Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

[Guest]

3 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

 

It's great to see the movie doing well but the truth is that during a pandemic everything can be spun as a positive.  Strong box office - of course, our movie is so great we can even get people to come out during a pandemic.  Weak box office - not our fault, a lot of people won't go to a movie theater even if we promised every person a working Iron Man suit. 

 

The later has not been proven to be true. The press has been brutal on pandemic movies and have given very little leeway for COVID. 

3 hours ago, Ms.Moon said:

I did not want to go opening weekend because of the crowds but now I am wondering if I should have just went because if the signs are right this is going to have legs and crowds into next week.  I am trying my hardest to stay away from spoilers but I want to know so much.

Even with strong legs there should be a significant drop off next weekend. With no real competition it should loss in screens so it should be easier to find a less crowded showing in most places. 

 

On 9/3/2021 at 10:57 PM, dwmarch said:

The tie-in to the larger MCU was a little weird. Wenwu has been banging those rings together for a thousand years (minus about a ten year gap when he had kids) and no one had anything to say about it. Now his son rocks them for about half an hour and the Avengers are summoned by the amazing power? I guess it could be that because Shang-Chi has the dark and light sides to him he uses them differently and taps some aspect of their power that Wenwu couldn't use. That's what I'll go with if they don't come back to it later.

I think that’s exactly it given the color change and they way the rings seemed to chose Shang-Chi over Wenwu.

I didn’t think that the Avengers were summoned by the power. Wong said that Shang-Chi using the rings was felt at Kamar-Taj. So people in one mystical Asian location felt a mystical object being used in another mystical Asian location. 

[Lantern7]

Wong: I hope you both know that your lives will never be the same after all this. We brought in Bruce Banner AND Carol Danvers for this mid-credits scene!

Shang: I understand. Also, too bad Bruce's arm is still broke from bringing everyone back to life.

Katy: Hang on. Our lives?!?

Wong: Yes. You were in the climatic battle.

Katy: Yeah. but I haven't spent ninety percent of my life in severe martial arts training.

Wong: Do you have a good heart?

Katy: Yeah.

Wong: Are you played by a known star?

Katy: Yeah.

Wong: Did you shoot an arrow in the neck of the eldrtich evil dragon-type thing?

Katy: Yes, but-

Wong: When you rode the elevator here, did you sign the form presented to you?

(long pause)

Katy: SHIT!!!!

Wong; Welcome to the family.

Katy: Damn. Wanna get shit-faced and perform karaoke?

Wong: Hey, not like I gotta go back to Deadly Class!

As you can tell, I saw the movie. I think there were about a dozen people there, and I put on the mask some time after I stopped eating. I'm happy that the movie is doing well int he box office. I honestly expected it (as well as Eternals) to falter from lack of brand recognition from the "mainstream." I had the same concern for Guardians of the Galaxy, but they had a talking raccoon and his tree partner. That's hard to pass up.

Also great to get a sympathetic bad guy in Wenwu. He's just a guy that conquered for a thousand years, found a nice lady, got hitched, had kids, then went nuts when she got killed. The awesomeness does mask the final dark dragon-type thing he let loose . . . impressive CGI, but the fight with that and Shang's guardian dragon felt like overkill. Also . . . Razorfist was just . . . there. A bit pile of "meh," although I'm concede that his snapping off his sword from his stump and jamming in a dragon scale blade was oddly awesome.

The thing Wong fought was Abomination? I'd watch The Incredible Hulk again to see if he was supposed to have died in the end, but that would involve rewatching The Incredible Hulk. No thanks.

Edited September 7, 2021 by Lantern7

[tv echo]

Current numbers: $71.4M three-day domestic box office (and almost $90M four-day domestic box office) for Labor Day weekend - per Box Office Mojo, combined with an additional $56.2M international, that's a worldwide opening box office of $127.6M for the three-day weekend...

Box Office: ‘Shang-Chi’ Dazzles With Mighty $71.4 Million Opening Weekend
Brent Lang   September 5, 2021
https://variety.com/2021/film/news/shang-chi-marvel-box-office-opening-weekend-simu-liu-1235056782/ 

Quote

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” delivered the sizzle that struggling movie theaters so desperately needed, debuting to $71.4 million in its inaugural weekend. The Marvel adventure is on pace to rack up a mighty $83.5 million over the four-day Labor Day weekend, trumping expectations that had anticipated a debut of between $45 million to $50 million while also shattering barriers for Asian representation on screen.

The film’s three-day figure is the second best of the pandemic era, falling just behind “Black Widow’s” $80.3 million haul and edging out “F9’s” $70 million bow. It also marks a record for Labor Day openings, which is traditionally a sluggish weekend at the box office, besting the previous high-water mark set by 2007’s “Halloween,” which pulled in $30.6 million more than a decade ago and at a time when catastrophic, global pandemics seemed like the stuff of sci-fi movies.
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Unlike “Black Widow,” “Shang-Chi” was showing exclusively in theaters. “Black Widow” opted for a hybrid release and debuted on Disney Plus, where it was available to rent for $30, at the same time it opened in theaters, something that may have caused ticket sales to crater in subsequent weeks of release. The strong reception for “Shang-Chi” could impact the way that Disney rolls out future superhero adventures during COVID-19. The studio has yet to make a decision about whether or not “The Eternals,” its next comic book epic, will have an exclusive theatrical debut. Globally, “Shang-Chi” has pulled in $127.6 million after opening in key markets such as France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, Brazil and Mexico.

Shang-Chi’ blasts Labor Day records with $71.4M debut
By JAKE COYLE   September 5, 2021
https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-coronavirus-pandemic-labor-day-90a82b539712840e7874e405fe51d206 

Quote

NEW YORK (AP) — On what’s traditionally one of the sleepiest weekends at the movies, the Marvel film “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” smashed the record for Labor Day openings with an estimated $71.4 million in ticket sales, giving a box office reeling from the recent coronavirus surge a huge lift heading into the fall season.

The Friday-to-Sunday gross for “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” Marvel’s first film led by an Asian superhero, ranks as one of the best debuts of the pandemic, trailing only the previous Marvel film, “Black Widow” ($80.3 million in July). Overseas, it pulled in $56.2 million for a global three-day haul of $127.6 million. Disney anticipates “Shang Chi,” made for about $150 million, will add $12.1 million domestically on Monday.
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The strong opening of “Shang-Chi” — forecasts had been closer to $50 million — was a major relief for Hollywood, which had seen jittery releases the last few weeks during rising COVID-19 cases driven by the delta variant. Several upcoming films have recently postponed out of the fall, including Paramount Pictures’ “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Jackass Forever” and “Clifford the Big Red Dog.” Disney’s weekend, though, should lend confidence to upcoming big-budget releases such as the James Bond film “No Time to Die” from MGM and United Artists Releasing, and Sony Pictures’ “Venom: Let There Be Carnage.”

“‘Shang-Chi’ is the ultimate confidence-builder for the theatrical movie industry,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore. “This was a very important film. This was the first Marvel movie that’s opened exclusively theatrically since ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ in July 2019. ‘Shang-Chi’ is a real testament of the power of a theatrical-first strategy to drive huge numbers of moviegoers to the multiplex.”

Perhaps nobody was celebrating Sunday more than theater owners. Exhibitors have argued day-and-date releases significantly cannibalize ticket sales. Warner Bros., which is putting all of its 2021 releases simultaneously on HBO Max, has vowed to end the practice next year.

‘Shang-Chi’ To The Moon: Marvel Asian American Superhero Movie Heading Toward $90M Record-Breaking Labor Day Weekend
By Anthony D'Alessandro   September 5, 2021  
https://deadline.com/2021/09/shang-chi-opening-weekend-box-office-1234826987/ 

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Hollywood, it’s time to re-think your game plan about the theatrical release schedule. It doesn’t look like Vax cards policing at any movie theaters prevented anyone from going to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, as Disney continued to exercise a theatrical window post-Free Guy, taking their latest Marvel Cinematic Universe title to the second best-3 day of the pandemic with $71.4M, behind Disney/Marvel’s Black Widow ($80.3M) and ahead of F9‘s $70M. The 4-day per industry estimate is expected to be $89.2M. Disney is reporting $83.5M for the four-days as of this morning.
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Imax screens in U.S. and Canada drove $8M of Shang-Chi‘s weekend, or 10% of it’s overall 3-day, with a per screen of $20K, hands down an Imax domestic weekend Labor Day record.
*  *  *
A lot of stats to share here on Shang-Chi this morning, all according to Screen Engine/Comscore’s PostTrak:

As a testament to the pic’s buzz and how it impacted people to get up off the couch: 63% of those buying tickets to the Destin Daniel Cretton directed feature bought their tickets the day of, while 16% did it the day before, with 14% in the last week, and 7% more than a week ago. Sixty-three percent bought their tickets online, while 35% bought their movie tickets at a theater, with 2% through a Costco or Walmart package. Close to 60% saw the movie in a normal theater, while 23% chose Imax and 13% chose the premium large format experience.

Thirty-one percent of the audience were males under 25, 31% were males over 25, with females under 25 at 20% and females over 25 at 18%. Updated 18-34 turnout is 59%. Updated diversity demos are 36% Caucasian (92% grade), 22% Latino (88% grade), 18% Black (90% grade) and 18% Asian (who gave the MCU title it’s best grades at 94%). Disney exits show 61% males overall for Shang-Chi.

In regards to how people went to this blockbuster, as it’s very telling during a pandemic; it appears as though they were very comfortable: 23% of the audience went with 2 to 4 friends, 16% went with one friend, 7% came with five or more friends, families repped 20%, while 16% of those buying tickets were on a date, and 10% watched the Marvel movie alone. Per Disney polls, they report 88% general audience and 6% parents and 6% kids turning out.

The primary reason why moviegoers went to see Shang-Chi were as follows: Part of a franchise they love, that being the MCU (49%), the genre/plot (46%), came with someone who encouraged them to see it (31%), the cast as a whole (27%), heard it was ‘good’ (27%), lead actor Simu Liu (23%), Awkwafina (14%), and critics’ reviews (14%).

Citing the most influential form of marketing that prodded them to see Shang-Chi, those polled answered the YouTube trailer (23%), the online trailer (13%), the in-theater trailer (11%), word of mouth from friends/family (9%), Instagram trailers/clips (9%), TV ads (8%), Twitter clips/trailers (3%), Facebook clips/trailers (3%), in theater posters-banners (3%), and billboards/outdoor ads (2%).

Before watching Shang-Chi this weekend, 40% said they watched the trailer or film clips online a month or so before, while 25% said they watched the trailer/clips this week, and 21% caught the trailer literally the day they went to the see the picture. Fourteen percent said they never watched the trailer to Shang-Chi before seeing the movie.

After watching Shang-Chi, of the moviegoers polled, 25% said they’d buy the movie on Blu-Ray or DVD, 13% said they’d buy it digitally (Amazon, iTunes, etc) while 10% said they’d rent the movie digitally, while 15% said they’d find a way to download the movie for free (BitTorrent, Limewire, etc).

Shang-Chi's Budget Reportedly Smaller Than Black Panther, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Most MCU Movies
By Pierre Chanliau    September 05, 2021
https://thedirect.com/article/shang-chis-budget-reportedly-smaller-than-black-panther-spider-man-homecoming-most-mcu-movies 

Quote

One thing that Black Widow had as an advantage over Shang-Chi was its budget. The female-led film reportedly cost Marvel Studios a whopping $200 million , one of the highest for a non-Avengers film in the MCU. In contrast, a new report suggests that Shang-Chi might have one of the smallest budgets in the MCU.
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According to National Post , the budget for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is an estimated $150 million, nearly the same as Captain Marvel ( $152 million ) and less than most other MCU films like Spider-Man: Homecoming ( $175 million ) and Black Panther ( $200 million ).

The lower budget can be credited to the tax rebate Shang-Chi received from filming in Australia. Similarly, Captain Marvel was given a comparable tax credit for filming in California.
*  *  *
$150 million is nothing to sneeze at, but still makes for one of the least expensive movies in the franchise, only being beaten by Ant-Man , which has the smallest of any MCU film at $130 million. The last project to have a budget this small was Captain Marvel , which certainly helped make it profitable at the box office .

 

Edited September 6, 2021 by tv echo

[Fool to cry]

 

 

 

[tv echo]

‘Shang-Chi’: The 6 Biggest Reasons Marvel Made Box Office History
Scott Mendelson    September 6, 2021
https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2021/09/06/6-reasons-marvel-shang-chi-made-box-office-history/?sh=67cf82b2ffcf 

Quote

The MCU franchise is the biggest, safest and most trusted brand in theatrical filmmaking. It’s coming to a point where consumers essentially get all of their genre needs from Marvel movies (and at least some DC comic book superhero flicks). That ends up being to Marvel and DC’s advantage when general audiences look at Shang-Chi or DC’s Joker as unlike anything they’ve ever seen in theaters because they don’t consume much non-franchise films/television shows. But I digress. Marvel has been, at least since Guardians of the Galaxy in August 2014, the biggest “movie star” in town. Most North American audiences have never heard of Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu, don’t watch Kim’s Convenience and didn’t spend the pandemic binging Lust Caution, The Grandmaster and the five-hour cut of Red Cliff. However, they will show up because they trust the MCU to deliver IMAX-friendly, four-quadrant, character-focused three-to-four star popcorn thrills.
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The main trailers for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings were... not that great. I’d also say the same thing about the pre-release marketing for Thor, The Avengers and Captain Marvel. However, Disney knew the Destin Daniel Cretton-directed movie worked like gangbusters, so they screened it early and let the review embargo drop in late-August. It currently has a 92% fresh and 7.6/10 on Rotten Tomatoes, with the reviews assuring folks that A) the action was well-staged and coherently edited, B) Simu Liu was a charismatic new MCU lead who didn’t quite let Tony Leung steal the entire film out from under him and C) there were plenty of not-in-the-trailer goodies both in terms of narrative twists and unexpected visual delights. Oh, and the notices assured folks that they could take their kids as long as their kids were old enough to read subtitles.
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It’s not a zero sum game, but having at least something approximating a theatrical window does boost overall global box office. Save for The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, most of Warner Bros.’ post-Godzilla Vs. Kong offerings struggled theatrically while being concurrently available (for the first 31 days) on HBO Max. Black Widow did okay in North America ($183 million), but its concurrent “available to lease on Disney+ for $30” release was a major factor in the the poor 2x weekend multiplier, the sharp 69% second-weekend drop and overall frontloaded-for-Marvel (a 2.3x multiplier from an $80 million domestic debut) theatrical run. Conversely, Wrath of Man topped $103 million worldwide (huge for a solo Jason Statham actioner), A Quiet Place part II earned 90% of its predecessor’s $341 million global cume and Free Guy is racing toward $300 million on an over/under $115 million budget. So, yeah, making theaters the only place to see Shang-Chi for the first 45 days was absolutely crucial for this business-as-usual debut.
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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is more evidence that diversity is a big added-value element in films audiences already want to see. The Simu Liu/Awkwafina/Tony Leung/Michelle Yeoh action fantasy was the first Asian-centric Marvel movie was a big deal. “Marvel movie” was, alas, more important than “Asian-centric.” Snake Eyes (starring Henry Golding and Andrew Koji) bombed six weeks ago, while In the Heights was not “the movie we need right now.” Without being a total Debbie Downer on this (I still wish folks who saw Black Panther five times maybe only saw it four times and sampled A Wrinkle in Time, Gringo, Annihilation and/or Pacific Rim: Uprising as well), Marvel’s Phase Four plan to highlight more “not a white guy” protagonists helps maintain the event movie nature of these newbie origin stories in a world where merely being a superhero movie is no longer special.

