tiaskye ✊🏽’s review published on Letterboxd:
I'm expecting a Marvel film to be exciting but when I saw the trailers for this, it just didn't click. It felt like the same old overly familiar stuff I've seen in other Marvel movies. I did had low expectations. To my surprise, I enjoyed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Everything about this is such a breath of fresh air and this is coming from the MCU.
The visuals are great. The cinematography is beautiful which is expected from Bill Pope. The fight sequences are some of the best that Marvel has to offer. Everything Director Destin Daniel Cretton (who directed the phenomenal Short Term 12) did here was achieved and to me, it's pretty terrific. Simu Liu is perfect for this role. I'm ready for the next step of his journey. While story is filled with flashbacks, that could be bothersome, all of the flashbacks served their purpose. Plus, the fleshing out of the family is genuine and sincere.
There are many exchanges between Liu and Awkwafina. Listen, I hate to be this person but Awkwafina's humor in this film, for the most part, doesn't work. It doesn't help that I'm not even the biggest fan. I will say that the relationship between her and Liu is great even though the family dynamic brings it all the way home. Tony Leung is definitely exceptional. The grit and full growth is needed in a film like this. He is without a doubt one of the best villains in the MCU. No, he isn't my favorite but he's absolutely great and complex.
The real highlight has everything to do with the action. The filmmaking, the fight choreography, the fast movements by the characters, and the camera are the reasons why Shang-Chi stands out from the rest. The third act is a bit overwhelming. In fact, it felt kinda like another CGI fest. It's almost as the writers wanna put everything in one basket in this finale and it felt rather rushed. However, it's still terrific and the impact is still there. As a stand alone film, it's a blast while being attached to a huge universe.
