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

[Kel Varnsen]

1 hour ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

Yeah, I thought about that too. If he had that much power and influence, why had nobody heard of him? Why hadn't he been mentioned before. So far my biggest problem with Phase 4 is that recent movies keep throwing in details that don't make sense in light of what we already know. It's a problem. the writing was so tight in Phases 1-3. It was clear that every detail was closely monitored and carefully managed. Now, it's like they've just said eff it. Write whatever you want. It's starting to give me Disney Star Wars make-it-up-as-you-go-along teas.

Not only why had no one heard of him, but even within the movie itself it seemed like he had a castle on a mountain top, a bunch of cool cars, a relatively small army and a helicopter. Tony Stark had more stuff than that and probably had more influence and he was only alive for 53 years. After 1000 years why aren't you controlling your own county? Hell Jeff Bezos probably has more power & influence than Wenwu.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Yet on earth he didn't seem like he had that much power or influence. It seems like a random billionaire would probably have more power than he did.

I think that makes sense given the timeline and the circumstances set up in the movie. He shut down the organization entirely. Then he could not move past his wife’s death. It makes since that his sphere of influence would be pretty small when he was completely focused on revenge and then saving his wife. 

[Cobalt Stargazer]

13 minutes ago, Dani said:

I think that makes sense given the timeline and the circumstances set up in the movie. He shut down the organization entirely. Then he could not move past his wife’s death. It makes since that his sphere of influence would be pretty small when he was completely focused on revenge and then saving his wife. 

When Nan asks Shang Chi if his father still had the rings, he tells her Wenwu hadn't taken them off since Li died. So he not only put aside his criminal stuff when he married and then became a father, he'd put the rings that gave him his powers into a box and left them there until his wife was killed. Had Li not been murdered, he'd likely have been quite content to raise his family, live out the rest of his mortal life and die, but he lost the one thing that couldn't be replaced, the woman he loved and the mother of his children.

Which bring me to a question - will Shang Chi become immortal now that he possesses the rings? Yes, they've altered by the end of the movie, but wouldn't they still have the same power, granting the bearer of them immortality? Both Bruce and Carol said that there was a beacon sending a signal <i>somewhere</i>, but Strange wasn't there even though Wong is the one who brought Shang and Katy to the Sanctum. I'm just wondering if he's been altered as well just by putting the rings on.

[Morrigan2575]

So when they said The 10 Rings will return...am I the only one that thought, "Oh cool a Xialing centric movie?" Honestly, I loved the movie but, when I saw she'd take over the organization, I kind of wanted a movie all about her and her Empire.

[Raja]

16 hours ago, Fukui San said:

It's the eternal problem of having a shared universe. (lower case "eternal", but also a problem with "The Eternals") You want to add huge new characters in the universe with backstories, but then you have to explain why they weren't there all along.  Eventually the MCU will want to add the Fantastic Four and X-Men and others into the mix if they legally can, but then we'll ask where they were for Thanos.

There's no simple solution. Either they'll retcon them in like Captain Marvel and The Eternals, or else make them fledgling versions of themselves like MCU Peter Parker.

You get into the problem of the universe being both too big and too small at the same time. If the question always goes back to Thanos and the Blip then no explanation is needed.

In Infinity War Thanos dropped a scout ship on the planet and took off with Spider-Man, Dr Strange and Ironman in tow. Meanwhile the entire justification for Captain Rogers in Civil War was that only the enhanced should be on the battlefield and the next battle took place within a day in a hidden kingdom. So the Avengers  nor Wakanda was asking for help from ordinary armies.

The answer for "where were you?" comes down to I didn't know it happened too fast.

Edited November 16, 2021 by Raja

[Kel Varnsen]

15 hours ago, Dani said:

I think that makes sense given the timeline and the circumstances set up in the movie. He shut down the organization entirely. Then he could not move past his wife’s death. It makes since that his sphere of influence would be pretty small when he was completely focused on revenge and then saving his wife. 

