Movie Review: “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings” attempts to shake up the Marvel universe with mixed results

MOVIE REVIEW: SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE 10 RINGS (PG-13)

With “Avengers: Endgame” representing an ending of sorts, Marvel is now branching out and developing projects that casual filmgoers might not even be as familiar with. Sure, December will see the release of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” but before that, audiences will see less familiar IP in the form of “The Eternals” from Oscar-winning director, Chloe Zhao (“Nomadland.”) Up first, though, is “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” a movie that offers a different shade of the Marvel universe.

In “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” we’re introduced to Shaun (Simu Liu), a twenty-something San Franciso native who spends his days working his 9 to 5 valet job and engaging in witty banter with his best friend and co-worker,  Katy (Awkwafina.) Following a most intense altercation on a transit bus, it becomes abundantly clear that Shaun has been hiding who he actually is. Eventually, he and Katy opt to return to Shaun’s homeland where he’s ultimately reunited with his estranged father (played wonderfully by veteran actor, Tony Leung.), a mythical warlord with quite a few deep-rooted personal issues.

First and foremost, “Shang-Chi” offers up a handful of truly dazzling martial arts sequences as well as a couple of high-octane action beats,  particularly in the first half. Be it the aforementioned fight on the bus, an incredibly intense martial arts sequence on the side of a skyscraper, and a poetic one-on-one duel that feels inspired by “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” there is no shortage of breathtaking set pieces here. “Shang-Chi” also finds plenty of time for drama in the form of a strained relationship between a father and son as well as a strained relationship between a brother and his bitter sister. Does this dysfunctional family eventually come together in the end?  Like I’m about to spoil that in this review.

Liu and Awkwafina are just fine in the leads, and they’re certainly likable enough, but in the end, the film’s best performance comes to us courtesy of Leung’s lovesick warlord,  Xu Wenwu. True, as written, this character is very flip-floppy in nature. At first, we don’t like him, then we do like him, then we can’t stand him, then we sympathize with him, etc. The character feels chaotic and unfocused at times but that is certainly by no fault of an emotionally charged Leung who brings anger, confusion, ego, and heart to the role in equal measure. The supporting cast is solid as well, most notably a wonderful Michelle Yeoh and a quirky (and funny) turn from an actor who’s best left undisclosed in this review for reasons you’ll understand when you see it.

The rhythm of the movie is a bit on the clunky side and the film as a whole could have probably used a slightly tighter edit. Once Wenwu and Shaun are reunited in their homeland, the film starts to dig deeper into mysticism and while there are certainly impressive moments, I preferred the lighter more action-filled first half of the picture. “Shang-Chi” definitely deserves props for serving as more of a standalone Marvel effort. There are crossover moments to be sure but not to the degree of other Marvel movies and that in of itself was refreshing.

As directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (“Just Mercy”), “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” probably rests in the middle of the Marvel pack. I liked the themes of family and forging your own path, and again, I loved the action sequences. Still, like a lot of Marvel movies, the final act of this picture descends into a bit of CG overload and furthermore, the fate of one character didn’t quite hit as hard as I hoped it would. All of that said, this is a fun enough ride and pound for pound, it’s more engaging than the recently released “Black Widow.”