I'm going to watch films on streaming services for the next three days. After
that, I'll see what I want to do. I have about 70 films on my to-watch list,
20 true stories and 50 others. I really need to catch up. It's difficult,
because every few days I think
"I really must watch <fill-in-the-blank> again soon", and I add
yet another film to my list.
I'll shorten the film's title to "Shang-Chi". When I watched "Shang-Chi" in
the cinema in September I was shocked that it had absolutely nothing to do
with the Marvel comics character. Today I watched the film with no
prejudices, only thinking of it as a Chinese fantasy film, and I was
overwhelmed. It's one of the best MCU films so far, maybe even the best, so it
deserves a good place in the next version of my top 100 film lists.
Does it qualify as a wuxia film? I'm not sure about the terminology. Wuxia
films usually take place in the past, but "Shang-Chi" is in the present,
though in a world that looks like the past. There are fantasy creatures,
including monsters and dragons. If wuxia is the wrong name for the genre,
please let me know.
The film starts with Wu Wenwu (Tony Leung) discovering ten rings that give him
immortality and other godlike powers. He founds an organisation called the Ten
Rings. Apart from having his own private kingdom, he influences world history
from afar. But eternal life and limitless wealth gets boring after a while. He
meets a beautiful woman, Ying Li, and settles down to a happy family life. He
even stops using the ten rings, so he isn't distracted from his happiness. He
has two children, Shang-Chi and Xialing.
When Shang-Chi is seven, his mother is murdered by a gang seeking revenge on
Wu Wenwu. He puts on the rings once more and massacres the entire gang, except
for the leader. He lets Shang-Chi assassinate the leader when he's 14. Killing
someone traumatises Shang-Chi, so he runs away to Los Angeles to hide from his
father. His father observes him from afar for years (godlike powers, etc), but
there's no contact between the two.
In the present day, Wu Wenwu hears his wife's voice calling to him. She says
she's trapped in a cave in the hidden village of Ta Lo. What he doesn't know
is that the voice comes from a creature called the Soul-Eater, a creature
capable of devouring the world, which has been trapped by the people of Ta Lo
and guarded for centuries. Shang-Chi and Xialing unite to stop their father
making a big mistake.
This is Shang-Chi, played by the Canadian stuntman Simu Liu.
The film's characters are so rich and multi-faceted. I don't know the director,
Destin Cretton, but if all his films are as good as "Shang-Chi" he has a long,
successful future ahead of him.
Wu Wenwu is played by Tony Leung, who needs no introduction.
Shang-Chi's mother, Ying Li, is played by the Chinese actress Fala Chen.
Xialing is played by Meng'er Zhang, a Chinese actress appearing in her first film.
In case you thought all the actors are Chinese, Razorfist is played by the
German actor Florian Munteanu.
Shang-Chi's best friend Katy, who accompanies him on his quest, is a
fascinating character in herself. She's a Chinese American who's lost
connection with her roots. She has a Chinese name, Chen Ruiwen, but she
doesn't use it. She doesn't speak Chinese. She has no obvious skills, but she
insists on fighting alongside the warriors of Ta Lo, because it's the right
thing to do. The actress Awkwafina says she can relate to her.
Ben Kingsley plays Trevor Slattery, who doesn't join in the battle. He lies on
the ground pretending to be dead. If you don't know who Trevor Slattery is, go
back and watch the last 24 MCU films.
Success Rate: + 0.9
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