Even then wouldn't it be like 970 years of empire building, a ten year break and then 20 years back to empire building.  I would think in a case like that it shouldn't be too hard to pick up where you left off, because a 970 year old empire run by one guy should be massive.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

2 hours ago, Raja said:

You get into the problem of the universe being both too big and too small at the same time. If the question always goes back to Thanos and the Blip then no explanation is needed.

In Infinity War Thanos dropped a scout ship on the planet and took off with Spider-Man, Dr Strange and Ironman in tow. Meanwhile the entire justification for Captain Rogers in Civil War was that only the enhanced should be on the battlefield and the next battle took place within a day in a hidden kingdom. So the Avengers  nor Wakanda was asking for help from ordinary armies.

The answer for "where were you?" comes down to I didn't know it happened too fast.

Especially in cases like Wakanda, which up until recently kept to itself and handled most if not all of its problems internally. Even the War Dogs were just being dispatched as observers, apparently, since it wasn't until Killmonger was on the scene that them being used in the same way as Winter Soldiers or Black Widows was mentioned. Similarly, the in-canon reason for Carol Danvers not being around is that she was in space after The Snap trying to establish order and calm, and before that she spent however much time helping and protecting the remaining Skrulls in finding them a new home. She's earthbound now, at least some of the time as per the end credits scene, but she can also take off at a moment's notice to deal with other stuff. Even Strange had never heard of Thanos until Bruce crashed through his skylight, and supposedly he had a watch list of threats, which included Loki.

Maybe this is something similar? During the dinner scene, Wenwu tells Katy that he had had many names during his lifetime, so he might have been a more shadowy figure than an obvious presence. We see what happened when he wasn't around to protect Li, that he made enough enemies that they ended up coming for his wife, and they must have been painfully stupid to not think he'd come for them in revenge. His reputation alone should have kept the wolves away from his door, so either they were new to the game or just idiots. In that sense, Wenwu's story is a tragedy rather than an origin tale for a villain, because his innocent wife and kids paid the price for the things he'd done before they were in the picture, and he became something a lot worse than he'd already been in the aftermath.

[Guest]

12 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Even then wouldn't it be like 970 years of empire building, a ten year break and then 20 years back to empire building.  I would think in a case like that it shouldn't be too hard to pick up where you left off, because a 970 year old empire run by one guy should be massive.

No, because he was too completely preoccupied by his wife’s death to rebuild his empire. So 8ish years with the organization completely dormant, 6 years training Shang-Chi to get revenge, then 10 years either studying Ta Lo or being influenced by the Dweller-in-Darkness into believing his wife was being held hostage. 

Being obsessed with revenge against one person and then on a world in another dimension doesn’t leave a lot of time to focus on empires.

[tv echo]

Edited November 17, 2021 by tv echo

[LydiaMoon1]

On 11/15/2021 at 7:06 PM, Morrigan2575 said:

So when they said The 10 Rings will return...am I the only one that thought, "Oh cool a Xialing centric movie?" Honestly, I loved the movie but, when I saw she'd take over the organization, I kind of wanted a movie all about her and her Empire.

Not just you. I definitely thought that she was much more interesting than her brother, so I'd love it if they made a movie or a Disney+ show about her and her organization.

[BaggythePanther]

On 11/16/2021 at 10:09 AM, Cobalt Stargazer said:

Maybe this is something similar? During the dinner scene, Wenwu tells Katy that he had had many names during his lifetime, so he might have been a more shadowy figure than an obvious presence.

Isn’t that basically what they indicate in Iron Man 3? It’s been a while since I’ve seen the movie, but I think the Ten Rings is portrayed as an underground organization and no one even knows Wenwu’s name. That’s why they make up the Mandarin.

[angora]

Yeah, Wenwu is definitely portrayed as more of a shadowy figure. The Ten Rings is known/whispered about enough that AIM coopts its name in Iron Man 3, but still enough under the radar that they don't know Wenwu's name and call Trevor "the Mandarin" instead. To me, the opening Ten Rings flashbacks suggest that the Ten Rings operated more openly back in the day, when their immortal god-king was leading them into battle on horseback, but at some point, that side of them fell more into legend and the Ten Rings shifted to covert movements. I get the sense that Wenwu became something like a spider at the center of the web of history, pulling the strings of various governments and moving/influencing them without them necessarily knowing he was involved.

And I agree with those who've pointed out that Wenwu never brings the Ten Rings back to the height of its power after Li's death. When he puts the rings back on, he's hyper-focused on revenge. When he sends Shang-Chi on his first kill mission, he says something like, "When you come back, we'll make the Ten Rings what it once was," only Shang-Chi never comes back. That's when he runs away, and I assume that's when Wenwu resumes his obsession with finding the entrance to Ta Lo, which only deepens after Xialing leaves. He's entirely focused on grief and vengeance, not power.

I rewatched the film yesterday, and I've mostly made my peace with Katy's big archery moment. Yes, it's still a little eye-rolling, but I've decided that the Dweller in Darkness was actually the thing an amateur archer was most likely to successfully hit, just because it was so freaking big. It's hard to get a strong sense of the scale amid all the CGI, but Shang-Chi and Xialing are tiny compared to it. Even if Katy is aiming specifically for its throat, it's not like a Smaug situation which she's trying to hit one tiny bare patch on its chest--its throat is probably the size of a bus. It actually would've been harder for Katy to hit the little soul suckers that were constantly swooping in out of nowhere compared to the gigantic Dweller in Darkness that was fairly still at the time while it was focused on trying to get the Great Protector's soul. It's still implausible that she could shoot an arrow that far, but when it comes to aiming, her target at that point basically IS the broad side of a barn.

[Bruinsfan]

Also, having decent eyesight and hand-eye coordination counts for a fair bit. With no prior training I was the third best archer in my gigantic college archery class.

[BetterButter]

 

[Fool to cry]

Muni bus driver weighs in on the bus fight. As someone who's ridden San Francisco buses all their life I got a kick out of it!

 

 

 

 

[Cranberry]

Some fun stuff in here, including more accurate subtitle and scroll translations.

 

[tv echo]

Yesterday there was a "Shang-Chi: Cultural Impact and Celebration of Fight Choreography" panel at San Diego Comic-Con: Special Edition...

Edited November 28, 2021 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Shang-Chi's DVD and Blu-ray release date is November 30 (I corrected one glaring mistake in the below article)...

Shang-Chi Deleted Scenes: All 11 Cuts & Meaning Explained
BY THOMAS BACON     November 27, 2021
https://screenrant.com/shang-chi-movie-deleted-scenes-cut-explained/ 

Quote

"Do It Yourself" Is A Flashback With An Iron Man Easter Egg
...
The most interesting Shang-Chi deleted scene is a flashback that is focused on Obadiah Stane Wenwu returning to his citadel in Hunan Province to confront a leader of the Iron Gang, who's been successfully captured. Dialogue reveals he's arrived back from a visit to Afghanistan, where he was overseeing the Ten Rings cell led by a man named Raza - the cell who would go on to capture Tony Stark, attempting to force him into creating advanced weapons for them to use. Wenwu may have been satisfied with Raza's performance, but his plans for Tony Stark would go badly wrong - when he unwitting gave the genius an opportunity to create the prototype Iron Man armor. This particular Shang-Chi deleted scene is important because it suggests Wenwu's wife, Ying Li, was killed shortly before Iron Man - explaining why the Ten Rings cells Iron Man faced were less organized than those seen in Shang-Chi, because Wenwu had only just started reactivating the organization at the time.

"I'm Here" Hints At Shang-Chi's Last 10 Years
...
"I'm Here" is an extended version of dialogue between Shang-Chi and Katy, with Katy hinting she knows Shang-Chi doesn't like to talk about his past - and assuring him she wants to be there for him. The conversation drifts to discussing Shang-Chi's time in various foster homes during his decade in California, although it sounds as though he never quite settled in with any of them; he seems to only have Katy and a handful of old school friends in San Francisco.

"Apology" Sees Shang-Chi Try To Reconcile With Xialing
...
As noted, most of Shang-Chi's deleted scenes are character moments. "Apology" is quite a powerful one, with Shang-Chi attempting to reconcile with his sister Xialing; he admits he should never have left her behind when he chose to abandon the Ten Rings. A decade's worth of pain can't be dealt with so easily, though, and Xialing can't accept his apology. It's a powerful moment, although it doesn't add much to the overarching plot - and it perhaps foreshadows Xialing's twist in Shang-Chi's post-credits a little too much.

Katy Insists She & Shang-Chi Are "Just Friends"
...
Shang-Chi's deleted scenes flesh out the characters quite remarkably, adding a great deal more perceptiveness to Xialing in particular. In an extension of her conversation with Katy, Xialing tries to discern the nature of the relationship between Shang-Chi and Katy. She's able to sense that Shang-Chi and Katy are attracted to one another, and gets Katy to admit she's worried about the possibility of damaging their friendship by trying to be something more. It's difficult to say whether Shang-Chi and Katy are a couple by the end, but they certainly care for each other, and Xialing may well use that against them.

Wenwu Compares Shang-Chi & Razor-Fist In "Two Sons"
...
"Two Sons" is another character piece, with Wenwu comparing Shang-Chi to Razor-Fist, who Wenru reveals he's adopted as his son. There's some typical Marvel humor about Razor-Fist's codename, but in truth, the emotional heart of this scene is the contrast between Wenwu's biological son and his adopted one. Florian Munteanu, the actor who plays Razor-Fist, has suggested Marvel has decided to save his backstory for Shang-Chi 2. "There’s a lot of background story that hasn’t been told yet," Munteanu explained in one interview. "Obviously this is an origin story about Shang-Chi. So we’ll see what happens in the future with Razor Fist in the MCU."

Shang-Chi & Wenwu Disagree In "Postcard"
..
An extension of a conversation between Shang-Chi and Wenwu, "Postcard" sees the two disagree over their basic philosophy. Wenwu asks whether Shang-Chi received his postcard, and explains he'd hoped his son would go straight to Xialing, making it easier to collect his two children. He claims he'd intended to avoid violence, but it's clear Shang-Chi doesn't believe a thing his father is saying. This particular deleted scene doesn't really add much to the film, so it's easy to see why Marvel cut the dialogue out.

"Escape Tunnel" Sees Trevor Encouraged To Break Out
...
Another Shang-Chi deleted scene explains how the heroes persuade Trevor Slattery, a.k.a. the fake Mandarin, to show them his escape tunnel. Trevor believes he's found freedom and identity in Wenwu's court, but Katy points out he's still a prisoner. As with many of these deleted scenes, this one is entirely superfluous to the plot, and it doesn't improve the plot at all.

"Greatness" Is A Quiet Moment Between Katy & Trevor
...
One scene in Shang-Chi sees Katy and Trevor share a moment while seated in a car together. It turns out that conversation was originally a little longer, with Trevor attempting to inspire Katy in turn. The dynamic between Katy and Trevor is amusing, but - as with so many of these deleted scenes - it doesn't really contribute to the overall arc at all.

"Pep Talk" Reveals A Different Fate For Razor-Fist
...
One Shang-Chi deleted scene sees Razor-Fist die a hero during the final battle. It's quite a powerful moment, with Razor-Fist encouraging Katy that she's the last archer who can contribute to the battle, and sacrificing himself to obtain the bow she'll use to shoot the Dweller-In-Darkness. While this one's quite effective, Marvel presumably cut it because they didn't want to kill Razor-Fist off - instead planning to use him in Shang-Chi 2.

"Take A Shot" Forces Katy To Focus In Battle
...
Another deleted scene from Shang-Chi's final battle against the Dweller-In-Darkness, "Take A Shot" is an extension of the moment Katy shoots at the creature, saving the day. It emphasizes her panic and fear while adding some more monstrous action scenes to really up the ante; the VFX is unfinished, making this one of the messiest deleted scenes. Marvel was probably wise to remove this particular bit, which confused the narrative.

"They're Waiting" Extends Shang-Chi's Post-Credits Scene
...
Finally, "They're Waiting" is an extension of Shang-Chi's post-credits scene. In this extended version, the scene opens with Xialing chatting cheerfully to Shang-Chi and Katy on a video-call, before she's interrupted and called in to speak to the Ten Rings, who Shang-Chi believes she's shutting down. It's a nice touch, reinforcing the extent of Xialing's deception and her heel-turn, but again it's unnecessary; dialogue in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' mid-credits scene establishes that anyway.

 

Edited November 28, 2021 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Videos of the 11 deleted scenes...

Do It Yourself:
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings ‘Do It Yourself’ Deleted Scene | Shang-Chi Deleted Scene
Mcu Master   Nov 11, 2021

I'm Here:
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings ‘I'M Here’ Deleted Scene | Shang-Chi Deleted Scene
Mcu Master   Nov 11, 2021

Apology:
Shang Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings ‘Apology’ Deleted Scene | Shang Chi Deleted Scenes
Mcu Master   Nov 12, 2021

Just Friends:
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings ‘Just Friends’ Deleted Scene | Shang-Chi Deleted Scene
Mcu Master   Nov 11, 2021

Two Sons:
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings ‘Two Sons’ Deleted Scene | Shang-Chi Deleted Scenes
Mcu Master   Nov 12, 2021

Postcard:
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings ‘Postcard’ Deleted Scene | Shang-Chi Deleted Scenes
Mcu Master   Nov 12, 2021

Escape Tunnel:
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings ‘Escape Tunnel’ Deleted Scene | Shang-Chi Deleted Scenes
Mcu Master   Nov 12, 2021

Greatness:
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings ‘Greatness’ Deleted Scene | Shang-Chi Deleted Scenes
Mcu Master   Nov 12, 2021

Pep Talk:
Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Official Exclusive Deleted Scene
IGN    Nov 12, 2021

Take a Shot:
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings ‘Take A Shot’ Deleted Scene | Shang-Chi Deleted Scenes
Mcu Master   Nov 12, 2021

They're Waiting:
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings ‘They're Waiting’ Deleted Scene | Shang-Chi Deleted Scenes
Mcu Master   Nov 12, 2021

 

[tv echo]

Huh - Jessica Henwick was almost in Shang-Chi...

Jessica Henwick was torn between Marvel and Matrix roles: 'It was a red pill, blue pill moment for me'
By Nick Romano     November 30, 2021 
https://ew.com/movies/jessica-henwick-bugs-the-matrix-resurrections-marvel-shang-chi/ 

Quote

The actress, who's widely known for playing Nymeria Sand in HBO's Game of Thrones and Colleen Wing in Netflix's Iron Fist, found herself torn between a role in the fourth Matrix movie and a role in Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, she tells EW over Zoom from the U.K.
*  *  *
The day she received the offer to fly to Los Angeles to chemistry read with the actors up for the role of Morpheus, including Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, was the same day she got an offer to screen test for Shang-Chi. "[The studios] knew about the other offers, and both of them gave me the offer on the stipulation that I could only audition for one or the other. And there was no guarantee that I would get either," Henwick recalls. "It was a red pill, blue pill moment for me."

She ultimately sided with The Matrix because it felt like a rare moment. "I've had a great working relationship with Marvel," Henwick says of playing Colleen in Iron Fist. "I've obviously done Marvel TV, so I was already in the universe. I knew that joining The Matrix is not an opportunity that you get every day. Lana has had so many offers to make more Matrix films. I just knew it was now or never. Whereas, obviously, Marvel is a huge, wonderful company that makes films very, very regularly."

Clearly, Henwick's choice worked out, and now she's set to appear alongside Matrix alums Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jada Pinkett Smith, plus newcomers like Abdul-Mateen II, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra, Christina Ricci, Eréndira Ibarra, and more.

 

Marvel's Shang-Chi - Brian Le talks Martial Arts & Training Simu Liu | SDCC Special Edition 2021
FANVERSATION    Nov 30, 2021

 

Edited December 1, 2021 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Edited December 2, 2021 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Edited December 3, 2021 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Edited December 4, 2021 by tv echo

[BetterButter]

Destin Daniel Cretton Inks Overall Deal With Marvel Studios & Hulu’s Onyx Collective; Set For Disney+ MCU Series & ‘Shang-Chi’ Sequel

[tv echo]

Shang-Chi won The Action Movie of 2021 and Simu Liu won The Action Movie Star of 2021 at the People's Choice Awards last night...

