After its August 16 premiere in Los Angeles, critics can finally start talking about the 25th film in the MCU, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Judging by the reviews, it looks like Marvel Studios has another exciting hit on their hands.
Directed by Deston Daniel Cretton (Just Mercy), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings stars Simu Liu as the titular hero, a martial artist who was trained by his father at a young age to become an assassin and join the Ten Rings organization that seeks to destroy world peace. Leaving the organization for a normal life in San Francisco, Shang-Chi must confront his past and discover who he truly is. The Ten Rings organization was featured in 2008's Iron Man, where the Mandarin character was briefly mentioned. The Mandarin would appear in 2013's Iron Man 3, but the character turned out to be the imposter Trevor Slattery, who was portrayed by Ben Kingsley (who reprises the role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings).
It's no surprise that Kevin Feige and the Marvel team have another hit with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The film is receiving positive reviews from critics all around, with a current score of 70 on Metacritic based on 28 reviews so far. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film is currently fresh with a 93% based on 58 reviews. After 2019's Avengers: Endgame concluded the Infinity Saga, many fans were left wondering where the MCU could go next and if it would live up to the original Avengers' storylines. It seems clear now that whatever lies ahead for phase 4, it will surely be an exciting and otherworldly journey. More initial reactions are below.
The Wrap (Todd Gilchrist)
“Shang-Chi,” by comparison, feels like the new beginning that its predecessor was meant to be, as much as anything, because it truly ventures in a new direction — building distantly on the world that has now become common moviegoer knowledge, but adding stylistic flourishes and an unhurried pace from Cretton that suggests it’s content to be its own story instead of a cog in a larger machine."
Score: 4/5
Variety (Peter Debruge)
"A flashy, Asian-led visual effects extravaganza that gives the second-tier hero the same over-the-top treatment that big-timers like Hulk and Thor typically get. The result broadens the brand’s spectrum of representation once again, offering audiences of Asian descent the kind of empowerment for which “Black Panther” paved the way a few years back."
Score: Unscored
USA Today (Brian Truitt)
"'Shang-Chi" is very much a part of the Marvel landscape – it most notably pays off (and fixes to a degree) the divisive Mandarin subplot from “Iron Man 3” plus charts a path forward, of course. Where Cretton really excels is owning some of the franchise’s larger character themes, including family legacy, reluctant heroism and embracing one’s destiny... Liu... is simply a joy to watch. He's the MCU's most significant and infectious rookie since the late Chadwick Boseman with the same face-of-the-franchise appeal as Chris Evans."
Score: 3/4
Entertainment Weekly (Leah Greenblatt)
"A Technicolor whirlwind of a film whose explosive fight choreography and dense mythology are leavened by a sweet and surprisingly nimble script."
Score: B+
Independent (UK) (Clarisse Loughrey)
"...the success of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings also has much to do with how Cretton and his team are able to negotiate themselves around the strict, and often suffocating, demands of the Marvel framework. Our hero will still, eventually, have to battle some gargantuan, world-threatening entity, but not only does it take a less visually bland form than what we’re used to, the path to reach it feels refreshingly unconventional... Even the film's fight sequences bristle with emotion - as acts of flirtation, rage, or even love."
Score: 4/5
It looks like the incredible fight choreography does not disappoint, as it is definitely a big element when it comes to comic book films. Cretton was evidently inspired by martial arts films such as 2000's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and other works involving icons like Jackie Chan. Since phase 4 is all about expanding the MCU, the introduction of these characters and new styles of hand-to-hand combat seems to fit perfectly.
Other than the release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the rest of the upcoming MCU films for 2021 should have plenty of fans anxiously awaiting. Eternals, which will release on November 5, 2021, also centers on a new group of heroes, who were created by the Celestials. The film stars Game of Thrones' Richard Madden and Crazy, Rich, Asians' Gemma Chan. Spider-Man: No Way Home swings into theatres on December 17, 2021, and will introduce the multiverse while bringing back characters from previous Spider-Man installments.
The cast of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings also includes Awkwafina as Katy, Tony Leung as Wenwu/The Mandarin, Benedict Wong as Wong, Michelle Yeoh as Jiang Nan, and Florian Munteanu as Razor Fist.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will be released in theatres on September 3, 2021.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic