After the second highest domestic weekend box office during the pandemic era, of course the Nerds had to cover it! We’ve got all 3 back to cover Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings!

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Nerd Review!  Every week the Nerds give you their take on a different movie from the Nerd-o-sphere.  This week, Patrick, Dave and Rey Cash review Marvel’s newest effort Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings! 

*WARNING!! SPOILERS AHEAD*

• The Flick:  Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
• What’s it About: Shang-Chi wants to live a quiet life in San Francisco.  However, the Ten Rings Organization, led by Chi’s father has other ideas.  Shang-Chi must confront his past and his father in order to save the world from calamity.
• Metacritic Score: 71

The Nerds’ Take on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021):

Rey: It’s Marvel movie time!  There’s nothing like the anticipation of seeing the new idea the MCU brings to the silver screen.  We’ve seen over 10 years and 20+ movies all culminate in the most watched and bought movies of all time, we’ve seen middle of the road movie stars become Hollywood A-listers, and we’ve seen little known comic book characters become mainstream properties.  All of these can be associated with the newest addition to the MCU, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Origin stories are usually cannon fodder for the MCU at large.  They’re important in that they introduce characters sure to be integral to the future of the MCU, yet they don’t show that importance in the movie.  In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, however, one could argue that this isn’t the case.  Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi is a character who is fully formed throughout this movie, yet there are so many teases and allusions to his bigger place in the world proper.  Growing up as the son of Wenwu, the leader of The Ten Rings and the “real” Mandarin, Shang-Chi became one of the greatest living weapons by the age of 16.  Escaping his father’s control, he decided to live a normal life in America, pretending to be a run of the mill valet named Shaun who befriends Awkwafina’s Katy, who’s caught in a crossroads of her life.  Liu and Awkwafina’s chemistry and sense of bewilderment in this movie turned out to be a revelation.  Shang-Chi is shocked as to why he’s being attacked by assassins for the pendant that his mother gave him, and Katy is shocked by…well, pretty much everything.

It’s also important to talk about Wenwu.  Every great movie, especially those of the superhero variety, are only as good as its antagonist.  Here, the leader and keeper of the Ten Rings plays his role perfectly.  Wenwu has been alive for over 1,000 years since he’s found the Rings.  They’ve given him immortality, unyielding power, and control over the most dangerous army ever known.  It wasn’t until he wanted to find the mystical village of Ta Lo to conquer the only place he had yet to conquer that he was faced with his toughest test – love.  He instantly fell in love with one of the villagers, Ying Li, who was protecting the village.  She became his wife and ultimately, the father to Shang-Chi and his sister Xialing.

It’s this point that the biggest plot device of the movie is derived from.  The man who believed in war gave it all up for love, and once that love was gone with Ying Li’s death, he doubled down on war once again, choosing to involve his children in this.  As Shang-Chi ran away, Xialing was forced to stay under her father’s iron rule, hopefully waiting for her brother to return.  Once she realized he wasn’t coming back, she too ran away.  All of these characters seem motivated by moving past the loss of Ying Li, which leads them to all do amazing things in the hopes of living up to (or past) her memory.

Ta Lo is an important place in the exposition of this movie and the MCU as a whole, not just because the final fight takes place there, but because of two reasons: it’s possible connection to K’un-Lun and because of its introduction to the Great Protector.  The Great Protector is a mystical dragon tasked to protect Ta Lo from the Dweller In Darkness, the other big bad of the movie.  The Dweller In Darkness is a dragon-like being that feeds off of souls, and it’s Soul Eaters follow it, grabbing souls to feed it so it can end all life on Earth.  The Great Protector, along with the citizens of Ta Lo, were able to lock it up behind a sealed door.  Unfortunately, the Dweller In Darkness called to Wenwu through the Ten Rings pretending to be Ying Li, which leads to the final fight.

Finally, the Ten Rings seems to be hugely important to the future of the MCU, not just because they seem to be one of the most powerful weapons in the universe, and not just because Shang-Chi now has control of them, but because they seem to have sent a message to somewhere as a beacon.  This is where the amazing mid-credits scene with Wong, Carol Danvers, and Bruce Banner comes in, as the group, with Shang-Chi and Katy, try to figure out where exactly they came from and what they’re calling out to.

This movie is insanely fun (I didn’t mention the fight between Wong and The Abomination, or Hotel California Karaoke Night), and has a myriad of memorable moments.  The fight scenes in the movie are EASILY the best in the history of the MCU.  But most importantly, this movie has introduced a ton of characters that will be tent-poles for the future of the MCU.  Xialing is now in control of the Ten Rings, finally able to run it as she pleases.  Katy has become a secondary character immensely integral to the success of the hero on the level of Happy Hogan.  And we have our newest Avenger – Shang-Chi.

This movie was a moment.  Not just for the MCU but for diversity.  We had a proper Kung Fu, fresh with all of the mystical appeal you’d like, prepared by, directed by, and acted primarily by an all Asian crew.  Just like Black Panther changed the world for what a black movie could do in this space, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has done the same.  And, it’s DAMN good.

Rey’s Rating: 4.75/5.0

Patrick: What a great feeling to be back here on the “Nerd Review”!  And man, did I pick the right movie to come back for.  This week, we review the latest effort from the MCU in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings directed by Destin Daniel Crettin.  I had high hopes for this installment into the MCU as I am a big fan of Kung Fu films and Chinese fantasy.  Crettin delivered to me in a big way.  Shang-Chi is a terrific love letter to both genres that establishes a new hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the process.

The film opens with a brief introduction of the films main antagonist Xu Wenwu, played by Tony Leung, and a brief history of the Ten Rings themselves.  The audience learns that Xu met his match searching for a lost village said to house mythical creatures of power.  Xu encounters a woman named Li outside this village and prevents him from entering the village.  The two battle and their mutual respect grows into something more, leading two a marriage and two children Shang-Chi and a daughter named Xialing.

Fast forward to present day and the audience meets Simi Liu who plays the titular character Shang-Chi, although the audience is first introduced to him simply as Sean.  We learn that Sean’s mother has died and that Sean has been living a rather unremarkable life in San Francisco parking cars with his best friend Katy, played by Awkwafina.  The two friends lead a responsibility free existence that is suddenly interrupted by some assassins who attach Chi on a bus.  After a thrilling fight, Chi reveals to Katy that these men were sent after him by his father, who is the leader of a criminal organization known as the Ten Rings.  The men have stolen a pendant belonging to Shang-Chi, and Shang suspects they will going after his sister next as she owns a similar pendant.  They of course do, resulting in Shang-Chi, Katy and Shang’s sister Xialing all being brought before XU.  Xu shares that he has been hearing Li’s voice and that he believes the people of Li’s village are holding her against her will.  This despite Shang protesting that Li has been dead for some time.

That is all the plot you will get from me, I trust Dave and Rey will provide more spoilery details than me and that’s ok.  As you know, we are not spoiler free on the Bandwagon or in the Review.  I really want to get to the reasons to watch this film and for me, there are three.  The combat sequences, specifically the hand to hand sequences, the embrace of Chinese mythology, and Shang-Chi’s heroic journey which is reminiscent of Bruce Lee kung fu films of old.

First, let me get to the fight choreography.  If you are fan of films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Hero or heck, even The Matrix, then you will certainly appreciate the hand to hand combat on display in Shang-Chi.  Every fight sequence right up to the final battle, which is a little too effects heavy when contrasted to the rest of the film, show care and artistry in design.  I think many people will point to the scaffold battle as their highlight, but for me this movie nails it right out of the gate in the initial battle between Xu and Li.  Set in a tranquil wooded clearing with a pond, the scenery is brightly colored and matches the graceful beauty of the choreography.  Tony Leung and Fala Chen are amazing and the fight sets the tone for most of the combat we see moving forward.  You can see the influence of films like Crouching Tiger with the suspension wire effects as well as the smooth, almost flowing style of fighting that carries for the duration.

I also loved, loved, loved Shang-Chi’sc celebration of Chinese culture and mythologies.  The fighting styles of the characters alone is a nod to the various styles of Kung Fu that are source of pride and reflect the history of Chinese Martial arts.  But things really pick up when the movie reaches the mythical land of Ta Lo, There, the audience is introduced to a multitude of creatures from Chinese lore.  My personal favorite was the appearance of the Huli Jing, a white fox with nine tales that have come to be known as mischievous spirits of fortune.  Now, whether that fortune is good or bad?  Well…   Anyway, each of these creatures is shown to the audience from a place of respect and reverence.  Even the character of Morris, a Dijiang, is treated with respect, despite being introduced for comedic effect.  Crettin wanted to share as much of Chines lore as possible, and it worked.  Almost immediately after coming home from the theater, I was online looking up these creatures eager to learn more about them.  It’s beautiful work by Crettin that brings depth to the film as a whole.

