'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' a must-see for Marvel fans

The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.

by Kate Hedrick

Opinion Editor

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” was released on September 3rd, 2021, and is the newest installment in the wildly popular Marvel cinematic universe. The movie stars the titular Shang-Chi, a martial arts master who is forced to confront his past and the mysterious Ten Rings organization. This organization is run by his father, the wielder of ten mystical rings that grant him immortality and supernatural power. If you’re looking for a highly entertaining fusion of a traditional superhero movie with Kung-fu elements, Shang-Chi is a must watch.

As someone who has seen almost every movie in the MCU, Shang-Chi stands out as one of my favorites. A quintessential part of any marvel movie is the action sequences. The fight scenes in this film were visually stellar, blending standard superhero fare with exceptionally choreographed martial arts. My favorite of these has to be the scene where Shang-Chi fights off several enemies at once on a bus, eventually escalating to a high speed chase through the busy streets of San Francisco. I won’t go into spoiler territory, but I was absolutely on the edge of my seat when I saw the film in theaters.

The fight scenes aren’t the only great part of this movie. The characters are well-written and compelling, and their onscreen dynamics are fun to watch. I especially liked the relationship between Shang-Chi and his estranged sister Xialing, as well as the relationship both of the siblings have with Wenwu, their father. The bonds between the members of this dysfunctional family and how the traumas of their past affect their choices in the now are fascinating to watch play out. Every character in this story is flawed yet sympathetic. While Wenwu does evil things and is undoubtedly the villain, his motives are far from villainous. He seeks only to reunite with Shang-Chi’s deceased mother, who he believes is alive and was unjustly separated from the family many years ago. Whether or not this is true is a mystery I’m not going to reveal, and I encourage you to see the movie for yourself to find out. I highly enjoyed this movie, and I believe any Marvel fan will enjoy it too. Give it a watch!