MCU CHAPTER 29
The Marvel Cinematic Universe keeps chugging along like a freight train it seems, with several train cars backed up down the line. After a full year drought, this year is already making up for it by stuffing as much MCU down our throats as possible. The current D+ series airing right now being WHAT IF...? (which I haven't started watching yet... I still haven't made it passed the first episode of the D+ LOKI series) and the latest movie being SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS.
In 2019 we saw three entries in the MCU released and only Spider-Man: Far From Home seemed high quality to me. Captain Marvel was fine but nothing spectacular (very obligatory Phase One kinda vibe) and Avengers: Endgame being perhaps my second most disliked film in all of the MCU. Then finally WandaVision came out and showed to me the quality of the D+ MCU... lackluster and nonsensical (just my opinion, feel free to disagree with me. I also haven't watched Loki or What If...?). And two months ago we were finally treated to BLACK WIDOW and... it felt right in line with my feelings towards the current MCU... meh...
I've really lost my enthusiasm for anything from Marvel Studios right now. Even the trailer for SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME has me feeling half disgruntled and half excited (disgruntled by Doctor Strange seemingly acting like a complete fool contrary to how his character has been depicted in the past, and I don't care for the whole impetus of the plot. Seriously, Talos is in town impersonating Nick Fury. Just have the Skrull impersonate Peter Parker while Spider-Man swings by in front of the news cameras. Problem solved in five minutes). I am more curious and excited for Sony's Marvel projects though, like Morbius and Venom 2.
All of this is to say that starting in 2019, the films solely from Marvel Studios have begun to slip, and in some cases, very close to the trash heap (once again, in my opinion, feel free to disagree). It is taking a lot of effort from me right now to even make this blog post. But Shang-Chi was... better than the previous Marvel Studios efforts from 2019 through 2021 (so far that is. We'll see how Eternals and Hawkeye fair). But even so... I... just... don't... care anymore.
The biggest reason why I don't care anymore is that they're not adapting the comics anymore. The MCU has become Marvel in name only. Imagine your favorite book is being adapted into a movie and the movie is nothing at all like the book. That's exactly how I feel.
THE PLOT
Shang-Chi's quiet life in San Francisco has been disrupted by the sudden appearance of a group of assassins set on taking his life. He defeats them but not without losing a family heirloom, one that leads him to his sister, the next target on the assassins' list. The true mastermind behind the assassins is revealed, none other than Shang-Chi's father - the mythic Mandarin. The Mandarin is on a quest to find a mystical land where he believes his wife, Shang-Chi's mother, to be held captive.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
I have been a fan of Shang Chi for a long time (not as long as Hulk, Silver Surfer, or Ghost Rider, but a long time nonetheless). In my mind, he is basically Bruce Lee if he were a super spy/assassin. Shang Chi has no super powers, just raw skill and intense training. Despite no super power, he is the best martial artist and hand to hand fighter in the Marvel Universe. His father was Fu Manchu, warlord of the underworld and master villain. Shang Chi was raised to be the successor to his father's empire, but rebelled, devoting all his efforts to bringing his father to justice. Shang Chi joined forces with MI6 secret agents, going on countless adventures and ultimately defeating his father. He is a pure badass.
Shang Chi was a different kind of Marvel super hero story, unique and completely amazing. The best, for me, was when Shang Chi teamed up with Iron Fist and the Daughters of the Dragon, taking out armies of badguys all by themselves. The stories were of a more mature nature, further differentiating him from most of the mainstream heroes, which I feel only added to the appeal. It was martial arts espionage like no other. Shang Chi, in my opinion, is so utterly cool. But after his main series, which ran over 100 issues, Marvel let him fall into relative obscurity, showing up sparsely here and there.