Finally, I loved Shang-Chi’s story.  It follows in the footsteps of many Kung Fu films of the past from the likes of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li to name a few.  It is the story of one man’s journey to combat his past.  Not only is he battling the sins of his father, but his own past demons as well.  While not completely on his own, Shang-Chi ultimately carries the burden of rectifying his father’s sins and coming to terms with the responsibility of protecting Ta Lo.  Liu does a commendable job portraying this emotional weight as Shang-Chi slowly faces his past.  Another element I appreciated that is a direct nod to Bruce Lee kung fu films in particular was the ever growing challenges faced by our protagonist.  Kung Fu films always challenge the hero with small challenges that progressively grow over time.  Shang-Chi first faces a relatively small force of five men when first attacked.  Over the course of the film, Shang-Chi encounters ever increasing odds ultimately leading to what is perceived to be the ultimate test of his power and skill.  It brought to me thoughts of Enter the Dragon or even moreso Game of Death in the way the film was constructed.  I loved it.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten rings had so much it needed to accomplish in order to be effective and I think Destin Daniel Crettin nailed it.  He managed to introduce an entirely new set of characters and region of the MCU.  He managed to do this while at the same time infusing the story with Chinese culture in a way that felt natural and not pandering.  Ryan Coogler created this blueprint with Black Panter, a superhero film that is unapologetically African, and Crettin follows suit here.  The experience is immersive, it’s exciting and I wanted to immediately go home and learn more about this part of the world that has largely been hidden from cinema.  To do all that and create a terrific superhero film is an achievement that deserves praise.  Do yourself a favor and see Shang-Chi in the theater if you can.  You will not regret it.

Patrick’s Rating:  4.81/5.0

Dave:  Indulge me with this review if you will because I want to talk about things other than just what this movie is about and how much I liked it. But let’s get the obligatory stuff out if the way first. Shang-Chi is the second full-length MCU movie of Phase 4. Remember how in Iron Man 3, the MCU made one of its rare missteps when they basically crapped on one of the most iconic Marvel villains there is with their portrayal of The Mandarin? To a great extent, they fix that with this movie, which does justice to The Mandarin character (even though they still poke fun at the fact that a dreaded villain was named after a variety of orange…. but I digress). In this movie, Xu Wenwu gains possession of the legendary Ten Rings. The Rings are mystical objects that bestow upon the wearer tremendous powers and immortality. Xu uses the rings to build his empire but he is always driven by an insatiable urge for more power. This leads him to search for the fabled village of Tao Lo, a mystical locale said to house all sorts of other-worldly creatures. He is stopped by a guardian of the village, Ying Li. During their encounter, they gain respect for each other and this respect turns into love. They marry and have two children, Shang-Chi and Xialing. Xu gives up his life of crime and takes off the Ten Rings. His enemies use this opening to exact their revenge by murdering Ying. Xu puts the rings back on and, as you might expect, utterly destroys those who have wronged him…. save for the leader of the Iron Gang. For that, he sends Shang-Chi to avenge his mother. Shang accomplishes this but escapes his father’s influence and ends up in San Francisco.

Several years later, Shang lives a relatively normal and low-key life as a valet driver and hangs out with his best friend Katy, who frequently go to nightclubs and sing karaoke. When they are attacked on a bus though, it is clear that Xu has tracked Shang down and intends on bringing him back in the fold. Shang and Katy go to Macau to track down Xialing but they are eventually captured by their father. He tells the children that Ying Li has been contacting him from beyond the grave and is saying she is being kept as a prisoner in Tao Lo. We learn that Xu is actually the real Mandarin and we learn this from the same fake Mandarin from Iron Man 3, Trevor. We are also introduced to winged and faceless creatures that know how to get to Tao Lo and navigate the ever-changing tree maze that prevents the discovery of the village. Shang, Katy, Xialing, and Trevor get to Tao Lo before Xu and this sets the stage for a huge battle between the guardians of Tao Lo and the Ten Rings. We find out that Xu is being manipulated and deceived by the Dweller-In-Darkness, a terrible creature that would consume all the souls of the world if given the chance. Father and son battle each other, the Great Protector (the dragon protector of Tao Lo) gets involved, there is all sorts of action and high-drama and…. well, I am going to leave the rest for you to discover.

What I really wanted to talk about is the MCU in general and how Shang-Chi is a prime example of the power of this brand. Make no mistake: Shang-Chi is excellent. It is one of the finest martial arts-based movies I have ever seen. It is like Crouching Tiger met up with a really good version of Mortal Kombat, but wrapped around a story involving characters and locales we really care about. There are some genuinely funny moments in the movie but director Destin Daniel Cretton, did a masterful job of knowing when to get serious and when to take his foot off the gas a bit. The plot is excellent. The tension between father, son, and daughter is palpable. The special effects are top notch. The creatures we meet are tremendous with some being cute, cuddly, and, apparently, confused with Pokémon. Others are mean, nasty and vile. Then there are ones in the middle that are courageous, brave, and inspiring. At the center of it all are the Ten Rings themselves, objects we do not know a whole lot about but which seem comparable in power and scope to the Infinity Stones.

I have heard many people in the past week say that this is the “Asian Black Panther”. I don’t know if I would go that far as I did not feel as though this was as grand in scope as Black Panther was. But it is easy to see why the comparisons are being drawn. The vast majority of the cast is Asian in origin. Simu Liu absolutely kills it as Shag-Chi and Awkwafina is awesome as Katy balancing her telltale comedic performances with a not too often seen serious side. Meng’er Zhang is a tremendous bad ass as Xialing. I could not imagine anyone being cast more perfectly as Xu than Tony Leung. Then, of course, we have Ben Kingsley reprising his role as Trevor, Florian Munteanu as Razor Fist, and a few cameos by Benedict Wong as Wong. So, casting wise, it is easy to see the comparisons to Black Panther’s approach. Another similarity to Black Panther is how this movie introduces us to a whole new realm and a world within our own world. In Black Panther, we were introduced to Wakanda; in Shang-Chi, it is the world of Tao Lo that we discover. While Wakanda is based on technology and the power of vibranium, Tao Lo is based upon magic, mysticism, and interdimensional creatures. It is every bit as powerful a locale as Wakanda, but with a more rustic, old-world sort of feel. I fully expected Shang-Chi to be a movie about a street level hero, By the end though, we learned about a world that was every bit as magical as some of the more cosmic based places we have discovered in the MCU.

Now I will get back to describing how Shang-Chi is the perfect demonstration of the power of the MCU. Here we are in the midst of a fourth surge of COVID, and possibly the worst surge yet. Disney made the curious decision to release Shang-Chi in theaters only, a sharp departure from their approach on Black Widow, which is a discussion unto itself. Most of us were concerned that because Shang-Chi was a relatively unknown property, that people would not run the risk of going to the movies to watch a movie about a character that most casual fans had never even heard of. If the box office numbers were poor, this would likely result in Disney deciding to delay upcoming projects like The Eternals or Spider-Man: No Way Home. As it turns out, our fears were completely misplaced. Shang-Chi set a Labor Day record and pulled in $75.5 million domestically over the holiday weekend. It has now single-handedly revitalized the movie industry and given theater owners confidence that it can rebound from the pandemic. Instead of delays of movies, Shang-Chi did so well that the Venom sequel, that had been rumored to be delayed until 2022, actually got moved up to an October 1 release date.

This, my friends, is the power of the MCU. This is what goodwill is all about. The MCU has built a reputation for delivering the best movies available. People aren’t nervous about fringe or niche characters because look what happened with Guardians of the Galaxy. Fans have the utmost faith in the MCU to deliver. A MCU movie has now become must see. For so many of us, it is essential viewing. If there was ever a movie set up to fail this test, it was Shang-Chi. Instead, it has excelled on every front. It is a huge box office success. The critics love it. The fans love it. Unlike Black Widow, which told a prequel sort of story, Shang-Chi truly pushed Phase 4 forward. Even if we do not know exactly where we are going or how we will get there, the post-credit scenes clearly demonstrate that something big is going on and the end of the Infinity Saga was actually the beginning of something new.

For me, I absolutely enjoyed the movie. No, it is not my favorite MCU movie, but it is probably in my Top 10. It is an excellent story, has great acting, has fantastic effects, introduces awesome locales, and introduces us to the newest Avenger. Phase 4 is now well underway and with two more movies assured of seeing cinemas in 2021, things are only going to get better. As I said on BWN this week, if you feel safe going to the movies, then this is a movie you absolutely have to see

Dave’s Rating:  4.5/5.0

Overall Nerds’ Rating for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: 4.69/5.0