The latest in a long line of movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the story of a man who’s past has caught up to him.
This is your formal spoiler warning, anything beyond here will contain SPOILERS.
The opening scene of the movie shows who we know as “The Mandarin” start his journey with the Ten Rings, all of which we know is simply that they give power to whoever is wearing them. “The Mandarin” is actually named Wenwu, who is Shang-Chi’s father. The rest of the opening scene after it shows Wenwu’s battles from hundreds of years ago shows Wenwu attempting to get into the fabled city of Ta Lo to gain power, but ends up falling in love with the woman sent to stop him from getting in. Walking into this theater I didn’t expect to see the background of this villain character immediately. This scene shows that he is a man who can love and overall is more than his destruction, which really helps to humanize him in the long run.
The movie officially starts off with our main character, Shaun (Shang-Chi) working with his best friend Katy as valet drivers. The build up to this movie was incredibly hype, so when our first look at our main character was just him working at his job, the scene was a little funny. Katy ends up driving all around San Francisco is a clients car with Shaun in the passenger seat. I really enjoyed how Marvel took the cliche car chase scene they shove into all of their movies and flipped the cliche on its head.
However, there is another automotive incident scene soon after. Later, after a lunch with Shaun and Katy’s close friends who told them to be a little less childish, the bus scene featured in all of the trailers finally happened. Shadowy men who we find out are hired by Shaun’s father are here to take his pendant, which was given to him before his mother died. This scene is incredibly artistic and shows the growth from the earlier Marvel releases, and it’s also definitely one of my favorite scenes in the MCU. The fight choreography feels more like martial arts action movie than a Marvel movie, which really shows the different directions Marvel is going in after Endgame. There is a part in the movie that I believe was shown in the trailers where Shaun punches two dudes either side of him, then jumps up to kick them both in the face, which is him effectively doing a midair splits. Katy’s shock after the fact felt very real as well, as she had only seen him in the light of a childhood friend.
Shaun packs his bags to head to Macau, where he believes his sister is staying, so he can warn her about the pendant snatching. Katy brings herself along too, refusing to leave Shaun after what happened so she can get an explanation. “Shaun” reveals to Katy his real name is Shang-Chi, and other fun backstory stuff. This scene feels pretty realistic as the flight attendant taking their food order wouldn’t stop interrupting them.
After the arrive in Macau, they realize that Shang’s sister, Xialing, runs a fighting ring where fights are bet on to gain money. Shang-Chi gets roped into fighting his sister, as his fight on the San Francisco bus was broadcasted and put on the internet. Although I said the bus fight scene was my favorite, I might’ve lied. Xialing’s fight scenes were insane. There’s even a scene where she basically uses Shang-Chi’s body as a wall to backflip on, and it really changed my perspective on how other martial arts could work. If I were to choreograph a fight scene, it would be super cliche and boring, but those creative minds that worked on this movie really made it their own.
Fast forward to the entire complex being taken over as Wenwu has arrived. There is a whole fight scene of the side of the building where the fighting ring is, and Katy almost dies. She lives, though!
After apprehending Shang-Chi, Katy, and Xialing, Wenwu brings them back to the Ten Rings compound, which is the very real criminal organization mentioned in the Iron Man movies. Later, Wenwu explains that he has been hearing voices, specifically of his dead wife. She is telling him to go to her village of Ta Lo and free her, as she is undergoing punishment for leaving the village with Wenwu. Shang-Chi and the two women disagree, and one thing leads to another, and they are all in jail.
They actually meets the guy who played the fake Mandarin in the Iron Man movies, Trevor Slattery, who is working as a court jester for the Ten Rings organization. His “dog” name Morris, which is a really adorable animal that just doesn’t have a face, tells him that he can lead them to Ta Lo before Wenwu does. They eventually take off in one of the cars from the compound and head to Ta Lo. This scene is very enjoyable. I’ve only known Morris for a little while but I would do anything to protect him.
