Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

  “Black Widow” gave us a great reintroduction to MCU movies by expanding on the story of a fan favorite character.  Now, we are introduced to a brand new superhero in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”.

The action starts right from the beginning.  The way they explain the backstory is very well done.  The story keeps a good pace as they progress to the present day.  They further expand on the story through a few brief well placed flashbacks later in the movie.

This is quite possibly one of the very best movies the MCU has produced to date.  Yes, Infinity Wars and Endgame have unmatchable epic moments.  However, to truly appreciate those, you have to have seen the whole series to that point.  On the other hand, “Shang-Chi” can be the first MCU movie a person has ever seen, and they can still truly enjoy it.

With that said, there is plenty in there for those of us that have been along for the whole ride.  Including some retribution for a character who had a very badly received introduction in 2013.  Two other cameos are already mostly revealed in a fight featured in most trailers.  Wong and the Abomination.

People have often faulted Marvel Studios for the abundance of quips thrown around between the characters.  While that has always been something I have actually enjoyed about the movies, this one should appeal to both sides of that discussion.  There are plenty of scenes that had the audience audibly laughing, but it never seemed to be at the expense of the action or the story.  You can go from laughing, to being caught up in the action, to an emotional moment, all within a couple of minutes.

Another great part of the writing for “Shang-Chi” is that it isn't solely about the title character.  He is, of course, the center of the story, portrayed by Simu Liu, who delivers a fantastic performance.  I can absolutely see him becoming a very strong piece of the future team-up movies.  He expertly transitions with the story, making us stay invested in the character as his journey progresses.  We also get to see multiple supporting characters go through their own story arcs.

One of those is the villain of the story.  Tony Leung gives us a villain who we want to see defeated, but at the same time, we can feel for him.  The battle lines may not be drawn exactly where you would expect them to be.

The founder of this blog, my little brother Jeremy, would have definitely called this one “Amazing”.  If you have seen the movie, or when you do, please comment below with what you thought.  Just please remember to keep it family friendly and NO SPOILERS!

See you at the movies!

-Brad-

Thank you to ESSEX CINEMAS and T-REX for being the theater of choice for our movie reviews. When you are looking for the best place to check out a movie, make it ESSEX CINEMAS and T-REX at the Essex Outlets Center in Essex, VT! 

http://www.essexcinemas.com

The T-Rex Theater is AMAZING!!! With the 60 foot curved screen and 124 speakers which is part of 7.1 Digital Surround Sound, there are 401 extra wide luxury seats with memory-foam headrests making a movie theater trip you will never forget! T-Rex stands for “Theater Real Extreme” 

Also check out movies in Plattsburgh, New York at Cumberland 12!