I recently went to the theater to see the newest Marvel movie, and I want to share my opinion. Shang-Chi is a part of Marvel’s phase four. Phase four happens after the events of “Endgame.” The purpose of this phase is to introduce more characters and stories to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to fill the void of the events of “Endgame.” Shang-Chi brings in an original story with mixes of Asian culture. 

The movie is about Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) and his sister Xialing (Meng’er Zhang) having to face their past while his best friend Katy (Awkwafina) joins them. The siblings have to confront their father’s, Xu Wenwi  (Tony Leung Chiu-wai), actions, and the Ten Rings organization as they try to save the world. As they continue through the movie, they connect with their roots and their family. Shang-Chi learns about his history and has to deal with the new responsibilities of the physical Ten Rings. 

This is Simu Liu’s first significant role in the film industry. His other popular credit is from the CBS T.V. show “Kim’s Convenience,” where he played the role of “Jung,” who was the main character’s son. He was the perfect pick for Shang-Chi. I was not able to imagine any other actor for the role. Liu played it perfectly. Gaining popularity in the entertainment industry is Awkwafina. She has been progressively earning more roles in movies. Recently she voiced “Sisu” in “Raya and the Last Dragon.” Awkwafina is usually cast as the comedic relief, and that role was the same for “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” Finally, for Chinese actress Meng’er Zhang, “Shang-Chi” is her first film credit. She is an amazing pick for the strength and power that her character portrays. Even though she does great in the movie, I wish Marvel had given her more time. There is so much to the character that I hope to see an entire film centered around her. I think that for Marvel, casting not very well-known actors into this movie is a positive thing. It gives the audience a break from the same actors that we usually see in movies. Having a different cast opens up a new perspective for audience members. 

There were so many things that I loved about the movie. The way that it includes so much Chinese culture was my favorite part. Marvel could have easily just looked over that the main character was Asain, but they incorporated it into the entire movie. This is the most representation in any Marvel movie that I have seen so far. While it is a Marvel movie, it doesn’t feel like one. It does not fit the traditional feel of most movies before it. It felt like an entirely new story. I loved that it felt fresh and different. It could be its very own series because the movie gave the audience so much. My favorite reason why it felt different was because of the music. There is an entire album, just the songs with lyrics, and I have not been able to stop listening to it. The music gives standard scenes an extra layer to fully understand the scene’s mood. In addition, the music helps put the audience in the shoes of Shang-Chi, and they can understand his feelings through the film. Marvel did a great job making the film feel like Shang-Chi was like every other person at the beginning. They used music that would be listened to by the audience. It connected the audience to the real-world feeling of the movie and that, in my opinion, made it more authentic.  

Now, if you are not a fan of longer movies, this movie might get you restless in your seat. The film is around 2 hours and 12 minutes long. In my opinion, it didn’t bother me because there are so many specific details, and everything in the movie is too significant to the plot to be removed. If anything were cut from the movie when I saw it, it would not be as powerful. I strongly recommend that you see it even though it is a little bit longer. Because there is more screen time, the audience can see the complexity of the story. Plus, those extra 5-10 minutes are credits. If you aren’t a Marvel fan, you do not need to stay to watch the end credit scenes.  You cannot forget to wait for all of the end credits because there are two end credit scenes. 

I recommend that everyone see “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” Do not worry if you are not a Marvel fan. Most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films need a few other movies to add to the watch list before the movie you want to, so you can understand what is going on. For example, you would need to watch “Infinity War” to understand “Endgame,” and if you wanted to watch “Loki,” you would need to watch all of the “Thor” movies and all the “Avengers” movies first. Thankfully, since “Shang-Chi” is the origin movie, you do not need to have prior knowledge of the rest of the M.C.U. to understand the plot. There are some minor details that you may not understand, but they would not hurt you. For die-hard Marvel fans that have seen every movie, the little details of the film will be nice to see and will hint at what the future of Phase Four may be like in the future. I think that the movie incorporates something for everyone. It has comedy, action, sentimental moments, and more. If action movies aren’t your thing, I would not recommend watching the film because more than 80% of the movie has action scenes. The MPAA rating I would give this movie is PG-13. There are few curse words and nothing too inappropriate for children. My 11-year-old sister went with me to see the film, and she loved it, so I think younger kids would like it as well. This is a great film. I advise everyone to watch this movie regardless of what type of genre they enjoy the most.

Score: 10/10 

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