 

Simu Liu did a backflip after throwing a first-pitch strike prior to the game between the Dodgers and the Giants Sunday night:

Edited September 6, 2021 by tv echo

[scarynikki12]

This man is joy.

 

[Lantern7]

Shit, I meant to edit my post, not quote.

So . . . the rings. Are they all the same in terms of powers? In live-action, they work better than Mandarian’s canon rings.

We had Alexi the pig and Trevor (whatever the heck he was). What weird animal will I like in Eternals?

ETA: Morris. Right. I would've remembered that name if he was a finicky eater. Thanks, @Dani!

Edited September 7, 2021 by Lantern7

[Samsnee]

I loved this movie. Really captured the Asian American dynamic many children of first generation parents feel. Tony Leung gave a great performance, as expected. I appreciated it wasn’t a “I need you by my side to take over the world” plot the trailers hinted at. The fight scenes along are worth the price of admission. Very creative use of physical surroundings as well as the rings themselves. 

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Good luck to Shang-Chi , but I have a feeling this movie has shot it's load in this first week, the next coming weeks will show much lower earnings. Tony Leung was the best part of the movie. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

We had Alexi the pig and Trevor (whatever the heck he was). What weird animal will I like in Eternals?

I assume you mean Morris. He is a dijiang. 

1 hour ago, One4Sorrow2TooBad said:

Good luck to Shang-Chi , but I have a feeling this movie has shot it's load in this first week, the next coming weeks will show much lower earnings. Tony Leung was the best part of the movie. 

Every movie has much lower earnings in the coming weeks but there is every reason to think that this one will have very good legs. Every single day performed better than expected and the word of mouth is fabulous. 

Edited September 7, 2021 by Guest

[Ms.Moon]

Michelle Yeoh was amazing as always.  I just got back from seeing this in theaters because I got a viewing with not too many people.  I loved her expression when she meets Shang and is talking about his father.  Her expression said it all: I refer to your father as That no good man when I talk about him.  

[Ms.Moon]

5 minutes ago, Dani said:

I assume you mean Morris. He is a dijiang. 

Every movie has much lower earnings in the coming weeks but there is every reason to think that this one will have very good legs. Ever single day performed better than expected and the word of mouth is fabulous. 

I will be busy next weekend or else I would go see this in the theatre again.  I might go see it again the following weekend.  It is a very good movie I wasn’t bored at all.  I enjoyed the fight choreography it was amazing and the costumes while not Black Panther level intricate the colors were wonderful and they were quite beautiful.

[AngieBee1]

The stunt choreographers were the crème de la crème of their craft. They were former members of Jackie Chan's stunt team.  

Meng’er Zhang (Xialing) actually started dating and married one of the stunt team members by the time the film wrapped. 

[blackwing]

Happy to see that this film did so well at the box office, after the "experts" were predicting it would be the worst-performing MCU film since "The Incredible Hulk".  Best Labor Day Weekend box office totals ever, and those previous years weren't affected by a pandemic.  Great news.  I guess the film and the cast passed the "experiment" with flying colours?

[Starfish35]

Quote

Tuesday AM: With Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings on the marquee, audiences didn’t take a holiday from the movies. As expected, the Destin Daniel Cretton-directed Marvel Cinematic Universe title came in much higher than what Disney was spotting, earning $18.9M yesterday. That’s hands down the best Monday ever for a film during the pandemic, and the 28th biggest Monday of all-time, ahead of 2012’s Avengers($18.89M) and behind The Dark Knight Rises($19.4M) and Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle at $19.1M. All of this adds up to a revised 4-day of $94.4M.

Source: Deadline

[Shannon L.]

My husband, our two kids and I saw this yesterday and we all had mixed reactions.  Our daughter, a huge Marvel fan, tweeted this afterward "Shang-Chi is the best Marvel movie I’ve ever seen. The script, the acting, the costumes, the lighting, the fight choreo, it was all phenomenal. I don’t think there was a single moment that I was bored or a moment I thought went on too long. I loved it".  I agree with a lot of that, but I don't think it's the best Marvel movie.  I'd put it solidly at the top of the middle tier or lower end of the top tier.  I agree with her that the fight sequences were fantastic--especially that first one on the bus-- and all the technical aspects were great, but Marvel rarely goes wrong with that.  Where it lost me a little was when the Manderin came in.  It was cute and we laughed, but I thought that it went on way too long. From the time they met him until the time they found the village, I thought the story dragged a bit.  However, I loved the characters and the actors who played them. I'm intrigued by the rings and when/where we'll see them again.  The Eternals?  Dr. Strange 2?  As always, the cameos were great, an the end credit scenes were fun and compelling. 

My husband loved the character and some of the fight sequences (and agrees that Marvel rarely has a miss with the technical stuff), but thought the story itself was too run of the mill and predictable.  He put it in the lower tier of Marvel movies.  Our son, who isn't as enamored as he used to be with Marvel, agreed with him.

 

[Fukui San]

Based on the word of mouth so far, I'm going to have to see this in theatres. Seinfeld had Elaine judging whether boyfriends were "spongeworthy".  It seems that this movie might be the first for me to be "Covidworthy". 

10am. On a weekday. Sitting as far away from anyone else as possible. Double masked.

[Bruinsfan]

I saw it Sunday. I had a great time overall, though I felt the ending was less compelling than the first 2/3 that were more realistic and set in the everyday world. (For values of everyday world that include sword-armed assassins and cage fighting between sorcerers and gamma-powered ogres...) Simu Liu was great as a very likeable protagonist, and of course Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Michelle Yeoh can do no wrong.

 

On 6/24/2021 at 10:03 PM, AimingforYoko said:

BTW, I had no idea Abomination was going to be in this. How did they keep that under wraps?

 It's probably easier when it's a CGI character who won't show up in set photos.

On 9/3/2021 at 11:05 PM, phalange said:

Shang-Chi being told by his father that it was his fault his mother died was so messed up. What kind of parent blames a seven year old for not fighting a group of grown men? Holy shit, dude.

Yeah, that was messed up. For a seven year old being brave is not crying if he skins his knee, not fighting off a whole courtyard full of gangsters coming to kill his mom! Where the fuck was Wenwu when all the enemies he'd made came calling?

[angora]

2 hours ago, Fukui San said:

Based on the word of mouth so far, I'm going to have to see this in theatres. Seinfeld had Elaine judging whether boyfriends were "spongeworthy".  It seems that this movie might be the first for me to be "Covidworthy". 

10am. On a weekday. Sitting as far away from anyone else as possible. Double masked.

On the app for my local theater chain, you select your seat when you buy your ticket, so you can get a ballpark of how many people are going to be at the showing/where they're sitting. I just checked showtimes on the app (semi-compulsively? hehe) until I found one that looked like it was going to be sparsely attended. Of course, it helps that I live really close to my theater - 15-minute drive. I checked the app again when I pulled into the parking lot and THEN got my ticket, picking a seat far from anyone else.

[tv echo]

'Shang-Chi' Director Destin Daniel Cretton Talks Alternate Endings and Those Post-Credit Scenes (Exclusive)
By John Boone‍    September 7, 2021
https://www.etonline.com/shang-chi-director-destin-daniel-cretton-talks-alternate-endings-and-those-post-credit-scenes 

Spoiler

ET: If there's ever a complaint about a great Marvel villain like this, it's that they are only in one movie and then killed off. And when you cast a legend like Tony Leung, was there ever a version of this where Wenwu survived?
Destin Daniel Cretton: Yes, there was.

What ultimately led you away from that version?
Some things just work and some things don't. We're constantly searching for the version of the story that feels most authentic to the characters. I mean, even though these characters are operating on a very operatic level, there's still things that you try that just feel like cheats. And that was one of them. But, you know, also in the MCU, anything can happen.
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Scenes like this tend to be done so secretively. Like, I would believe if you told me that Simu and Awkwafina didn't know who was in that scene with them until the movie came out. Were Brie and Mark on set with them on set for the rolling out of the Marvel welcome wagon? Or was that filmed separately?
No, they were shot with Wong. So, Benedict was on set with them. Both Brie and Mark were shot separately.

Did Simu and Awkwafina know who they were talking to in that scene then?
Yes, they did. By the time they shot. I think they didn't know up until the day that they were doing the scene, but yes. I remember Simu walking onto set holding the sides, looking at me going... But there's two things happening that emotionally are so connected in the MCU and on set. There is the ushering in of these characters into a group of established superheroes. But in real life, there is an ushering in of these actors into a community of established actors. And we could not have chosen a more perfect group of actors to do both. Both those characters and the actors, someone like Mark Ruffalo and Brie Larson and Benedict Wong being there to welcome Awkwafina and Simu into the fold, it was a very special moment.

Usually when I leave one of these movies, the post-credits scene teases a new character or a plotline that you can track down in the comics. But I left this one being like, "I don't know!" What sort of guidance can you give me or what direction can you point me in?
Really? If you look into the comics, if you watch that end-credit sequence, it's not-- You don't have to dig very deep to at least point yourself in a direction. (Laughs.) It's definitely there.
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We have to talk about the second post-credits scene, because Meng'er [Zhang] is a star.
Did you get to meet her in person? If you meet her in person, you will see even more of how much of a star she is, because she is so different from her character. She's a joy. She's so fun.

Obviously she's taken over the Ten Rings, which I have to imagine will create some drama between her and Shang-Chi. Where does their relationship as brother and sister stand by the movie's end?
I feel like this family as a whole has taken steps towards healing, but I also think that it would be pretty unrealistic to believe that everything has been patched up. I think there was a very clear, emotional through line that Xialing had been dealing with throughout our movie that was not addressed. And she clearly deserves as much attention as Shang-Chi does in the context of her family. There is a line in the middle of the movie where she tells Katy that if her dad won't let her into his empire, she's going to build her own. So, to see her sit on that throne and redefine it in a way that is uniquely hers is very exciting. I think there are many ways to view that moment. And they're probably all right.

‘Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings’: How Wong Sets up a Bigger Universe for the Heroes in End Credits
BY RACHEL PAIGE   September 7, 2021
https://www.marvel.com/articles/movies/shang-chi-and-the-legend-of-the-ten-rings-wong-end-credits 

Spoiler

“Every time I watch that scene, I still get chills,” Liu tells Marvel.com. “It is, I think, the perfect post credit sequence. It sets up what is to come and is just the perfect welcome to the circus that is the MCU.”

Calling the scene “totally incredibly surreal,” Liu compares Wong recruiting Shang-Chi to his own journey into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “It was like someone talking straight to me telling me that my life was going to change forever. There is that moment where Wong is staring me right in the face saying, `From now on, the trajectory of your lives will be like nothing you've ever imagined.’”

Shang-Chi doesn’t go alone, as Katy goes with him through the portal, only to find themselves not only in the company of Wong but also the holograms of Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel), surprise cameos reprised by MCU stars Mark Ruffalo and Brie Larson. Turns out, the Ten Rings that Shang-Chi is now in possession of have some sort of beacon inside of them, and they are much older than anyone ever anticipated.

Just like the rest of us, Awkwafina is excited to find out what happens next. “I have a similar outlook as Katy, and that I have no idea what's going to happen. But it's something. Something is afoot.”

The idea to end the movie with this end credit tag was something that came up early in production for the movie, with producer Jonathan Schwartz calling Wong the “gateway” for whatever happens next.

“We wanted to give the audience an indication that Shang-Chi is part of this bigger thing now,” Schwartz explains. “That was the goal, and then it came down to who are the right characters to put Shang-Chi in touch with to say, ‘Yes he's one of them, he's part of this thing.’ It was a conversation between me, and [director] Destin Daniel Cretton, and [Marvel Studios president] Kevin Feige of who's right? Who would be doing the scene? Who feels right from a character standpoint, and for what the ongoing stories are in the MCU? That's how we ended up with Wong, and Bruce, and Carol taking us through what they know about the rings and welcoming Shang-Chi into the bigger universe.”

 

Edited September 8, 2021 by tv echo

[tennisgurl]

I thought the movie was really good, and I am thrilled to hear that its doing so well at the box office, it deserves all of the success it gets. I know there was a lot of rumbling and speculation that it wouldn't make much money so I hope everyone involved in the movie is enjoying a well earned victory lap. The cast was all great, Simu Liu was an excellent leading man and its great to see him on the big screen after seeing him on television for years and Tony Leung stole just about every scene as Xu Wenwu who is totally NOT named after a chicken recipe thank you very much. The fight scenes were all really stand out, huge props to the fight and stunt coordinators and the stunt people, they gave us a lot of really unique and memorable fight scenes, which is really important in a Wuxia style story. I also really enjoyed the magical village filled with cool and/or adorable mythical creatures, including Morris the adorably funny fluff ball, and an actual damn dragon. Every movie is improved with dragons, that's just a rule. 

I love how both this movie and Black Widow could both be summarized as "family reunions are super stressful you guys". I also love how in comic book worlds there are about a billion different secret evil organizations with aspirations of world domination as well as all of these secret societies and countries and moon colonies and magical subcultures all founded totally independently from each other all just running around never bumping into each other until the plot brings them together. Is it awkward if a Ten Rings assasin is lining up to snipe some politician when some assasin from Hydra is already there? "Oh, I'm so sorry, I totally thought that we had this assassination booked!" "Oh, well this is just egg on my face, we were actually supposed to commit that bombing next week to steal those ancient magical talisman, our apologies!" "I totally understand, this isn't even close to as bad as that time I ended up trying to blow up an orphanage and instead ended up trapped in a phone booth for an hour with a Kree and a Hand ninja!"

It was just a cameo, but it was cool seeing the Abomination again, and I love that he and Wong are apparently sparing buddies. Between them and the rest of the fights we glimpsed, like a Black Widow fighting an Extremis user, fight clubs in the MCU are wild. 

Xialing was a really cool character and I really liked how much they spent building up the complicated relationship with Shang, culminating in him refusing to leave her again, and then her creating the new and improved Ten Rings. I suspected right away that she would take over her fathers organization considering she ran away to build her own empire, it seemed like she was less upset by her dad running a criminal organization (like Shang is) so much as she was annoyed that she wasn't made the heir. Family is just complicated like that, especially when you have sibling drama, a classic tragic dead perfect mom, and an emotionally distant arch nemesis dad. I loved the little flash of the whole family playing DDR together then sleeping on the couch, it really sold how happy they were and what a huge loss Li was. 

I certainly was not expecting a wild Ben Kingsley to appear! Even more than that, it wasn't just a cameo, he was around for awhile, adding some much needed comedy in a more serious movie. I also smiled super hard at the cameo by Bruce and Carol at the end, pondering where the Ten Rings come from and welcoming Shang and Katy into the circus. 

Just a really fun time with a lot of great actors that told a good story while also laying the groundwork for a lot to come, and proving again that there is a market for movies starring Asian actors, which is just really awesome.

[Fukui San]

Saw Shang-Chi and was not disappointed. It was reminiscent of so many other movies at points.

A loser guy gets attacked randomly and knows perfect kung fu? Oh, is this Marvel Asian Scott Pilgrim?

Platonic lifelong Asian friends in San Francisco whose parents are trying to get together and they're taking off shoes in the house. Now we're in Always Be My Maybe.

An Asian American dude is bringing his woman friend to Asia to meet his parent.... OK, now we're in Crazy Rich Asians.

We're waving arms around and the air and water are moving as well...  oh, are we Last Airbendering now? 

We got crazy animals and faraway fantasy lands... Yeah, we're definitely Last Airbendering for a while, now.

And of course we have a lot of Hong Kong action movie DNA in there, but Marvelfied just a bit.

I liked this. I had no attachment or knowledge of Shang Chi in the Marvel Universe, but it's heartening that they were able to marry the superhero flick with Hong Kong action movie aesthetics so well.

[Fool to cry]

 

 

 

[tv echo]

Let’s Go | Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings
Marvel Entertainment   Sep 8, 2021

The Women of ‘Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings' on Owning Their Power
BY RACHEL PAIGE   September 8, 2021
https://www.marvel.com/articles/movies/women-of-shang-chi-and-the-legend-of-the-ten-rings-power 

Quote

During Shang-Chi’s quest to find himself (and stop his father Wenwu and the Ten Rings organization), he’s aided by his closest and oldest friend Katy (Awkwafina); his estranged, take-no-prisoners sister, Xialing (Meng’er Zhang); his warm and inviting aunt in Ta Lo village, Ying Nan (Michelle Yeoh); along with the influence and love of his mother, Ying Li (Fala Chen), gave him at an early age. As Simu Liu, who plays the titular Shang-Chi, puts it, “One badass hero after another, and all so incredible. And they all shine in their own ways.”

Rounding out Shang-Chi’s journey with these women was always part of the plan, as director Destin Daniel Cretton tells Marvel.com, “They're all on their own journeys as well. They're not just supporting characters to Shang-Chi's journey. They all have their own stories that are happening in this movie and that are clearly going to happen in the future by the time this story ends.” Pulling inspiration from his own three sisters and his wife, he cites them with providing “so much inspiration for these characters that are, in my opinion, some of the most badass characters in the movie.”
*  *  *
“All these women represent different facets of what a woman is,” Yeoh continues. “We're strong, we're independent, and we're smart. We have abilities, and we won't allow anybody to tell us any different. And we will go out on a limb to do what we need to do, whether it is to protect, defend ourselves or the people that we love. That's what it takes it is to be a woman.”

What does Shang-Chi’s box office win mean for Marvel movies on Disney Plus?
By Henry T. Casey    September 8, 2021
https://www.tomsguide.com/opinion/what-does-shang-chis-box-office-win-mean-for-marvel-movies-on-disney-plus 

Quote

Shang-Chi did very well at the US box office, with $94.4 million pulled in from the four-day Labor Day holiday weekend (its $146 million international earnings are even more impressive). 
*  *  *
Shang-Chi's success is so impressive because the doubters were out there. Box Office Pro projected it would earn between $35 million to $55 million, and those numbers (which would have been the lowest ever for a Marvel movie) were smashed. 

We can also look at Shang-Chi's success as impressive because it was the character's first ever appearance in the MCU. The only MCU character known to be in the movie was Wong (Benedict Wong), and there isn't much Marvel movie connective tissue (until the post-credits scene, that is) to the film.
*  *  *
Shang-Chi's new-ness to the MCU means it has a lot in common with Eternals. Even though Marvel's November 2021 movie is filled with stars (Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, Richard Madden, Kit Harrington and Brian Tyree Henry to name a few), the Eternals have no history in the current Marvel cinematic galaxy. 
*  *  *
That said, the Eternals does have an award-winning director to make people interested. Plus, all those stars (Shang-Chi has a great cast, but Eternals are on another level when it comes to Hollywood A-listers). That wattage could prove enough to get people curious enough to go to the theaters, though who knows how the public will respond to any new Covid-19 variants.
*  *  *
But if Shang-Chi's box office success is seen as a triumph internally at Disney and Marvel Studios, it's not hard to think they're likely to continue to let it ride. Disney CEO Bob Chapek famously referrenced "the practicality of last-minute changes," for Shang-Chi not being on Disney Plus Premier Access release and also referred to the 45-day release window as "an interesting experiment for us."

Lastly, let's not under-value the potential ripple effect of Scarlet Johansson's lawsuit against Disney for releasing Black Widow online and reportedly breaching her contract. Shang-Chi's success is great, but now word is spreading that the Russo Brothers directing duo may not do another MCU movie because of concerns stemming from that lawsuit.
*  *  *
There's one reason, though, why Eternals could hit Disney Plus Premier Access. The desire for more revenue streams.
*  *  *
This matters because of the want to recoup what was invested. Shang-Chi's reported $150 million budget is three quarters of Eternals' $200 million budget, and having more ways to make money (how much money does Disney think they'll lose to people who aren't comfortable theater).
*  *  *
Shang-Chi's second weekend at the box office is the next big test of the film and Disney's theaters-only gambit. According to Insider, Black Widow and Fast and Furious 9 had disastrous second-weekend performances, with drops of 67.9% and 67.2%, respectively.

