Marvel’s next hero has arrived in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. In the latest Marvel superhero epic, Shang-Chi’s peaceful life is interrupted when his estranged father has come back into his & his sister’s life. Forced with becoming the protector he never wanted to be Shang-Chi and his allies must work together to stop his father from bringing chaos to the world.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings of Power is a 2021 superhero film it is produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney. It is currently on Disney+ with a home media release to follow.

Editor’s Note: Spoilers for Shang-Chi and the entirety MCU as well as the source material may be present within this review.

Shang-Chi is one of the latest films in phase four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Starring Simu Liu & Awkwafina the film follows the titular lead trying to live a normal life. This is unfortunately interrupted by his returning father who sends his men to attack him while out in public. Shang-Chi must now reunite with his estranged sister & their deceased mother’s family in order to stop his father from creating chaos across the world. 

THE GOOD: Following the murder of his mother at a young age Shang-Chi is trained by his father in martial arts to enact revenge on a group known as the Iron Gang who were responsible. Shang-Chi’s father; a man named Xu Wenwu who acquires magic abilities as well as immortality from the Ten Rings of Power commands him to kill the Iron Gang leader. Shang-Chi having accomplished this at 14 years old is traumatized and runs away leaving his sister Xialing behind. Now as a young adult Shang-Chi leaves a comfortable life in San Francisco with his best friend Katy whom he works with as a parking valet. While on a bus ride Shang & Katy are attacked by members of Shang’s father’s organization Ten Rings named after his weapons. Upon their defeat Shang informs Katy of his past and true life. They soon after go off to find Shang’s sister who’s participating in an underground fighting tournament. Shang & Xialing fight (the later having trained herself in secret watching Shang & Wenwu) and make amends, but are attacked by their father’s men.

Wenwu brings Shang, Xialing, and Katy back to the former’s childhood home where he tells them that their mother still lives and has been communicating with him. Wenwu says her soul is being held captive by the people of her homeland in a village named Ta Lo said to hold mythical beast where he and the guardian (Shang & Xialing’s mother) Ying Li first met. Shang & Xialing refuse to help Wenwu leading to their & Katy’s imprisonment. They escape with the help of Trevor Slattery the former false Mandarin. The group make their way to Ta Lo where they warn everyone of Wenwu’s impending arrival. The group meet Li’s sister Ying Nan who trains Shang in a fighting style which his mother used to defeat Wenwu upon their initial meeting. Wenwu’s army attacks the village with the people of Ta Lo defending it including Xialing, Katy, and Shang. Shang reveals to his father that the Li he’s been communicating with is actually a dangerous beast who eats souls. Wenwu refuses to believe him and they fight. 

Shang is defeated and nearly drowns but is saved by a dragon called the Great Protector who defeated the soul eater. Wenwu and Shang fight once more with Shang defeating his father after temporarily gaining control of the Ten Rings. The beast known as the Dweller-in-Darkness is freed and before it kills him Wenwu realizing what he’s done gives Shang the Ten Rings. Shang & Xialing together with the Great Protector and Katy defeat the Dweller-in-Darkness saving Ta Po. Shang & Katy return to San Francisco and are asked by sorcerer Wong to come with him to Kamar-Taj. Shang & Katy are informed by Bruce Banner & Carol Danvers that the Ten Rings have begun acting as a beacon for something. Xialing returns home to lead the Ten Rings group in place of her father.

So I’m going to be honest and say I have a bit of a bias toward this film. For one thing I love Marvel & the MCU and I also really dig martial arts films. Knowing these are the central elements of Shang-Chi I knew I was going to enjoy this movie more than I could ever not. Even with that being said Marvel really did this character some major justice. You remember when everyone questioned Marvel after they announced the Guardians of the Galaxy film? You remember how it ended up giving the franchise a resurrection? Marvel Studios has this uncanny ability to make all these B and C tier heroes feel just like any other A lister and it’s no different with Shang-Chi. 

There’s so much going on with the larger MCU in this movie, but it never has to stop and make the viewer or itself remember that it is in fact a Shang-Chi film. The fighting choreography is exactly what you’d hope to expect with a martial arts themed movie. The cast, easter eggs, script are all fun and Shang-Chi gives us a lot to look forward to in the future.

THE BAD: Shang-Chi is a very fast paced movie so much so that I could honestly see people being lost in all the easter eggs and dot connecting. 

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Although it has a lot of moving pieces involving the wider MCU Shang-Chi delivers with a high awareness of self-importance, focus, and development for it’s own world as well as many others. Tightened choreography and an even tighter cast and script pits Shang-Chi as one of, if not the strongest theatrical release of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s fourth and ongoing phase. Otaku Dome gives Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings a 90 out of 100.