Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

During the final battle, Shang-Chi lost most of the trump cards I had enjoyed so much for the previous hour and a half, and it's a shame. Amazing choreography of fights, which I have not seen since Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, beautiful design including music, brand new characters, but at the same time characters so nicely and naturally fitting into the world of Marvel, interesting and impressive story - family drama, of course humor... All this together makes an absolutely excellent adventure and simply set the bar so high that the mentioned finale had nowhere to take it. But four stars would simply be too few, because it's a very honest film that the creators cared about, and it's so much better than last year's Black Widow. (2021-09-04)

A likeable and easily digestible advertisement for the East and all that is good about it. A philosophically and artistically easier to grasp version of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Smart, unpretentious, with a focus on family values until the final few minutes, when it becomes another one of Marvel’s CGI fests about saving the world. The humour is alright and some of the action scenes are fantastic. The visual effects are a bit weaker, but it’s still watchable entertainment that, unlike other “secondary” Marvel flicks, can be sipped like good lemonade. (2021-12-18)

This combination of modern Chinese action movie with folk tales works. Disney understands that it’s making movies mainly for the Eastern market and so they honor their view of the world with occasional bow to the West. Shang-Chi’s acting is spot on. Simu Liu is a nice guy, despite the weird trailers, and comes across completely natural when he sings karaoke as well as in battles. Tony Leung steals the whole movie for himself and his "daddy" is another one of those baddies who you side with more than with the main hero. Choreography perfect, action just fantastic. Special effects are a bit shaky in places, but other times breathtaking. Thumbs up. P.S.: At the end, Bruce does more to attract you to watch his further adventures more than Wong. (2021-09-04)

Marvel has gone the route of exploiting Eastern Asian culture and I would not mind if the final product was entertaining or at least interesting to the audience. This movie is neither. I got tired of live-action CGI comic book nonsense a long time ago, and Tony Leung and a few pretty choreographed scenes is not going to change that, unfortunately. (2022-05-08)

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Sometimes it really pays off to go in with no expectations and come out impressed. Shang-Chi almost feels like it doesn’t quite belong in the Marvel universe — it introduces new worlds, new characters, even new flora and fauna. The colors are more vibrant, the atmosphere feels different, yet familiar Marvel faces still make an appearance. Awkwafina’s quick wit, Tony Leung’s commanding presence, and the brilliant, off-the-wall performance from Ben Kingsley all stand out. Sure, it’s all heavily digital, but the action scenes are so creatively done that it’s easy to overlook. This is how you introduce a new world; Marvel definitely nailed it here, even more so than with Wakanda in Black Panther. The blend of Asian culture and martial arts really hooked me. (2021-12-31)