For those unaware, a film based on Shang Chi has been in development for over a decade. I remember seeing an announcement for a movie titled The Deadly Hands of Shang Chi under Stan Lee’s IMDB page way back in 2008 with rumors of Tony Jaa starring. After Ong Bak and The Protector, I was stoked to see that movie, despite Tony Jaa being the wrong nationality. Now, after seeing films like The Raid and The Villainess, excellent templates for a Shang Chi movie, I had hoped we’d see the Shang Chi movie someday soon... although I had little confidence that Marvel Studios could pull off such a film (it's just not their style).
While I wait for THAT Shang Chi movie to arrive, another movie titled Shang Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings has come. And it wasn’t half bad, but it could’ve been more. What Shang Chi is, is a perfectly serviceable Marvel Studios film that follows most of the tried and true tropes of every MCU film. And that isn’t what Shang Chi is. He’s not like the rest, which is a strength. This film may be the closest wholly original film in their catalog, bearing little resemblance to the source material.
The rebel son and criminal father element is maintained but not much else. We discover Shang Chi does have super powers (from maternal inheritance) and those powers ultimately enable him to defeat his father. I never felt that he had to struggle to succeed or that being thrown into this plot has affected his life in any significant way, almost as if he was merely on vacation. Shang Chi often has this disgruntled expression, as if he expected this would happen one day, or being pulled back into his father’s world is merely a frustrating minor inconvenience. And these powers he’s just now discovering come to him fairly easily. There’s this air of entitlement to him that feels off putting. He also has no bearing on the movement of the plot, the plot moves along just fine without him too when you take into the account all of the moving parts. Shang Chi, portrayed by actor Simu Liu, is the least compelling element in this plot, and that saddens me. He has very little charm or charisma in his performance, not helping to endear him to the audience. All of this makes me feel that actor Simu Liu was the wrong choice. I really didn't like his performance.
Shang Chi’s father, the Mandarin (a name which the filmmakers seem to actively avoid using and even mock at one point) is quite the opposite. Portrayed wonderfully by Tony Leung, the Mandarin is depicted as a multifaceted character with real motivation and depth. He was perhaps the most interesting character in the film. Although the use of the Ten Rings was odd and rather blunt for weapons that had a rich history and individual identity in the comics. They’re basically whips or repulsor blasts (like those that Iron Man uses to fly). I found myself wanting more of the Mandarin's backstory and more exploration of the Ten Rings.
The movie begins like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon before becoming Mortal Kombat, before finally becoming a warped version of Neverending Story. Very little of Shang Chi’s source material is present at all. I felt the final act borrowed much from Marvel Comics’ Iron Fist rather than Shang Chi.
Now, looking at the context of the film, this is a kids movie meant to sell toys and appeal to the lowest common denominator. The movie needed world threatening stakes, thus the massive battle at the end of the movie. Shang Chi, as a character, needed a grander mythology loaded with spectacle as well as super powers to elevate him to the level of the rest of the MCU heroes. Despite being written well and wonderfully portrayed, Hawkeye is still the butt of many MCU jokes. Introducing another "no powers" super hero probably wouldn't get people excited. Plus this was an origin story, by nature the hero in these stories is more passive (look at Luke in the original Star Wars, most of that plot moves with the other characters while Luke merely tags along for most of it before factoring in key to the defeat of the enemy).
Taking all of this into account, I understand the choices the filmmakers went with. And, aside from a formulaic structure, I feel this is the most entertaining of Marvel's Phase 4 slate so far. This isn't the Shang Chi movie I had hoped to see, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. All in all, the movie was fine and I should maybe give it another watch. As of having only seen it once I am luke warm towards it.
Ultimately my qualms come down to the formulaic plot, bearing little resemblance to the source material, and a lead actor whom I feel may have been the wrong choice for the character.
Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10
Whatever Marvel Studios has coming down the pipeline I'm either dreading to see or just don't care anymore. I've just... don't care anymore for the MCU.
I used to care a lot for the MCU and was at one time immensely excited for each entry in the series. For my thoughts on the previous MCU entries (minus Loki and What If...?) check out these posts below and, if you read them all, you can see where my enthusiasm peaks and then withers.
And as always, please feel free to comment and discuss below. We'd love to hear different views and opinions on the movie and the MCU!
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