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Marvel Studios Shang Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings Review

Synopsis: In this video or blog, I go into detail of several plot points, and I reference the idea of Shang and the Mandarin’s pain. I will also tell you if the Martial Art moves in the movie are authentic or not. You know that I have a 4th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and took that Martial Art for 9 years as well as having my BA in English from UNCC that makes me qualified to review and do an analysis of this movie. I also reference Martial Art clips that I have gotten off YouTube and clipped them in this video to make my point. I also give you my rating for the movie. If you want to know more, then you want to watch this video or read this blog. Thank you.

Hello everyone, Matthew Hemenway is here. In this video I will be reviewing Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. I know what you are going to say why am I reviewing this movie when it came out 3+ months around Labor Day weekend. I will tell you why because I did not see it until November 12, 2021, the first day it would have been released on Disney+. I also saw this movie again on December 10, 2021. The reason for that is still COVID-19. I have not seen a movie since March 2020 in a movie theater. I have been watching all my movies from the comfort of my own home. I will now do an analysis of several topics that I saw in this movie.

In the beginning of the movie, we see the Mandarin using the ten rings to gain power and wealth. As Shang Chi’s mother said, he could have used it for good, instead he used it for evil. Instead of being rings that are worn on your fingers these rings are worn like bracelets around his arm. The rings corrupted the Mandarin, and he kept wanting more power and wealth. The more power and wealth he got, the more he wanted. His lust and greed for power and wealth kept driving him. The rings also made him immortal as he could not die. Another character I can think that I read, and watch is Ras Al Gaul. Ras was immortal thanks to the Lazarus pit which kept him from dying. Ras like the Mandarin had an organization called the League of Shadows or the League of Assassins. We know Mandarin has its own organization and they are called the ten rings.

Shang Chi flees to San Francisco as you know that is where Ant Man resides. Shan tries to live a normal life with his best friend Katy played by Anakarina. They are goofing around driving cars as she claims to be the Asian Jeff Gordon driving an expensive car when they should be parking it since they both work as Valets. Shan can speak multiple languages as he can go back to Chinese back to English very well. He later gets attacked by a man who has a sword that has a mystical element to it. Not only does the movie show the Marital Art Elements but the mystical or magical ones as well.

Another character that comes to mind is Iron Fist who has both Martial Art and mystical elements to it. As you know Danny Rand AKA Iron Fist trains in a mystical world called Kun Lun. Shan Chi must go back to his mother’s homeland which is not in this world but another and that world is called Talo. As we saw in the beginning the Mandarin goes to Talo as well because he conquered so much here on Earth. He lost to Shan’s mother. His mother’s movements in terms of her Martial Arts are like a dance and the way she moves as with the Mandarin is a dance. How do I know they look like dancing is because I took Tae Kwon Do for 9 years and earned up as far as a 4th Degree Black Belt as I would have told you in my review of Hawkeye Season 1 Episode 3 that I have this training? So, I can tell you from experience that their movements in the movie are very authentic. I will have you watch a few Martial Art clips that I have pulled off the Internet to prove my point.

Shoot in another clip after playing 4 clips of videos for the audience to watch. If you want to watch those videos, please click on the YouTube video included in this blog. Thank you for reading and watching.

I am back, I hoped what you got off what I was saying from what I saw in the movie is true from the clips I showed you. The movie shows Shang Chi losing his mother by watching her get killed right in front of his eyes. It wounded him like I would have mentioned in one of my other reviews in Who Framed Roger Rabbit in how Eddie Valiant carried a wound of his brother dying by a piano being dropped on his head. I also mention the wound in By God’s Grace as well. It goes back to the author I told you about, John Eldredge, which I will leave a link to his author page from Amazon at the bottom of this video. Shan’s father the Mandarin took the rings off because he was trying to be a better man for his wife and his children. Once she gets killed it broke the Mandarin and he put them back on and became a slave to the rings once again.

The Mandarin becomes obsessed with bringing his wife back at all costs that he is willing to go to her homeland to destroy it, if necessary, to bring her back. As we learn that he was hearing a demon and that demon was egging him on to break it out. What I mean by this is that the demon represents a spiritual demon. Yes, I know it was dragon, but it had a very demonic look to it if you look closely at it.

Shang Chi also must confront his demons as his best friend Katy tells him what you have not told me Shan and what have you kept hidden. She is not the damsel in the distress type, she told him I am going with you, and you will not keep me here. This also goes back to John Eldredge and that he talked about the woman does not want to be the adventure; she wants to be part of the adventure.

Shang with Michelle Yeoh who plays his aunt Nan told him you must confront your pain. Shan asks how his mother beat his father? She told him, "Your mother knew who she was, didn't you? She stayed true to who she was and never wavered. Shan must do the same and accept the bad and good things that have happened in his life. Shan cannot run always from his life if he does, then he will never truly heal. I can understand that as I run from myself for years. Doing these videos helps me feel alive and I hope you all can see that when I am doing these videos.

Shang earlier in the film with Katy went back to confront his sister who he left back in China to live with her father. She creates a fight club where we see Wong and Abomination fighting and unbelievably Wong beats Abomination. It becomes an interesting scenario where Shan fights his sister. These events that happened needed to happen so he could confront his past and deal with the demons he had been running from.

Shang later realizes who he is and that he is Earth’s greatest martial artist and with the help of his best friend Katy, he finds himself as with the help of his aunt Nan. It takes him getting to the end of the story to find himself.

The story is true to the comics as everything I know about Shan Chi from reading them is that he has troubled past with his father. Yes, his father was not Mandarin, but his father in the comics was not always the best of people. He and his sister have a broken relationship to say the least. That I can tell you is authentic as well.

Overall, I give this story a 10 out 10. You are asking how I can give a 10 out 10 because nothing is perfect. I also know there are those out there who are asking how to have I given the Hawkeye series 10 out 10 so far is this is Marvel and I trust Marvel. They take their time and know what they are doing. I am not claiming this story is perfect, but in terms of executing and keeping you engaged; it did that. It is not a simple story as it has complicated relationships, and the answer is not always easy as we would like it to be.

If you enjoyed this video or blog, please like it, and subscribe to my channel or please continue reading my blog posts. Please hit the notification bell to be notified of any future videos that come on the channel at the bottom of the video if you are watching the YouTube video. Please let me know what books, movies, or TV shows you would like me to review next in the comment section below in the YouTube video. Please share this video or blog post with your friends and family so my channel and my blog can grow. Thank you and have a wonderful day.

Reference: Shang Chi Comic Vol: Brothers and Sisters: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R1BGH19/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

Reference: Shang Chi: Earth’s Mightiest Martial Artist: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R1CPQW2/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

Reference: Netflix series Iron Fist: https://www.netflix.com/title/80002612








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