Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: A Visual Treat

Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings are among the best solo Marvel movies after Black Panther.

As much as Simu Liu is getting applause for his performance, Tony Leung stole the show with his great staging as super villain dad.

With the inception of phase 4 of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Shang-chi was released in theatres yesterday with a big bang. 

Marvellous characters of Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings  

The movie stars Simu Liu as Shaun, a.k.a Shang chi. Shaun is an ordinary guy living in San Francisco, earning his bread and butter by working as a parking valet in a hotel. However, Shaun’s life turns upside down when being compelled to confront his past.

Growing up as a distressed kid with traumatic incidents in the past, Shaun is unaware of his true self. Hence, he must face his past. 

One of his closest Asian-American friends accompanies him, Katy, played by Awkwafina.  Katy is a protective and super loyal ally of Shaun who has stood for him since childhood and possesses a necessity to protect him at any cost.

Though Shaun is more than capable of taking care of himself. Shang-Chi’s father, Xu Wenwu, played by legendary Tony Leung, is a daunting master of the mysterious Ten Rings Organization.

Xu Wenwu is a broken being due to his tragic past, desperately hunting for things taken away from him. 

Shang-Chi’s Awakening 

Shaun and Katy both are mundane individuals with ordinary jobs in San Fransisco, having no real purpose in life. Shaun struggles to hide his uniqueness as a trained martial art artist from his friends.

However, Shaun’s life takes a dramatic turn when he ends up in hand-to-hand combat when the assassins try to take his pendant, given by his mother.

The sensational fight in the bus makes Shaun realize he is more than an ordinary guy, and Shang-chi is born.

Star Sima Liu stated that the bus scene in Shang-chi and the legend of the ten rings took four weeks to complete.

The actor intended to use every inch of the bus to make a magnificent combat scene that justifies Shaun’s hidden kung fu master.            

Mandarin: The Awe-Inspiring Villain in MCU

Unlike Killmonger (Black Panther), very few villains connect and showcase their lives’ traumatized and sentimental past.

Xu Wenwu, also known as Mandarin, is one distinctive character played by iconic action star Tony Leung.

He is also known for his legendary Ip Man role in Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmaster. Tony truly justifies the part of Mandarin who touches the suppressed lonely emotions, and his commendable eye command attention and anger outshines in the movie.

Tony marvellously stages his eye-locking scenes in fierce combat. No wonder people loved Mandarin throughout the film, and it is going to have a better backstory than any other character. 

Overall, Shang-chi showcases a stunning performance of legendary actors with resonating dialogues,

“If you aim at nothing, you get nothing…”.

The movie also stands out as a treat to the eye with its phenomenal CGI and fight scenes, which surely imprints the audience’s memory. As a marvel fan awaits, the end credits are worth a wait.