After a stressful chase scene where our main cast is being chased my the forest around them, they all arrive in Ta Lo. They meet Shang-Chi and Xialing’s aunt, Jiang Nan. She is the guardian of the village, and takes them around the town. She explains to them that they are guarding the gate of Dweller of Darkness, a monster that feeds on souls that had also previously wreaked havoc on Ta Lo. Jiang Nan says that the Dweller of Darkness can sense the power in the rings, and is using the voice of the siblings mother to manipulate Wenwu to set the monster free.
Then ensues a little montage where Xialing gets to use her favorite weapon and hone her skills, Shang-Chi learns how to fight well and with less of a brute force approach, and Katy learns that she is pretty handy with a bow and arrow. This comes back later and I could go on a whole rant about it, but we’ll get to that.
Eventually, Wenwu and the rest of the Ten Rings show up to Ta Lo, and battle ensues. The people of Ta Lo use special material for their weapons and armor, which is the only material able to kill the Dweller of Darkness and his goons. Wenwu heads directly for the back gate, where he believes his dead wife is being held. Shang-Chi intercepts him and questions his motives and his morality. Wenwu fires back, and eventually says that it was Shang’s fault his mother died as he was the only one else there when she died. He was literally seven? I was filled with so much genuine rage when I saw this in theaters.
Wenwu throws Shang-Chi into the ocean separating the gate from Ta Lo, and there he stays as the battle rages on. Wenwu begins to break the gate, and as he hits the gate, soul-gathering whelps are released, and they begin wreaking havoc and killing people. The people of Ta Lo and the people of the Ten Rings organization form an uneasy alliance and work together to kill the whelps. I really like this moment, as it feels like a ‘told you so’ moment for the men of the Ten Rings.
Shang-Chi eventually wakes up, and is saved by his family’s dragon, which was sleeping under the water. The dragon breaks the surface and delivers Shang to where his dad was, and then the dragon heads to help with the fight on the mainland.
Shang-Chi and Wenwu begin to fight again, and Shang begins to take control of the rings, which shows his father that he can handle the power of not only the rings, but of his family as well. The giant Dweller of Darkness eventually breaks out and takes the first soul he can see, Wenwu. Wenwu gives his life for Shang-Chi, as well as the rings. This scene made me entirely too emotional, and Wenwu felt more like a person than a villain. He had this humanization to him that many other Marvel villains don’t have.
His families dragon comes back with Xialing on it’s back, picks up Shang-Chi, and goes to intercept the Dweller of Darkness. Both dragons began to clash over the ocean in a scene that is absolutely gorgeous, with opposite colors clashing and painting the sky with their rage.
Meanwhile, Katy’s mentor is picked up by a whelp and had his soul stolen right in front of her eyes. This moment makes me so mad because she almost definitely had time to nock an arrow and save him. I suppose she was just overcome with shock? I don’t know, but I do know he could’ve lived. Unfortunate for Katy and her mentor but I could have done better.
The dragons continue to class in a scene that has just amazing CG. Coming into the theater, I would’ve never expected how good the CG was. It was incredibly impressive, and makes me proud to see just how far the CG has come, especially in the past few years. The Dweller of Darkness begins to take the soul of Xialing and Shang-Chi’s dragon, but is stopped by Katy shooting an arrow in the neck and killing it.
The movie wraps up with Katy and Shang-Chi being led by Wong to a meeting with other Avengers, and wishing them to luck a crazy adventure that is ahead of them.
By far one of the best moments in the movie was the after credit scene, where Xialing has taken over the Ten Rings and has changed the compound entirely. I hate the term ‘girlboss’ but there is no other word that is more fitting than that for the post credits scene.
Overall, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is one of the best movies Marvel has put out in a while due mainly due to the fantastic villain and legendary fight scenes. I am very much looking forward to more stories in the Shang-Chi franchise.