On the surface, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings looks like your usual Marvel superhero movie. Sure, it has action, humour and the mandatory CGI-heavy climatic fight scene but what struck me was its underlying theme of grief and how it fractures the family. After a death in the family, both Shang-Chi & his father coped differently but in equally harmful ways resulting in miscommunication and misunderstanding between the two.
This line in the movie left a deep impression in me: “Stop hiding. It only prolongs the pain.” When it comes to dealing with grief, how true that is.
For me, Tony Leung portrayed the father brilliantly. Yes, he is cast as a villain but not in a grand flamboyant manner like Loki or Thanos. Instead, the way he carries the character softens it, and that makes him relatable. He is the anchor of the movie. Just like how other Asian stars we are familiar with - Michelle Yeoh, Fala Chen & Yuen Wah - hold their own weight.
And the action. Oh my, it is a feast for the eyes. Except for the final battle which is too CGI for my liking, the other fight scenes are reminiscent of past Jackie Chan-style kung fu and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon-style wuxia choreography. 👏👏👏 Love it!
Oh, and there are TWO post-credit scenes - one during mid-credits and the other at the end of everything. You won’t want to miss them because 2 Avengers show up in one of them! 😁
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings opens in cinemas on 1 Sep 2021.
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