Shang-Chi: Master of Kung-Fu 🐉

One Man's Quest to Kick His Dad's Ass

Aug 23, 2021

Welcome to Pop ‘n’ Pizza, a weekly newsletter highlighting my favorite things in pop culture and pulp fiction. This week’s topic: the new Marvel movie SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS.

SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS

Genre: Superhero / Kung-Fu
Release Date: September 3, 2021
Running Time: 132 Minutes
Rated: PG-13

Behind the Scenes

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton
Written by Dave Callaham, Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham
Cinematography by Bill Pope
Music by Joel P. West
Studio: Marvel Studios

In Front of the Camera

Simu Liu (KIM’S CONVENIENCE)
Awkwafina (THE FAREWELL, CRAZY RICH ASIANS)
Tony Leung (IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, INFERNAL AFFAIRS)
Michelle Yeoh (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON)

What’s It About?

“Following the events of AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019), Shang-Chi is drawn into the clandestine Ten Rings organization, and is forced to confront the past he thought he left behind.” — Marvel Studios

Why You Should Check It Out

Co-written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (SHORT TERM 12, JUST MERCY), SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS is the 25th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the first to feature an Asian lead. It is the second film in the MCU’s “Phase Four,” following BLACK WIDOW.

Simu Liu stars as Shang-Chi, a skilled martial artist living in San Francisco as an unassuming parking valet. When his domineering father Wenwu (Tony Leung) — aka the Mandarin, leader of the Ten Rings terrorist organization — sends mercenaries to recover his wayward son, Shang-Chi and his friend Katy (Awkwafina) find themselves in the middle of an ancient conflict between good and evil.

Along the way, Shang-Chi reunites with his estranged sister Xialing (Meng'er Zhang) and fights bad guys like Razor Fist (Florian Munteanu) — a meathead with a steel blade for a hand — and the formidable Death Dealer (Andy Le). He also encounters some characters from previous MCU movies, including Wong (Benedict Wong of AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR) and [name redacted] from [MOVIE REDACTED], and meets his ass-kicking aunt Ying Nan (Michelle Yeoh).

The final act finds Shang-Chi and his friends protecting Ta-Lo — a mystical realm filled with Chinese mythological creatures like DiJiang, Fu Dogs, and Nine-Tailed Foxes — from The Ten Rings as they seek to unleash an unspeakable soul-sucking evil upon the world. Like Andy Samberg’s character, Rod Kimble, in the immortal 2007 film HOT ROD, Shang-Chi cannot fulfill his destiny until he kicks his dad’s ass.

Like James Gunn’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, Ryan Coogler’s BLACK PANTHER, and Kate Herron’s LOKI, SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS opens up new storytelling possibilities within the MCU, offering not only new characters to invest in, but new worlds to explore as well. As we move closer to THE ETERNALS and DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, it will be interesting to see how Shang-Chi intersects with the larger cinematic universe. On that note, be sure to stick around for the post-credits scenes.

Casting director Sarah Halley Finn has put together an impressive ensemble here - Liu is charming, Awkwafina is funny, Leung is intimidating, and newcomer Meng'er Zhang is an absolute bad-ass. Likewise, the crew assembled for this film is pretty special. Production designer Sue Chan (COLOSSAL) and costume designer Kym Barrett (THE MATRIX, AQUAMAN), along with legendary cinematographer Bill Pope (THE MATRIX, SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, SPIDER-MAN 2), have created a visually lush and vibrant Marvel movie that looks like no other.

SHANG-CHI blends the world-building of Peter Jackson’s THE LORD OF THE RINGS with the exhilarating martial arts action of ENTER THE DRAGON and the earth-shaking spectacle of Warner Bros.’ MonsterVerse (GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS). It’s engaging, imaginative, and expands the idea of what a Marvel movie can be. Don’t miss it.

SHANG-CHI AND THE TEN RINGS will be released exclusively in theaters on September 3, 2021.

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