Heather Santrous’s review published on Letterboxd:
I couldn't decide which movie to watch after Black Widow. There are a lot of movies to choose from, but I decided to make it a Marvel day...more or less. I'm so glad I did because this was an awesome watch. Unlike the other bog characters of the Marvel movies, I didn't know what to expect from this movie. I wasn't familiar with the characters or the lore in the story so it ended up being something completely new. I loved the mix making sure I knew this was taking place in the Marvel Universe by having a character here and there that has been in other movies, plus taking it in its own fantasy direction...at least for now.
There was also a good mix of comedy and drama going on. The comedy did make me laugh a little bit at times, but I mostly enjoyed it because it did help lighten the mood a bit. The story was serious when it needed to be and I admit that part of the story did make me shed a tear. What made the movie so fun to watch was the mix of martial arts and the effects of the ten rings and other weapons. I also liked the effects of the various creatures that are shown late in the movie. The battle with dragons was so much fun to watch. It helped bring everything together and it ended up being one of my favorite recent Marvel movies.
An odd thing though. While I felt that Black Widow didn't really feel like a two-hour movie, this one did. Maybe it was because I watched this one later in the night so it made it feel like it was taking longer. I'm not sure why it felt that way though because the story does keep a good pace going. It does slow a little in places, as Shang-Chi remembers what his mother taught him. I didn't mind that so much at first, but it was getting a bit old after a while. Still loved the overall movie a lot though.
