“Shang-Chi” introduced the title character, played by the handsome Simu Liu, as the son of an immortal gangster named Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung). Xu was granted immortality through ten magical bracelets he wore on his arms, which he could control with his mind. Shang-Chi was trained in martial arts as a boy and was supposed to be an assassin for Xu, but Shang-Chi left the family business due to moral objections and became a valet in San Francisco. Shang-Chi’s backstory is slowly revealed to his best friend Katy (Awkwafina) after the two encounter high-speed super soldiers on the road one morning.
What follows is a complex Marvel adventure involving a magical bamboo forest, killer dragons, an angry sister, a hidden kingdom and a portal to hell. Michelle Yeoh has a small role and Ben Kinsley returns to reprise his role as Trevor from Iron Man 3.
“Shang-Chi” was well-reviewed, receiving a 92% approval rating based on 344 reviews. No one listed it on their best of the year list, but almost everyone approved it. Additionally, many people logged on to Rotten Tomatoes to leave a positive review, resulting in a 98% audience rating, now called the Popcorn Meter. Over 10,000 people gave him a thumbs up. However, this number should be viewed with caution; You don’t have to have seen the film to rate it positively or negatively on the popcorn meter. In fact, certain films tend to be bombarded with reviews from sinister online “fans” who simply want to move the opinion unseen on films they object to.
But still, 98% is impressive, even with salt.
In terms of critical review, “Shang-Chi” ranks ninth in the MCU, behind “Thor: Ragnarok” (93%), “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (93%) and “The Guardians.” of the Galaxy Holiday Special” (94%), “Avengers: Endgame” (94%), “Iron Man” (94%), “Agents of SHIELD” (95%), “Black Panther” (96%), and “Ms. Marvel” (98%).
