A revisit of the MCU - “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”

Time to continue on with my revisit of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Phase 4)! Up next in this revisit series is the 2021 release “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”

“Ten Rings” focuses on Shang-Chi, who must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.

When I first initially reviewed “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” for the paper in 2021, I thought it was a decent MCU flick. And, list most of the Phase Four movies, I haven’t seen it since. After giving it a fresh look, it’s most definitely one of the better movies of, not only Phase Four, but also the overall MCU franchise.

“Shang-Chi” delivers some truly impressive visual effects, amazing martial arts action and was the first MCU movie to primarily focus on a primarily Asian-American cast. This 2021 MCU movie also gave the long-running franchise a breath of fresh air, which it needed at the time of its release.

This movie also provides us with numerous memorable action-packed moments, especially the bus fight. During this bus fight sequence, we see Shang-Chi get ambushed by members of the Ten Rings on a speeding bus. This entire fight scene is very intense and chaotic and it also features one of the best choreographed fights in the MCU and has some impressive practical stunts.

Besides the martial arts action, “Shang-Chi” also delivers some really humorous moments, especially between Shang-Chi and his friend Katy (played by the scene-stealing Awkwafina). Awkwafina’s comedic timing was actually great in this movie and the humor can sometimes lighten the mood when things in the movie begin to get tense.

Another thing that “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is right is the movie’s villain  Wenwu, aka the Mandarin. The MCU tried to incorporate the Mandarin in “Iron Man 3”, which didn’t quite work out well and the Ten Rings was briefly involved in the first “Iron Man” in 2008.

Overall, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is another fun MCU movie that

delivers great visual effects and some of the best action in an MCU movie. It also did an amazing job introducing the Shang-Chi character to the ever-growing franchise!

Trivia: In the late 1980s, the late Stan Lee had considered a movie/TV series about Shang-Chi and had in mind Brandon Lee, son of martial arts superstar Bruce Lee, for the role. The Shang-Chi character was visually based on Bruce Lee so Brandon seemed a fitting choice, but the plan fell through.

The filmmakers cited “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” the “Matrix” series, “Kung Fu Hustle,” “Tai Chi Master,” and several Jackie Chan films as an influence on the martial acts action.

You can currently stream “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and other MCU flicks on Disney Plus!