More airbending than we'll ever get in The Last Airbender

★★ 1/2 out of ★★★★ (👍)

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Runtime: 132 minutes 

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, and language.

"Shang-Chi (movie) is a Chinese movie made American style," I reminded myself while watching the first Asian superhero movie. It offered a little too much of what I have already seen and I would have appreciated it more if it offered more fresh, new content.

The legend begins with Xu Wenwu, who finds the Ten Rings that grants immortality and unspeakable power. Xu Wenwu uses it for money and overtaking kingdoms for thousands of years, and in 1996, he seeks the village of Ta Lo for greater power. The village's guardian, Ying Li, prevents him from entering. Eventually, both of them fall in love and leave each other's associations, and have two children: Shang-Chi and Xialing. However, Ying Li is murdered by the Iron Gang and Wenwu re-possesses the Ten Rings to seek revenge. Shang-Chi runs to America during one of the missions and renames himself as 'Shaun'. He stays here and befriends ordinary people until he and his sister are called back by their father, who tells him that they can bring back their mother.

I give credit for the action sequences, well-crafted story and sympathy. It has more qualities than the previous installment Black Widow, but it lacks cohesion. We are loaded with action sequences after another which last for quite a long time, then some exposition overload, then back to the action sequences, and repeat. As a result, the first half feels a little disjointed from the second half. Also, Shang-Chi (movie) is unsure whether it wants to stick to one language or both. It freely switches between English and Chinese so much that it would be dreadful for people without subtitles or people who aren't well versed in English and Chinese at the same time.

Personal points aside, such a talented cast is put into waste. Aside from the remarkable Chinese actors Tony Leung, who plays Wenwu, and Fala Chen, who plays Ying Li, Simu Liu and Awkwafina are quite wasted. I thought that there was a potentially redeeming scene where the movie started to make a more serious turn. Unfortunately, it was disrupted by a fight and the main cast never got to express themselves, besides shooting arrows and kicking villains. Simu Liu, who made a remarkable journey from being in stock photos to playing the lead role in a Marvel movie, needs a little more screen time to show us he is worthy of introducing to us a new door in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There aren't any psychological or emotional moments where he can shine in.

In addition, we already know the talents of Awkwafina from The Farewell. She played a character so well we sympathized with her, while Lulu Wang's script remained funny and serious at the right times. What happened to that in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings? Her character in Shang-Chi (movie) is this wannabe comedic sidekick who is supposed to provide relief to the audience, but it feels totally unnecessary.

The special effects are there and are well-executed, but they get excessive after a while. With dragons fighting each other with water and souls, it becomes eye candy and a little hard to go through. Such like this dampens the impact of the protagonist undergoing a hardship and an arc, a quality in which I believe is a basic building block yet monumental for superhero movies like this.

One redeeming point in the movie is the symbolism of the rings. When Wenwu wears the Ten Rings, it emits a blue color, showing his cold heart, chasing greed and power. During the fight scenes where Shang-Chi steals the rings, it emits a fluorescent yellow-golden color, signifying that he has the status of the Heart of the Dragon and responsibly using it for greater effect. We need a shift into more of these intricate details that entertain audiences and critics alike. As for me, I give Shang-Chi (movie) a bare pass, because I believe there is something insightful to garner after watching it. I'm a little strict this round, so I will recommend it for audiences.

Trailer: