For a long while, I was convinced that Marvel wouldn’t be able to top themselves after Black Widow. It was a cinematic masterpiece filled with the right amount of action, comedy, and sadness. The overarching story of sisterhood and family was an enjoyable switch-up from the overused “classic” hetero-romance. Then I decided to make a trip back to the movie theatre.

It started with the announcement of the next Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) blockbuster. It was to be called “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” To my immediate disappointment, the interweb flooded with harsh criticism and unnecessary comments about a movie that hadn’t even been released yet. However, I didn’t let that sway me and went to the theatres on the day of release. With Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings now being the highest-grossing movie of the COVID era in North America, it seems like I wasn’t the only one. Once again internet trolls are proven to be the lowest rung in the societal ladder.

Shang-Chi was released exclusively in theatres on September 3 and is still available for showing right now! It’s easy to say that the immediate love and support towards the film on its release date was originally started by the backing of Marvel Studios and their devoted fanbase. I being included. It’s also rightfully well-known for being the first MCU entry starring an Asian lead, with Simu Lu as the title character and with a primarily Asian cast. 

To further support my opinion, it’s one of the best-reviewed movies in the MCU. With a 92% Rotten Tomatoes rating and a 98% audience score, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings dazzled us all with a charismatic lead and quite literally out-of-this-world production. 

The film is a strong debut for a new hero, one that will be making many more appearances in future Marvel films. It adds some more badly needed diversity into the MCU in a way that didn’t seem empty or forced. 10/10. 

To move on, a common shortcoming of action films is that they tend to skip over crucial character development and arcs in favor of combat scenes. I can say with confidence that this isn’t the case here. The characters in this wonderful world are fleshed out and real. Each one with their own story that’s deeper than surface-level but doesn’t overshadow the plot. Speaking of characters, Xialing is one of the best to be introduced to the theatres. There will be no debate.

The fight scenes are beautifully choreographed with intense martial arts that may-or-may-not include familiar faces. That combined with the classic humor found in Marvel movies the 133 minute run time seems to fly by. 

With other MCU blockbusters making their way into the theatres within the rest of 2021, The Eternals in November and Spider-Man: No Way Home in December, the competition for the best superhero movie continues. Save the dates and place your bets, I better see you at the movies!