2021 People's Choice Awards: See the full list of winners
By Lauren Huff and Oliver Gettell    December 07, 2021
https://ew.com/awards/peoples-choice-awards-2021-winners-list/ 

Quote

The Action Movie of 2021
Black Widow
F9: The Fast Saga
Godzilla vs. Kong
No Time to Die
WINNER: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
The Suicide Squad
The Tomorrow War
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
*  *  *
The Action Movie Star of 2021
Charlize Theron (F9: The Fast Saga)
Chris Pratt (The Tomorrow War)
Daniel Craig (No Time to Die)
Florence Pugh (Black Widow)
John Cena (F9: The Fast Saga)
Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow)
WINNER: Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)
Vin Diesel (F9: The Fast Saga)

Simu Liu Wins Action Movie Star Award at 2021 PCAs | E! People's Choice Awards
E! Red Carpet & Award Shows   Dec 7, 2021

Simu Liu Thanks "Shang-Chi" Director for His Vision at 2021 PCAs | E! People's Choice Awards
E! Red Carpet & Award Shows   Dec 8, 2021

 

Edited December 8, 2021 by tv echo

[tv echo]

‘Shang-Chi’ Team on Their Emotional Journey and Continuing the Story
BY AARON COUCH    December 10, 2021
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/shang-chi-and-the-legend-of-the-ten-rings-simu-liu-kevin-feige-journey-sequel-1235060744/ 

Quote

Three months after Shang-Chi opened in theaters, it stands as the highest-grossing domestic release of the year ($224.5 million in North America) and has both a sequel and a Disney+ series in development from Cretton. The film, Marvel’s first to star an Asian lead, turned a little-known comic book character into a cultural icon and turned Liu into a star. Up next, it hopes to emerge as an awards contender.

Films inspired by comic books have historically had an uphill battle at the Academy Awards, dating back to Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008) being snubbed for a best picture nomination. But three years ago, Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther broke ground as the first superhero movie to earn a best picture nomination and went on to win in three categories.

Looking back at Black Panther‘s accolades, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige notes that Oscar wins for composer Ludwig Göransson, costume designer Ruth E. Carter and production designers Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart meant a lot to the Marvel team. Yet he acknowledges such Academy recognition can be a challenge.

“I think we are always at a deficit because of the Marvel logo and because of a genre bias that certainly exists. I just loved that for a shining moment there with Black Panther that was put aside and the work was recognized for the achievement that it was,” says Feige, who would like to see Shang-Chi recognized as well, pointing to the work of team members such as screenwriter Dave Callaham, production designer Sue Chan, composer Joel P. West, costume designer Kym Barrett and cinematographer William Pope, among others.

“There are a lot of comic fans that didn’t know who Shang-Chi was. And yet the work that Destin did and Dave did and Sue did and Joel did, created something new that connected with audiences,” says Feige. “We recognized it, the audience recognized it, and I sure would love the hard work of all of these people who are telling their story to get recognized.”
*  *  *
Cretton notes the flashbacks weren’t initially part of the plan in that scene at all.

“We weren’t totally getting into Wenwu’s head like we wanted to,” recalls Cretton. “The idea of those flashbacks came late in the game. When we put it in and showed it to Kevin and the team and did a test with it — finally people were feeling the emotions that we wanted them to feel.” 
*  *  *
On Dec. 6, Disney announced that Cretton would return to direct a Shang-Chi sequel and develop a related series for Disney+. The post-credits scene for the film teases more to come from the Ten Rings, the organization now run by Xialing.

 

Edited December 11, 2021 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Edited December 13, 2021 by tv echo

[MisterGlass]

Finally saw this on Disney+.  I watched none of the trailers and knew no backstory, and on that basis thought this was a good mid-grade Marvel story with a few standout bits.

I did not know Tony Leung prior to this movie and now need to look for his movies.  As others have pointed out he brought some real, subtle emotion into his scenes which was a pleasure to watch.

By far my favorite part was seeing the creatures, from Morris to the lion dogs.  I was on the look out for the dragon because of the earlier foreshadowing, and when Shang-Chi hit the water I realized what was down there, and that moment of it emerging from the water was a real thrill with no previous knowledge.  The later part of the fight was a little overly CGI'd and physics defying, but the dragon itself was beautiful.

Wong deserves more MCU airtime, and I hope he gets it.

[Raja]

2 hours ago, MisterGlass said:

Finally saw this on Disney+.  I watched none of the trailers and knew no backstory, and on that basis thought this was a good mid-grade Marvel story with a few standout bits.

I did not know Tony Leung prior to this movie and now need to look for his movies.  As others have pointed out he brought some real, subtle emotion into his scenes which was a pleasure to watch.

By far my favorite part was seeing the creatures, from Morris to the lion dogs.  I was on the look out for the dragon because of the earlier foreshadowing, and when Shang-Chi hit the water I realized what was down there, and that moment of it emerging from the water was a real thrill with no previous knowledge.  The later part of the fight was a little overly CGI'd and physics defying, but the dragon itself was beautiful.

Wong deserves more MCU airtime, and I hope he gets it.

Judging by the post credits his relationship with Dr. Strange and others will be more important to the greater MCU than War Machine's to Ironman.

[tv echo]

Edited December 22, 2021 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Fun interview where they asked each other questions (I only transcribed a few comments)...

"The Matrix Resurrections" Jessica Henwick & "Shang-Chi" Simu Liu || Character Conversations
Character Media    Dec 22, 2021

-- When Simu Liu asked Jessica Henwick why she picked a role in The Matrix: Resurrections over a role in Marvel's Shang-Chi, Jessica first clarified that she didn't have "straight offers," but just the offer to "go chemistry read with Yahya [Abdul-Mateen II]" or "go screen test with [Simu]." Jessica then said: "It really came down to the fact that... Marvel wouldn't let me read a script, Matrix would. And so I didn't know what I was getting into. And I could only sign for one of them. ... It was like entirely coded, your project. They wouldn't tell me what role, nothing, the character, storyline... whereas Matrix literally went, 'here's the script.'" 

-- Simu said that he got to read the Shang-Chi script for the first time "three weeks into shooting." However, he was given a "blueprint" (generally told what would happen). When asked if he has a "blueprint" for the second film, Simu: "Nah, no way, 'cause I've already said too much."

-- When Jessica asked Simu if Shang-Chi would "put a ring on Katy," Simu replied: "Oooh, that’s a great question. Shaun and Katy work so well as best friends. Personally,. And I think it’s refreshing when you see a man and a woman on screen that don’t necessarily have to fall in love. I’m not saying that they never will. But it’s certainly not hinted at, I think, in the movie. I think what they have is just truly like wonderful. I mean, I think it represents a lot of the male/female friendships that I have in life. I think we’ll see where the story goes. But if you were to ask me now, do I think that Shaun and Katy should be romantically involved, I would say, 'no.'"

Edited December 24, 2021 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Disney has posted its Shang-Chi campaign page "For Your Consideration" for the 2022 Academy Awards - basically, they're going to be promoting everyone and everything...

https://disneystudiosawards.com/shang-chi/categories

Quote

BEST PICTURE
Kevin Feige, p.g.a.
Jonathan Schwartz, p.g.a.

BEST DIRECTOR
Destin Daniel Cretton

BEST ACTOR
Simu Liu

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Awkwafina
Meng'er Zhang
Fala Chen
Michelle Yeoh

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Florian Munteanu
Benedict Wong
Yuen Wah
Ben Kingsley
Tony Leung

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Dave Callaham & Destin Daniel Cretton & Andrew Lanham
Story By
Dave Callaham & Destin Daniel Cretton

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Production Designer
Sue Chan
Set Decorator
Rebecca Cohen

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
William Pope

BEST SOUND
Katy Wood
J.R. