Shang-Chi and Legend of the Ten Rings

For some reason, Alex really wanted me to watch this. I assume so we can talk about it at some point. So what the hell, why not?

One random thing out of the way first. How much do Ruffalo and Brie Larsen get paid for those 45 second cameos in the teaser? Is it something worked into an overall contract for being in these Marvel movies? You agree to x number of brief appearances in other movies for y dollars, or do they negotiate each one?

OK, enough of that. In no particular order, lengthy backstory sort of mimicking a fable at the beginning about the ten rings and how Shang and Xialing's parents met. I did enjoy the meet-cute fight, and how the lighting is different on the edge of the hidden city. Very golden, filtering through the bamboo reeds. Think they could have gone a little further with the mythic aspect in their presentation. During the big fight at the end, it felt like they were definitely trying to evoke a particular feel with the waves the dragon was calling up to attack the Dweller in the Darkness. Trying to resemble maybe a particular art style? They could have leaned into that a little more through the movie, assuming I'm not just seeing things.

I enjoyed the glimpses of Shang's (sorry Shaun's) everyday life up to the bus fight. Enjoyed the bus fight. The parts with Simu Liu scrambling to hang on to the outside of the bus felt very Jackie Chan-ish, which I'm sure you've guessed by now is a positive. (I need to make a Jackie Chan label. I got one for Sergio Leone.) Would have liked more focus on Shang and Xialing's interactions, but they're supposed to be ostracized because he left her behind, so things are gonna be a little strained. Awkwafina as Katy was fine, for what the movie asked her to be. I was just really glad when she got a change of clothes, because those neon green pants were hurting my eyes.

Didn't really care about Trevor (Ben Kingsley). I didn't like Iron Man 3, so, whatever. Was a little surprised Wenwu didn't try harder to get his kids on his side. The minute they disagree, he just kicks their asses and throws them in a cell. I thought he'd keep trying to make them understand. He'd apparently been patient enough to let Shang run around in America being a valet for ten years, and, well, I guess he didn't really carry what Xialing was up to. Actually, I think it would have been nice for her to be the one who defeated their dad. The daughter he ignored and dismissed, the one abandoned by her brother, trained herself, turning out to be the real ass-kicker.

Plus, she wouldn't have hesitated and given dear old Dad the chance to unleash those soul-eating things. But I guess we were supposed to see Shang reach his father with his mother's compassion or something. For all the good it did.

I would have liked the rings to be worn on the fingers, or at least have different capabilities instead of the sorta generic energy thing they had going. Did enjoy the designs of the soul-eating things. I assume they were based on something out of Chinese folklore, but I would also accept the design folks just went with "little Lovecraftian horror bats". 

I did feel like that shift to fighting other-dimensional monsters there at the end was out of place in what had been such a family-fixated plotline up to that point. It had been about the damage Wenwu caused by not being able to confront his grief and his guilt properly, and the consequences that had for his kids. the ripple effects that led to Shang leaving his sister behind. All the searching for the hidden city was kind of background noise for me to all that, in a movie that was mostly people fighting other people. Then you got monsters popping up. A metaphor for how unhealthy coping mechanisms can devour you.

Overall, I wouldn't say it really grabbed me, but it was fine. It had a lot of ground to cover to introduce the characters and their backstories, did that pretty well. Still felt like that last fight dragged a little long. Most of the fights were fun, though. Initially thought they were going to present Shang as a goober in over his head (shades of Paul Rudd's Ant-Man), but turns out he's a guy doing his best to run from himself, which was a better direction to go.