-back to May 7, 2021.

On August 2, 2020: Filming resumed on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings following a near 5-month production halt over concerns related to the Coronavirus.

On Wednesday, September 23, 2020, Marvel Studios pushed its upcoming film slate back yet again due to the ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings moved to July 9, 2021.

On October 24, 2020, Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings wrapped filming.

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In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, viewers are introduced to the real Mandarin, portrayed by Tony Leung. The Mandarin is the leader of the Ten Rings Organization, with branches extending to places all over the world. Wenwu founded the Ten Rings during the Middle Ages, naming the organization after ten powerful artifacts that he came to possess. These rings granted Wenwu an unnaturally long life and the Warrior King was unmatched in power and conquest. Living for hundreds of years, Wenwu eventually became a myth, except to his most trusted followers. It was this myth that was adopted by the late Aldrich Killian when he hired drunken British actor Trevor Slattery to portray The Mandarin as a modern terrorist (as seen in Iron Man 3). A branch of the Ten Rings was also involved in the 2008 abduction of Tony Stark, hired by the late Obadiah Stane (as seen in Iron Man).

In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, viewers are introduced to several creatures from Chinese Mythology, including Morris – a Hundun; a faceless creature associated with chaos.

In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, at the fight club, Benedict Wong reprises his role as Wong in a showdown with The Abomination. This marks Wong’s first live action MCU appearance since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame and The Abomination’s first MCU appearance since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. There are other callbacks to the MCU’s past too! If you look closely, you can see a Black Widow (as seen in Black Widow) as well as a fighter that has been enhanced by Extremis (as seen in Iron Man 3).

Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings offers the first look at dragons within the MCU: The Great Protector and The Dweller in Darkness. These dragons are gloriously brought to life and stand as a true highlight of the film! Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings also introduces the extra-dimensional world of Ta Lo into the MCU. Alternate dimensions were first formally explored within the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2016’s Doctor Strange while dragons were first formally alluded to in Marvel Television’s Iron Fist: Season One in 2017 (Shou-Lao, the Undying). Iron First: Season One furthermore introduced the extra-dimensional world of K’un-Lun. Shang-Chi has yet to meet the Iron Fist within the MCU, but it is a meeting that many fans anticipate due to their shared mythology which is grounded in the Martial Arts.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings features a credits scene that see Shang-Chi and Katy share the screen with Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner and Brie Larsen’s Carol Danvers. This marks the first time that we’d seen either of these actors in a reprisal of their respective MCU roles since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Banner appearing in his normal human form was especially intriguing, given the fact that he was still in his “Smart Hulk” form the last time that we had seen him.

On December 10, 2020, The Walt Disney Company hosted a conference call that was dubbed “Investor’s Day” in an effort to generate revenue in what had been the most challenging year in company history with the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic shutting down film and television productions, closing theaters, canceling cons and conventions, and closing theme parks. During the presentation, Kevin Feige confirmed that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings had wrapped production and would still be released theatrically on July 9, 2021.

On March 23, 2021, Marvel Studios announced more pushbacks pertaining to its release slate. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was pushed-back yet again, to September 3, 2021.

On April 19, 2021, the first trailer for Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings dropped, giving Marvel Cinematic Universe fans their first official live-action look at The Mandarin, portrayed by Tony Leung.

On May 3, 2021, Marvel Studios dropped a Phase Four Preview trailer that served as an emotional tribute to movie-going, complete with a voice over from the late Stan Lee.

Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company

On June 24, 2021, Marvel Studios released a new trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings which featured a showdown pitting a Master of the Mystic Arts against The Abomination (last seen in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk), amongst other things.

On September 21, 2021, The Walt Disney Company announced the inaugural “Disney+ Day” for November 12, 2021. The celebration would be headlined by the streaming debut of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

On September 25, 2021, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings eclipsed Black Widow ($378 million) to become the highest-grossing Marvel Studios film of 2021, as well as the highest-grossing film of 2021 in the United States up to that point. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings went on to finish the year as the ninth highest grossing film of 2021, finishing ahead of Marvel Studios’ Eternals (#10) and behind Marvel Studios’ and Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man: No Way Home (# 1), and Sony Pictures’ Venom: Let There Be Carnage (#7).

On October 1, 2021, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings became the first film of the post-Pandemic Era to cross the $200 million mark at the United States Box Office.

On November 12, 2021, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings premiered on Disney+ as part of the “Disney+ Day” Celebration.

On December 6, 2021, Marvel Studios confirmed that Destin Daniel Cretton would be returning to helm a sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

In the 2023 book Marvel Studios – The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline, it was revealed that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ring takes place chronologically in the Spring of 2024, putting it after WandaVision and before The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. The film even takes place chronologically before the MCU Phase Three film Spider-Man: Far From Home.

