The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings may have only premiered yesterday, but it’s been dominating the online discourse ever since, so this is your spoiler warning before we delve into the nitty gritty of Destin Daniel Cretton’s martial arts fantasy blockbuster.
For two-thirds of its running time, Shang-Chi is relatively grounded within the context of the MCU. There’s a hero that’s turned his back on destiny who gets drawn back into the life he’d sworn to leave behind, with the requisite mysticism thrown in via Tony Leung’s Wenwu and the titular artifact he’s worn on his wrists for a thousand years.
Up to a point, we’re lulled into a false sense of suspicion that the third act is going to culminate in a one-on-one scrap between Shang-Chi and Wenwu, while the warriors of Ta Lo battle the forces of the Ten Rings on the ground. That’s true to a certain extent, at least until the Great Protector and the Dweller-in-Darkness show up and turn the climactic action sequence into a full-blown fantasy epic with dragons and demons.
Before that, though, we’re treated to a succession of expertly-choreographed hand-to-hand fight scenes that show off Simu Liu’s action hero credentials. As you can see from the reactions below, there’s one in particular that’s captured the imagination of MCU fans everywhere.
Cretton revealed that the bus fight was in the initial pitch he made to Marvel Studios before he was even hired to helm Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and it’s a phenomenal blend of seamless visual effects, impeccable stunt work and old school physical comedy that might be the movie’s best set piece.
