Shang Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings review round-up: Marvel film is 'emotionally resonant and delightfully exciting'

The hype around the new Marvel film  Shang Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings  is mounting, especially after rave reviews from critics. This new character in Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has impressed critics not just for its fresh storyline, but also its brilliant action sequences. Marvel’s first martial arts film has been directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and produced by Kevin Feige along with Jonathan Schwartz. The movie features Simu Liu in the title role, Awkwafina, plays his best friend Katy, Fala Chen will be seen as his sister Jiang Li, Tony Leung plays his father Wenwu, and Michelle Yeo as his aunt Ying Nan respectively. Other stars include Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Meng’er Zhang, Benedict Wong, Zach Cherry, Dallas Liu, Yuen Wah, and Ronny Chieng. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will hit theaters on 3 September. Here are the reviews: Mashable:  “Shang-Chi is a Marvel movie that doesn’t feel like a Marvel movie, with a fresh, snappy tone that has a lot in common with 2015’s Ant-Man, which also felt like a departure from the franchise formula at the time. Simu Liu is flawless in the role of Shang-Chi. Every choice he makes on-screen builds Shang’s character from a hero most people hadn’t heard of to an invaluable personality the MCU can bank on for years to come”. IGN: “The movie reflects the real-life complicated conflict between first-gen Asian American children and the wishes of their immigrant parents while also serving up the dynamic action scenes that the MCU is known for. Director Destin Daniel Cretton skillfully juggles both of these lofty goals, logging an entry in the Marvel universe that’s both emotionally resonant and delightfully exciting enough to outweigh its occasionally uneven visuals and unfulfilled lore”. The Hollywood Reporter: “Shang-Chi, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, attempts to shake up the Marvel formula by infusing it with martial-arts action and fairy-tale fantasy and grounding it in Chinese and Asian American culture. And while its disparate elements don’t meld together as smoothly as they should, they do, in the end, add up to a superhero movie fresh and fun enough to feel worth a spin”. Collider: “When the film gets into its set pieces, it’s really nothing like anything the MCU has attempted thus far. Of course, fans of martial arts cinema will see this as old hat, but Cretton and his stunt team (lead by the late, great Brad Allan) have fused the kineticism and fluidity of classic kung-fu movies with the VFX-laden worlds of Marvel to create something new and exciting”. Variety: “The result broadens the brand’s spectrum of representation once again, offering audiences of Asian descent the kind of empowerment for which Black Panther paved the way a few years back”.