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

I thought that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was a great film. The 25th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was co-written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Just Mercy) and was also written by Dave Callahan (Wonder Woman: 1984; The Expendables; Godzilla; Zombieland: Double Tap), and Andrew Lanam (Destin’s collaborator). The film is based on characters from Marvel Comics. The film features great direction and writing, great performances, great cinematography, great editing, great music, great sets, great costumes, great effects work, great action, great themes. The film stars Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Meng’er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong, Michelle Yeoh, Ben Kingsley, and Tony Leung.

A young trained fighter named Shang-Chi (Liu) is trying to live a normal life alongside his best friend, Katy (Awkwafina). When fighters come approaching, Shang-Chi fights them. They escape and Shang-Chi needs to reunite with his sister whom he abandoned years ago. They meet up with his sister, Xu Xialing (Zhang). Despite still feeling betrayed for his brother’s abandonment, she helps them. They are eventually caught by their father, Xu Wenwu (Leung). Their father is an immortal who has lived for over a thousand years, have fought many battles, and was unstoppable thanks to ten powerful artifacts known as the Ten Rings. In search of a hidden land that can make him become more powerful, he encounters a powerful woman named Ying Li (Chen). They both fall in love, got married, and they gave birth to Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing. Xu Wenwu abandoned his goals ever since. One day, Ying Li was killed by a gang members who seek revenge on his father. Xu Wenwu seeks revenge by both he and Shang-Chi killing the gang members. This results in Shang-Chi leaving both his father and his sister until now. Xu Wenwu now seeks to return to the hidden land only this time to bring back his wife, Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing’s mother. Shang-Chi, Xu Xialing, and Katy refuse which results in the two being imprisoned. They then encounter actor/former terrorist-actor Trevor Slattery (Kingsley). He along with a mystical creature helps guide the siblings and Katy to the hidden land. There they meet the people of the land including their aunt, Ying Nan (Yeoh). Together they will fight off against Xu Wenwu and stop both him and his forces from freeing a deadly being that can destroy the world and is using the Xu Wenwu desire to bring back his wife, Shang-Chi and Xu Xialing’s mother as a means to be set free.

The film deals with themes such as family, friendship, love, loss, revenge, desire, abandonment, reunions, acceptance, regrets, second chances, denial, power, growing up, destinies, change, working together, caring for others, conflicts, goals. I highly recommend this movie.

4 Stars out of 4 Stars.