Download Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings; movie review

 

SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS

Cert 12A

132 mins

BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, fantasy threat, bloody images, language

Back in a stadium screen watching the first in a new tranche of Marvel movies left me with mixed feelings.

Of course, it is good that relative normality is resuming but I found myself sighing inwardly that superhero movies are seen as the pill to revive cinemas.

Let me be clear - if Shang-Chi and the Legend Of The Ten Rings had been the first Marvel movie and had come before the plethora of Chinese films with people flying through the air, I would have loved it.

However, I couldn't help thinking I had seen it all before.

Destin Daniel Cretton's picture is centred on the fight for power over the aforementioned ten rings which bring eternal life among various other extreme perks.

They are in the possession of the father of Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) who walked away from the mysterious and exotic Far East after his mother died during his childhood.

But now home, and, in particular, his father (Tony Leung) are luring him back.

Thus, he asks his quirky friend (Awkwafina) to join him on a dangerous trip to the Orient.

This is another movie during which I was a tad bamboozled over who is the force of good and who is on the side of evil.

One minute Shang's dad seems to be upstanding and the next Sahng and his sister (Meng'er Zhang) are trying to save the world by pitting their swords against him.

But who cares when Marvel's spectacular special effects, including moving forests, dragons and a headless, furry creature are as cute as Morris, the pet of a court jester, curiously played by Ben Kingsley?

Anyway, overall, Shang-Chi is worth the ride, is a notch up from Black Widow and successfully lays the ground for the avalanche of superhero movies over the coming months.

Reasons to watch: A new Marvel character is introduced

Reasons to avoid: Confusing storyline

Laughs: Two

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? When Marvel artist Paul Gulacy first drew Shang-Chi in 1974, he based his look on Enter the Dragon star Bruce Lee. 

The final word. Destin Daniel Cretton: "We wanted the visuals to take a lot of inspiration from Asian cinema (including ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’), and we wanted some other things to be brand new visuals for the rings and the creature design in (the magical village of) Tao Lo.” Indie Wire

 

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