I finally caught up with watching SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS on Disney+. Director and co-writer Destin Daniel Cretton (Just Mercy and The Glass Castle) stresses family connections in this unusual MARVEL movie. A young Asian man, Shaun (Simu Liu), emerges from his self-imposed exile after an explosive incident on a San Francisco bus. Shaun’s best friend, Katy (Awkwafina), discovers Shaun has been hiding from his powerful warlord father. Shaun and Katy travel to Macau to warn Shaun’s sister, Xialing (Meng’er Zhang), that her life is danger.
Shaun’s father, Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung Chin-wai), wields The Ten Rings which give him superpowers. Xu is determined to “rescue” his dead wife and plans an armed incursion into a neighboring dimension where he believes his wife is held hostage.
Shaun, Xialing, and Katy embark on a strange journey that brings both enlightenment and death. If you’re looking for an off-beat MARVEL movie that expands the MCU, I recommend SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS. GRADE: A
I stopped when they introduced the CGI creature making all the cute, purring sounds as it cuddled all the characters. I thought “I guess this is what happens when Disney buys Marvel”–we get Baby Yoda-type stuffed animals that are emotionally irresistible, with all the requisite sounds–guaranteed to make (almost) everyone say, “That is sooooooo cute.” Yeah, I couldn’t do it though I really liked Simu Liu as the lead. I fear Marvel has jumped the shark.
Rick, I suspect Disney/MARVEL launch many of these movies in hopes their fan base will come back to the movie theaters. The cuddly creatures are clearly a marketing strategy…and it seems to be working with Baby Yoda who got to be a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.
I enjoyed the movie and the special effects were pretty good. But the title character from the comic books seemed more likely to be adapted to a short-run television series, a la JENNIFER JONES, LUKE CAGE, IRON FIST, THE RUNAWAYS, and so many other lesser-known characters. But what do I know? THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY were originally a minor Marvel comic book.
And don’t get me started on HOWARD THE DUCK!
Jerry, I had the same reaction to ETERNALS. I think it would have worked better as a 10-episode MARVEL series on Disney+.
I hate it when a streamer I have virtually no use for, like Disney+, has something I really want to see, like Peter Jackson’s Beatles movie. Or Todd Haynes Velvet Underground movie on Apple +. Actually I’m giving some thought to Apple because they do have some other interesting things. But from what I know about Disney I’d probably watch Jackson’s movie and then never touch it again. Maybe I’ll sign up for a free trial.
Michael, I’m with you on all these streaming services. They nickel-and-dime you when you’re just interested in one or two of their program offerings.