Shang-Chi And The Legend of Ten Rings

Shang-Chi features not only the first Asian protagonist but also a predominantly Asian cast. Happily, Asians can collectively breathe a sigh of relief because the movie is good. Actually, it’s really good. After running away from his father, formidable crime lord Wenwu (Tony Leung), Shang-Chi, (Simu Liu) starts over in San Francisco, where he meets his best friend, Katy. Living the loafer lifestyle, Shang-Chi’s daily rituals include breakfast with Katy’s family, working a valet shift, and drinking and karaoking the night away. Basically, living the life. However, after ten years, Shang-Chi’s past finally catches up with him. Driven by vengeance fuelled by heart-breaking loss, Wenwu forcefully reunites with his son and daughter Xialing (Meng’er Zhang) in hopes of recruiting them along with Katy into his terrorist organisation, The Ten Rings, an evil empire built around the power of ten ancient rings that Wenwu wears around his arms to generate blasts of energy.

In a flashback, we see Shang-Chi’s parents’ first date, which just so happens to be a flirty fist fight in an enchanted bamboo forest. Wenwu is balled-up and fights with anger; Jiang Li is calm, confident, and diverts his power gracefully.

But if it’s hard-hitting martial arts action you want, Shang-Chi’s got you covered there, too. The hand-to-hand combat sequences are staged and filmed incredibly well and pay homage to different styles of kung-fu movies, from the elemental brutality of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, to the urban controlled chaos of Jackie Chan. An eye-popping, acrobatic brawl that takes place on scaffolding suspended hundreds of feet above the streets of Macau is simply put one of the best fight scenes the MCU has to offer—it’s just breath-taking.

By the end of the film, it becomes clear that the true antagonist of the film is the Dweller in Darkness, a creature concealed by the villagers of Ta Lo to prevent it from wreaking havoc on the world. It manipulates Wenwu under the guise of his late wife, Ying Li, into believing that opening the Dark Gate will bring her back to life.

Wenwu is bringing his Ten Rings warriors to Ta Lo as he believes his wife (deceased) is calling him. It is actually a demon called Dweller-in-Darkness who wants to free itself and its minions and destroy everything.

Wenwu, armed (pardon the pun) with Ten Rings, does arrive and Shang-Chi and his allies engage. However, Wenwu distracts Shang-Chi and eventually reaches the entrance to the place where he believes his wife is.Shang-Chi engages him in a duel, and eventually, he defeats Wenwu by harnessing the power of nature like his mother and aunt. Wenwu is killed by a freed Dweller-in-Darkness.Finally, Shang-Chi is able to defeat Dweller-in-Darkness.