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

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was one of the most surprising films that I have ever viewed! I went into this movie with only a moderate connection to the comics, but with a general respect for the character and a love for Kung fu and martial arts films that dates back to my childhood. I thought the trailers looked good and I was all-in on the Asian representation that was being championed, but I had no idea that I would love this film as much as I did! Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was amazing! I have literally zero negative things to say about this movie, so I’ll just jump right into the plot and the praise!

The film opens with a narration from Ying Li; the mother of Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing. This was beautifully articulated and the scenes that accompanied the narration were nothing short of majestic as we see the rise to power of Wenwu over the ages. Wenwu was a ruthless warlord whose power was unmatched due to his wielding of the mythical Ten Rings. Wenwu was a conqueror the likes of which the world had never seen, but his conquests reached their end when he ventured to the mystical Realm of Ta Lo where he first encountered Ying Li. Wenwu was taken aback by the beauty, the splendor, and the grace of Ying Li; a person he could not control; he could not overwhelm; he could not conquer; with or without his precious Ten Rings. Wenwu had met his match. And Wenwu was in love.

Ying Li ended up leaving Ta Lo and Wenwu ended up abandoning his Ten Rings all in the name of love. Wenwu and Ying Li were married, and they parented a son (Shang-Chi) and a daughter (Xialing). There love was pure, and their lives were bliss … until the violent past of Wenwu came back to haunt him and it cost him his beloved Ying Li.

This tragedy set Wenwu on a path of vengeance. He donned the Ten Rings once more and reverted back to the old ways he’d abandoned, vowing to raise his Ten Rings organization back to a place of prominence and renown while instilling terror within all who dared oppose him. The lives of Shang-Chi and Xialing would never be the same.

Wenwu all but forsook his children, tending to them only in the areas of training. Xialing was mostly ignored due to her gender, while Shang-Chi was forced to undergo a grueling regimen day-in and day-out that pushed his mind, body, and soul to their limits. In the eyes of Wenwu, there was no greater purpose than vengeance and his direct training of his beloved son was done towards the goal of molding Shang-Chi into a weapon; a killer.

Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company

Eventually, Shang-Chi reached a peak of maturity that told Wenwu he was ready to fulfill the destiny that his father had bestowed upon him. It was time for Shang-Chi to avenge his mother … and that’s what Shang-Chi did.

Committing this act did not fill the emptiness within the soul of Shang-Chi, however. He had fulfilled the mission that his father sent him on, but there was no redemption and no peace to be found in it. Shang-Chi therefore decided against returning to his father and instead ventured to America where he befriended Katy and ultimately found work as a valet in San Francisco. Shang-Chi changed his name to Shaun and set out on a mission to leave his past behind him.

When we catch-up to Shang-Chi in modern times, he is content, if ordinary, and he is happy. He likes his job well enough, and Katy is the best friend he has ever had. Katy is loud, bold, and anything but shy and soft-spoken. She is an impassioned and powerful woman who knows her own value, and this endears Shang-Chi to her in a major way. Katy and “Shaun” work together and share a passion for karaoke and thrill rides, and Shang-Chi is perfectly content to be miles upon miles away from his father and his past … as he would soon learn however, he was never far enough away to avoid his father’s reach.

While embarking upon an ordinary bus ride on an otherwise ordinary day, Shang-Chi encounters his father’s men, and his past and his present conjoin in a way that will define his future.

This was a spectacular action sequence as Shang-Chi showed what a capable fighter he really was (much to Katy’s dismay) and Katy hilariously and dramatically tried to drive the bus to a safe stop. This scene was fast, suspenseful, chaotic, exciting, and fun! Shang-Chi knew it was his father’s men who were after him, and this prompted him (with Katy) to venture to Macau to track down his sister Xialing and warn her that their father would be coming for her as well. There, Shang-Chi discovers that Xialing started an underground fighting ring after abandoning their father. Shang-Chi is welcomed with open arms after emerging as a YouTube sensation via the bus incident in San Francisco, but he is welcomed only so he will fight against and unknown opponent.

This whole set-up was really cool, and we got to see Wong face-off against The Abomination, who made his MCU return following a 13-year absence after debuting in The Incredible Hulk. This is a fun fight after which Shang-Chi discovers he’d be fighting his sister! Unleashing years of pent-up frustration after being abandoned by her brother, Xialing violently lashes out at Shang-Chi while he tries to plead his case. The fight ends with Xialing victorious, after she levels Shang-Chi with a brutal kick to the head.

As Shang-Chi and Xialing catch-up with each other after the fight, their father’s men invade Xialing’s establishment. A huge fight ensues that spills over outside where it turns into a scaffold fight! This scene was amazing; jam-packed with mind-blowing stunts and choreography! Katy was endangered and Xialing eventually showed up to rescue her while Shang-Chi chased-down Death Dealer, one of his father’s top assassins. It wasn’t long from there before Wenwu emerged from the shadows and informed Shang-Chi that he’d come to take his children home.

Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company

Wenwu greets his children warmly and welcomes them with open arms back to Ten Rings Headquarters in China. There, Wenwu explains the legends that have surrounded him over the years, confirming that he was in fact the real Mandarin, and though he saw that name as an insult, he did not take kindly to impersonations the likes of which we saw from Aldrich Killian or Trevor Slattery. Wenwu furthermore reveals that he has been in contact with their late mother Ying Li and that she has been calling out to him to rescue her from Ta Lo. Thinking their father mad, Shang-Chi and Xialing refuse to assist Wenwu in what amounts to an invasion of Ta Lo, prompting Wenwu to angrily imprison his children, but Xialing makes an easy escape and seeks-out Shang-Chi and Katy, leading to the trio encountering Trevor Slattery and his pet / companion Morris, a six-legged, four-winged, faceless creature from Ta Lo.

It was great to see Ben Kingsley back as Trevor here and Morris ended up being a highlight of the movie, which took a decisive turn toward fantasy with his introduction. After escaping the Ten Rings Headquarters, Shang-Chi, Katy, Xialing, Trevor, and Morris seek-out Ta Lo and with Morris as their guide, they find their mother’s home dimension. There, they are united with their Aunt Ying Nan and encounter more fantastical creatures! Seeing these beautiful beasts from traditional Chinese mythology brought to life was really cool and Ying Nan explains that a mystical creature known as The Dweller in Darkness is behind Wenwu’s beliefs that his late bride is calling out to him. This is being done by the creature in an effort to be freed from its imprisonment in Ta Lo and Ying Nan and her people are sworn to a pledge to prevent the creature from ever escaping and conquering Ta Lo or any other worlds. Their greatest weapon in their fight is a dragon known as The Great Protector, but Ying Nan fears that Wenwu’s power could be too great due to his wielding of the Ten Rings.

All of this sets the stage for a showdown between Shang-Chi and Wenwu; a battle that Wenwu ultimately finds himself outmatched in due to Shang-Chi’s mastering of not just his father’s techniques, but of his mother’s unique style of fighting, along with an assist from The Great Protector himself, as well as Xialing!

The Dweller in Darkness escapes nonetheless, as Wenwu had done too much damage to the gateway that contained it, which turned out to be a fatal mistake. The Ten Rings loyalists end up aligning with the warriors of Ta Lo to stand against The Dweller in Darkness and his soul-eaters. This was a high-stakes war that was at times horrifying and at others beautiful, and it ended with a glorious victory by Ta Lo courtesy of a perfect arrow shot from none other than Katy!

With the battle won, Shang-Chi and Katy return to San Francisco where they tell tales of their heroic exploits to a couple of their friends, who are rather unconvinced until Wong comes calling through a portal and introduces Shang-Chi and Katy to Avengers Carol Danvers and Bruce Banner, who along with Wong, are very interested in learning more about the Ten Rings that Shang-Chi now controls.

Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company

Meanwhile, Xialing takes over the Ten Rings organization itself.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings took the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the realm of fantasy, and I really loved it! Again, this was not something that I expected going in; to be seeing dragons clash in the air while Chinese Guardian Lions patrolled the ground. This film was full of spectacle and mythology, and it had some of the most stunning fight sequences ever put on film by Marvel Studios! The beautifully effective Ta Lo fighting / dancing style was gorgeous to behold, and Shang-Chi and Katy were both very likable characters. The music was also perfect throughout the film!

I thought Tony Leung was wonderful as Wenwu. He had a lot of nobility and a real warmth to him, making him a very unique villain, whose worst sin was being unable to let his late wife go, which opened him up to be deceived and to fail his children when they needed him most. Wenwu was very relatable and at times even likable, and Marvel Studios redeemed The Mandarin in spectacular fashion!

That’s to take nothing away from Simu Liu, however. This was a passion project for Liu from the day he landed the part. He took his role seriously and prepared for it in every way that he could. He took pride in the character he was cast to portray and made it his own, raising the profile of one of Marvel’s lesser-known characters and winning over a generation of fans that will cheer him on to even greater heights! The passion and enthusiasm Simu Liu had for this film and this character were contagious, and I cannot wait to see where he takes Shang-Chi next, and I’m really looking forward to a variety of cool team-ups and showdowns involving Shang-Chi and the wider MCU!

Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company

Highlights of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings:

Simu Liu is Shang-Chi

Awkwafina as Katy

Tony Cheung as Wenwu / The Mandarin

Morris

Dragons!

Asian Representation

Stunningly Beautiful Choreography

Mind-Blowing Action Scenes

Wong vs The Abomination

Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery

Music

Fala Chen as Ying Li

Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company

Notable MCU Concepts and Characters Introduced:

Ta Lo. Shang-Chi. Katy. Xialing. Wenwu (The Real Mandarin). Ying Li. Ying Nan. Morris. The Great Protector. The Dweller in Darkness and his Soul Suckers. Razor Fist. Death Dealer. The Ten Rings Weapons.