TFS Review | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Listen. Marvel is feeding the hell out of us after leaving us starved after Endgame and Far From Home came out. I don’t think they have given us this much in a year EVER.

WandaVision.
Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Loki.
Black Widow.
What If.

and now Shang MF Chi.

Not gonna lie, this movie wasn’t even on my radar. I knew it was coming out, but I wasn’t sold until the 1st trailer dropped. And then I became OBSESSED. Simu has charmed the hell out of folks these last few months on his press tour and I’m a forever stan now.

But before we dive into the goods, let’s set the scene.

“Shaun” (Simu Liu) is just a regular guy in San Francisco who is content with his simple life and works as a car valet with his best friend Katy (played by Awkwafina) who is also equally content with the simple life…unlike her family who constantly reminds her of their disappointment.

And then we quickly find out that Shaun (aka Shang-Chi) is way more than just a simple guy… he has a legendary past and family that no one would believe. *Cue the ten rings please.*

via GIPHY

So why did I love this movie?

The storytelling. It’s seamless. They kick off telling you about the legend of the Ten Rings and take you on a crazy ride on just how Shang-Chi ties into all of it including whatever other secrets he’s been keeping. All of us watching are basically Katy. Confused AF but highly intrigued to know more.

The martial arts. Like this isn’t just a run of the mill fight movie. It’s a fucking beautiful dance of kicking one’s ass. I could legit watch Michelle Yeoh use the ancient art of the dragon heart all damn day.

Xialing. I only want to be as badass as she is when I grow up. (shh! I’m 36.)

The heart. It still has that serious, but light and funny feel that I love about MCU movies (don’t get me started oh how Thor turned in to a fucking comedy mid sequel. 🙄) Awkwafina’s job is comedic relief, and she delivers 100%.

The representation. This movie is almost entirely an all-Asian cast which has never happened in a MCU movie. Trust me, I remember all the feels I had when Black Panther came out and I’m hoping the Asian community is just as hype right now. And I love that a lot of the movie is subtitled.

The dislikes?

The shitty CGI job they did on Michelle Yeoh’s face when it was clearly a stunt double when she was doing more intense fight scenes. I CAN’T UNSEE IT.

And there’s a scene at the end during the final battle that’s about 10 minutes too long for me.

But I can get over these because it’s so good. It’s been a while since I saw something and immediately wanted to see it again.

Honestly, this movie definitely got me excited to see what direction the MCU is going and how it all fits in to the Multiverse. (I see you Wong 👀)

Introducing new characters in to the MCU is no easy feat because we all still loyal to the OG Avengers. But I know for sure that I want more of Shang-Chi and co.

TFS Rating: A+