Jan 15, 2022
In some ways Shang-Chi is an exciting new departure for the MCU. In many others though, it's just another MCU film. That said, I like MCU films, but yeah this is mostly another origin story. It's a heroes journey with a fun comic relief, lots of CGI fight scenes, and a handful of cameos from other films. Don't get me wrong though, the formula works. What spices it up a bit is some impressive hand-to-hand combat choreography that is somewhat new to the MCU and glorious to watch. As a martial arts fan, I enjoyed these moments a lot, even with the filter of CGI surroundings. It also has a surprisingly dense mythology of both real world myth and Marvel myth that makes a fun world, and a villain with a sympathetic goal. It's not Marvel's best, in particular some pacing issues drag the whole thing down a bit, but it's still a solid origin story that does enough new.
Verified