Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
2021
***½
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Cast: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Meng'er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong, Michelle Yeoh, Ben Kingsley, Tony Leung

Shang-Chi has led a low-key life in San Francisco ever since he ran away from his brutal father, who trained him as an assassin. In the present day, he travels to Macao to protect his sister, but is forced to confront his old man, the wielder of the mythical ten rings. Shang-Chi, the Marvel comic book character who was created by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin in 1973, joins the MCU with this entertaining origin story. The main characters are well drawn and the first half delivers two terrifically physical action set pieces, on board a bus and on top a scaffolding. Awkwafina and Ben Kingsley provide the comic relief. However, the climactic showdown with the two massive CGI creatures is disappointingly messy and formulaic.