 

Edited September 9, 2021 by tv echo

[StatisticalOutlier]

17 hours ago, Fukui San said:

I liked this. I had no attachment or knowledge of Shang Chi in the Marvel Universe, but it's heartening that they were able to marry the superhero flick with Hong Kong action movie aesthetics so well.

I posted upthread that I was seeing this only because Tony Leung is in it.  I'm a long-time fan of Hong Kong movies, and know pretty much nothing about the Marvel Universe.  (I read Archie when I was little and generally shy away from CGI extravaganzas in my dotage.)

So imagine my surprise, and thrill, at the scene on the bus, which was so like the hundreds of improbable fights I've watched (and loved) over the years.  I was in.  And then Shaun had a poster from Kung Fu Hustle in his room.  And Michelle Yeoh kicks some ass.  And there are places with big rock walls and flying dragons.  While Tony Leung is all over the place.  I sure was happy.

I'm not sure this is going to draw me to the Marvel Universe in the future, but dang it was a great two hours in a darkened theater.  Thank you, Marvel fans who keep this franchise going.

Quote

Shang-Chi's second weekend at the box office is the next big test of the film and Disney's theaters-only gambit.

Hmm...maybe I should see it again this weekend, to help bolster those numbers.  I love seeing movies in theaters.

I found out from this thread that I need to stay through the credits, which I always do anyway (as did the other four people in the theater I was in, and it made me feel like a member of the club), and I was agog at the sheer number of people's names.  I was thinking, "If you paid every single person $1,000, it would be a boatload of money, and the vast majority of them are paid a lot more than $1,000."  I'm kind of surprised it cost only $150 million to make.  And I'm in awe that I can see it for $8.

[Raja]

Maybe I need a close re-watch a few months from now but I never got a platonic friends impression from Shawn and Katy. I pegged them as all but living together from the beginning.  Sure there was no sex shown but then again if just going by onscreen you could almost conclude that Morgan Stark came about by immaculate conception.

I think the last action had too much dragon fighting. It felt like The Transformers with them going after each other with Shang Chi aiding like the special forces soldiers at the edges in those movies.

With Hydra and A.I.M.  maybe still dead and not having seen the Disney+ series the post credit didn't come as any surprise. However when mixed with

Spoiler

the Spider-Man trailer

Wong in the mid credits after seemingly working on rehabilitating Abomination as part of the fight club scene makes it seems as if he is being set up to be the new Nick Fury of the MCU.

Edited September 9, 2021 by Raja

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Raja said:

Maybe I need a close re-watch a few months from now but I never got a platonic friends impression from Shawn and Katy. I pegged them as all but living together from the beginning.

Shang told Katy’s grandmother that they were just friends. 

[Raja]

35 minutes ago, Dani said:

Shang told Katy’s grandmother that they were just friends. 

I consider it an unreliable narrator moment. It cuts off the follow up question about great grandchildren 

[AngieBee1]

Quote

Maybe I need a close re-watch a few months from now but I never got a platonic friends impression from Shawn and Katy. I pegged them as all but living together from the beginning.  Sure there was no sex shown but then again if just going by onscreen you could almost conclude that Morgan Stark came about by immaculate conception

Usually films - even sexless Marvel films - telegraph when characters are a couple or interested in each other.  There would be at least a kiss to establish that relationship.  To me, right off the bat I could see that they were buddies.  Also, Katy's reaction to Shang when he came into the fight ring shirtless showed how surprised she was by his body.  If they were a couple she wouldn't be shocked how built he was.

[Guest]

13 hours ago, Raja said:

I consider it an unreliable narrator moment. It cuts off the follow up question about great grandchildren 

To me there needs to something more to indicate we’re dealing with an unreliable narrator particularly when there was nothing to indicate they were in a relationship. Especially since that would mean they were keeping it a secret from all or part of her family. 

Edited September 10, 2021 by Guest

[Sakura12]

For me I saw them as just friends in the beginning of the movie. Then at the end it hinted at it might turn into something more. Since Katy is joining Shung-Chi in future movies we'll have to wait and see what happens. 

[tv echo]

About the relationship between Shang-Chi and Katy...

'Shang-Chi' Director Explains Why Shang-Chi and Katy's Relationship Was Kept Platonic
BY DREW BAUMGARTNER  SEPTEMBER 9, 2021
https://collider.com/why-shang-chi-and-katy-dont-kiss/ 

Quote

[Director Destin Daniel] Cretton spoke with [Variety's Adam B.] Vary for an extended interview, ranging from stereotypes to difficulties in casting the film. One element that didn't make it into the piece was the onscreen chemistry between stars Simu Liu and Awkwafina, and how their characters' relationship developed. Vary later shared Cretton's response in a Tweet, lamenting that it contained spoilers he wanted to avoid in the piece:

"Weirdly, you just don't see very much of that type of relationship, particularly movies like this. We kept going back and forth, because there's an argument against doing that — you also don't see Asian male romantic leads. But it just never felt right for this story to even dip into that. Because Shang-Chi's drama is so deeply connected to his family and this pretty intense stuff he had to deal with, that romance always felt forced. A friendship like this — which feels very much like a lot of friends that I have, [where] it's never been romantic but it's also deeply caring and a very real friendship — was something that we don't see very much of in movies. It felt very real to me, and I just didn't feel like we needed to push it beyond that."

Awkwafina on Doing Stunts for 'Shang-Chi' and Karaoke With Simu Liu (Exclusive)
Published 7:30 AM PDT, September 1, 2021
https://www.etonline.com/awkwafina-on-doing-stunts-for-shang-chi-and-karaoke-with-simu-liu-exclusive-171303 

Quote

I also got to ask you about the relationship between your and Simu's characters. There's an "are they or aren't they" thing going on. What is your verdict?
I dunno. I think they have a really, really strong friendship, and that friendship is one based on loyalty and a blind trust on Katy's part, for sure, and also kind of an unspoken understanding. I think Shang-Chi is going through a lot in this movie, maybe taking on a kind of neurotic girlfriend [is] not the best thing that you want to do. But I think if anything were to happen, it would be founded on that friendship.

 

 

Edited September 10, 2021 by tv echo

[Anduin]

47 minutes ago, tv echo said:

But it just never felt right for this story to even dip into that. Because Shang-Chi's drama is so deeply connected to his family and this pretty intense stuff he had to deal with, that romance always felt forced.

I wasn't fussed either way. In fact, I've seen a billion movies with forced and almost tokenish romances. And if it feels wrong to chuck that element in, good on them for keeping it out.

[StatisticalOutlier]

In my list of reasons a Hong Kong movie fan would love this movie, I forgot to give a shout-out to the cameo appearance by the bamboo scaffolding on the building in Macao.  Good work, Marvel movie.

[Starfish35]

Disney didn’t wait to see what the second weekend drop off would be.  They just announced that the rest of their 2021 film slate would get an exclusive theatrical release window before going to Disney+ (Deadline).

By the way, when Shang-Chi (and the rest) does end up on Disney+, will it be as a Premier release (additional fees) or will it be a regular release?  I assumed it would be a regular release, but I’ve seen some comments saying it would be Premier, so I thought maybe I’d missed something.

[Guest]

55 minutes ago, Starfish35 said:

By the way, when Shang-Chi (and the rest) does end up on Disney+, will it be as a Premier release (additional fees) or will it be a regular release?  I assumed it would be a regular release, but I’ve seen some comments saying it would be Premier, so I thought maybe I’d missed something.

They haven’t said. Everyone is really just guessing at this point. 

[tv echo]

Don’t Say It Challenge | Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings
Marvel Entertainment  Sep 10, 2021

 

Shang-Chi cameos: all the major appearances and surprise MCU crossovers
By Bradley Russell , Molly Edwards  September 10, 2021
https://www.gamesradar.com/shang-chi-cameos-captain-marvel-hulk/ 

Quote

From that underground fight club moment to the post-credits scenes, here's every single cameo you might have missed in Shang-Chi.

 

Edited September 11, 2021 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Yay - Shang-Chi's estimated 54-56% second weekend box office decline is apparently the standard drop for a Marvel movie in non-pandemic times...

‘Shang-Chi’ Set to Sweep Box Office in Second Weekend, ‘Malignant’ Eyes No. 2 Spot
By Ellise Shafer    September 11, 2021
https://variety.com/2021/film/box-office/shang-chi-box-office-second-weekend-malignant-1235061821/ 

Quote

Marvel and Disney’s “Shang-Chi” is set to sweep the domestic box office for the second weekend in a row, adding an expected $33 to $35 million to last weekend’s haul.

The superhero adventure, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, took in $9.7 million on Friday from 4,300 theaters. Last weekend, the film finished the Labor Day holiday with a record-smashing $94.6 million. Industry predictions for the film’s earnings this weekend put its gross at an impressive $142.8 to $144.8 million, despite experiencing an overall weekend decline in ticket sales of 54-56%. However, that percentage decline is standard for a Marvel film in non-pandemic times.

‘Shang-Chi’ Leads Box Office Again With Stronger Hold Than ‘Black Widow’
Jeremy Fuster | September 11, 2021
https://www.thewrap.com/shang-chi-leads-box-office-again-with-stronger-hold-than-black-widow/ 

Quote

This weekend is shaping up to be a good one for theaters, as “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is putting up a stronger second weekend than “Black Widow,” which had been released day-and-date on Disney+ two months ago.

After grossing $9.7 million on its second Friday, “Shang-Chi” is now estimated for a second weekend total of $32 million, higher than the $25 million grossed by “Black Widow” in its second weekend. This also means that “Shang-Chi” has a stronger box office pace with an estimated $141 million 10-day total, compared to $131 million for “Black Widow.”

 

Edited September 12, 2021 by tv echo

[Guest]

Once again it beat the estimate. New second weekend estimate is $35.8M (19th in the MCU) with a 53% drop (7th in the MCU). 

Box Office: ‘Shang-Chi’ Triumphs Again in Second Weekend, ‘Malignant’ Misfires

[Zuleikha]

I saw it in the theater. Assuming I don't end up with COVID, I'm glad I did. It had beautiful visuals that were much better seen on a big screen. The bus sequence alone was worth it!

It didn't feel particularly to me unique story wise since it echoed a lot of beats from Wu Assassin. But fortunately, it was much better than Wu Assassin.

Katy felt like a really fresh character for the MCU, so I'm glad we're going to see more of her. It is very hard to imagine anyone other than Awkwafina playing her. I'll be interested if she ends up with powers. This movie was crowded with story, so I respect Cretton's decision not to put in a romance, but Katy and Shang-Chi felt way more like a couple than like friends to me. I still wish Lewis Tan had been cast instead of Simu Liu, but Liu and Awkwafina had amazing screen chemistry.

[tv echo]

How to be a Super Hero with Simu Liu, Awkwafina & Meng'er Zhang | Ask Marvel
Marvel Entertainment   Sep 12, 2021

 

Edited September 13, 2021 by tv echo

[blackwing]

Saw it in the theater over the weekend, the theater was packed, which was great to see from a movie industry perspective.

I thought it was fantastic.  Definitely had a different feel than the usual MCU movie.  The fight sequences were amazing, particularly the one on the scaffolding on the outside of the fight club building.  That fight left me spellbound.

Performances were great, particularly Awkwafina as the wide-eyed, neurotic sidekick, and Michelle Yeoh as the stately and powerful aunt.  She always brings so much presence to every role she inhabits.  I would love if she could teach/train Katy to harness those wind powers.

If I had any complaints, it would be that 1) I wish the rings had different powers.  I know that this incarnation of the Mandarin is not the same as the one in the comics, where each ring had a different power, but I think all we saw them do here was lightning.  2) I don't really understand why the need to bring back Trevor Slattery.  Was it to explain the whole "fake Mandarin" bit?  I know he was the comic relief but I have never found him funny, I find him incredibly annoying.

The ending cameo, Mark Ruffalo looked so old as Grandpa Bruce Banner... did he look this old during Endgame?  Brie Larson still looks like someone putting on a Halloween costume, so frumpy looking and not in superhero shape, considering she touts herself as "the most powerful hero of them all".

The second post-credits scene, so Xialing is now running the Ten Rings, it seems like she is benevolent with the fact that she is training women as well as men... but are we supposed to be led to believe that she is going to be an evil threat in the future?

[Anduin]

So this is nifty. Jeff Goldsmith talks to Destin Daniel Cretton, director and co-writer. Only 40 minutes long. If you cut out the self-promotion, it's closer to 30 minutes of actual material.

What stood out to me was that the very first assembly of footage was in purely chronological order, but it really didn't work. I can see that. LOTR made a ten-minute stretch of exposition work, but not everyone can pull that off. However, the actors read the script in that order, so they all knew what was going on.

Goldsmith has more MCU stuff on his site and YT channel. Worth a look if you're into screenwriting.

[tv echo]

'Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings': Simu Limu and Awkafina on the MCU’s Newest Best Friend Duo
BY RACHEL PAIGE  September 14, 2021
https://www.marvel.com/articles/movies/shang-chi-and-the-legend-of-the-ten-rings-simu-limu-awkafina-friendship?linkId=131647750 

Quote

Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings introduces us to this duo, who are both working as valets at a hotel in San Francisco. However, Katy knows Shang-Chi as “Shaun,” as he’s been masking his identity for the last ten years in hopes of escaping his past. When the truth is revealed, Katy doesn’t even hesitate following her best friend halfway across the world to help him with what he’s going through — which is a lot, considering Shang-Chi’s estranged dad is the head of the Ten Rings organization. And it’s a good thing Katy tags along, too, as star Simu Liu refers to the character as Shang-Chi’s “rock.”

“Shang-Chi has been through so much in his life, from losing his mother at a young age, having gone through this awful training regime and all of that, to having been sent on a mission that he did,” Liu explains to Marvel.com. “To have escaped all of that and find some sense of normalcy, Katy brings out that softer side of him and that's why he's got to have his best bud with him.”

Katy herself is on her own journey too — to find her own footing and place in the world. “When she goes on this journey, she realizes that the world is a lot bigger than she knows and it's broadening her outlook on her own life, and her own priorities,” Awkwafina explains. Noting that Shang-Chi is Katy’s “found family,” it makes their connection that much more important. Especially considering the truths Katy learns about Shang-Chi’s family and past along the way.

“Their friendship is really strong. There are certain unspoken things of understanding that Katy has about his past, and there are things she's finding out and she approaches it in a very non-judgmental way. She trusts him.”
*  *  *
“Both [writer] Dave Callahan and I talked about the strong friendships, female friendships, that we have [in our lives]. We both have a lot of strictly platonic, very close friends who happen to be women,” director Destin Daniel Cretton says. “We haven't seen a lot of those types of relationships on camera. It was exciting to play with the sidekick best friend, but not have them be the same gender. And have the banter and the fun and the comedy, but also simultaneously be a genuinely caring intimate friendship. It was really fun to write that because it feels very close to our personal experiences.”
*  *  *
Liu echoes that sentiment, explaining, “We really just wanted to show the world what a supportive, healthy, friendship looked like. [Awkwafina and I] had this best friend, bickery, old married couple chemistry that wasn't necessarily romantic. I don't think [Shang-Chi] would be thinking about their relationship in a romantic light. There is so much more to that friendship and I love that we portray it that way.”

As for Awkwafina, she’s perfectly fine playing the best friend and sidekick, joking “It might be an understatement to say Shang-Chi has a lot going on right now and maybe taking on a neurotic girlfriend is not the best idea. He has to deal with some things first.”

 

Edited September 15, 2021 by tv echo

[Dandesun]

I went to see this last night with some friends. First time in a theater in I don't even know how long so that in itself was rather delightful.

I was introduced to Tony Leung in Hero back in 2002 and he was so captivating that I dove headfirst into Hong Kong cinema for awhile. Every time he came on screen I audibly sighed and my friend just laughed.

I thought that first fight where he fought Lieko Wu was absolutely breathtaking. I mean, it was so beautiful that you knew they were falling in love.

Sean and Katy's friendship was wonderful. I loved how they leaned into the more irresponsible, having fun part of their lives by going to karaoke and I loved the book-end with Wong at the very end. But I also love that every time he was all 'I have to do this on my own' she was all 'Yeah, I'm coming with you, and you're telling me everything on the way.'

I also really liked how it unfolded that he really did kill the guy who killed his mother. When he denied killing anyone at first, it was believable, but as the whole family turmoil and drama developed it wasn't at all surprising that he did the job and then never went back.

Being a mythology nerd from my earliest days, the village with all of the magic creatures was everything. Nine tails!! When everyone was lining up to fight I leaned over to my friend and said 'If either of those lion-dogs die I am burning this theater to the ground.'

Also? DRAGON. Look, I have no chill when it comes to dragons. It's like Valkyrie showing up on a winged horse. Where? Why? How? I DON'T CARE! DRAGONS AND FLYING HORSES FOREVER!

Also, it's been over 10 years and people are still leaving before the end credit scenes. The first one played and people started leaving. I sat in my chair going 'There's two scenes. Two scenes. Just trying to help. Seriously. Two scenes. Parking isn't that bad here. THERE ARE TWO SCENES!'

None of them listened to me. Woe upon them.

Edited September 15, 2021 by Dandesun

[Guest]

On 9/13/2021 at 8:08 AM, blackwing said:

Brie Larson still looks like someone putting on a Halloween costume, so frumpy looking and not in superhero shape, considering she touts herself as "the most powerful hero of them all".

Wut? Brie’s in amazing shape. When did she tout herself as “the most powerful hero of them all”?

[blackwing]

47 minutes ago, Dani said:

Wut? Brie’s in amazing shape. When did she tout herself as “the most powerful hero of them all”?

There is a famous meme out there where someone switched the butt of Tom Holland as Spider Man with the butt of Brie Larson as Captain Marvel.  Tom Holland has a better butt than she does.  Brie’s butt looks like a sack of potatoes.  If she is in good shape then the costume does her no favours at all.

Re her opinion that her character is the most powerful:

https://www.republicworld.com/amp/entertainment-news/web-series/is-captain-marvel-the-strongest-avenger-brie-larson-believes-so.html

[Guest]

12 hours ago, blackwing said:

There is a famous meme out there where someone switched the butt of Tom Holland as Spider Man with the butt of Brie Larson as Captain Marvel.  Tom Holland has a better butt than she does.  Brie’s butt looks like a sack of potatoes.  If she is in good shape then the costume does her no favours at all.

Ahh, yes the badly photoshopped picture to body shame Brie. A couple key points. First, the original picture of Tom was actually photoshopped to make his butt bigger to try and make Brie look worse. Second, the photo swapped parts were disproportionate to make Brie look worse. 

In addition, a flat ass often has zero to do with how good of shape a person is in. Flat asses run in my family. It doesn’t matter how good or bad shape we are in. It is always flat. 

Brie can literally push a jeep. She is in amazing shape. 

12 hours ago, blackwing said:

Re her opinion that her character is the most powerful:

https://www.republicworld.com/amp/entertainment-news/web-series/is-captain-marvel-the-strongest-avenger-brie-larson-believes-so.html

What else was she going to say to that question? The reaction to Brie is just absurd. 

Edited September 16, 2021 by Guest

[tv echo]

In this interview, KF said that he was "nearly speechless" when he met Tony Leung and that they were "lucky" Tony Leung chose their movie in which to make his first Hollywood film appearance...

Kevin Feige Interview With Anupama Chopra | Shang-Chi | Film Companion
Film Companion   Aug 30, 2021

Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi Stars Play the Emoji Game!
Marvel Entertainment   Sep 15, 2021

SHANG-CHI Star Florian Munteanu Reveals Razor Fist Deleted Scenes Including His Origin Story (Exclusive)
Josh Wilding   September 15, 2021
https://www.comicbookmovie.com/shang-chi/shang-chi-star-florian-munteanu-reveals-razor-fist-deleted-scenes-including-his-origin-story-exclusive-a188047#gs.bhjgl0 

Quote

Talking about some key moments involving Razor Fist in the Marvel Studios movie, Florian teased a couple of deleted scenes that will be included on the upcoming Shang-Chi Blu-ray release. 

"We had that big end battle, and you [originally] would have seen a bit more there from Razor Fist," he teases in the video below. "I’m looking forward to people seeing that because there was a reason why he replaced his blade with the dragon sword and fights with two swords, but I don’t want to spoil too much and I don’t want to give away too much."

The MCU's newest supervillain also confirmed that there were once plans to show how Razor Fist was recruited to the Ten Rings. He noted that we'd have learned more about his relationship with Wenwu in scenes better explaining his loyalty to the movie's big bad. 

"I always call [him] stepdad because, at the end of the day, Wenwu gave him a new life and purpose and a home. He trained him and took him away from the streets. That’s also something you will see in the bonus material," Florian explained. "[Xialing's] his daughter, so there’s more meaning to that than just following a new leader, but we’ll have to see what happens."

 

Edited September 16, 2021 by tv echo

[Dandesun]

No judgement from me, Kevin. I, too, would be speechless in the presence of Tony Leung.

It's entirely possible I would dither a bit but I would TRY to maintain some dignity.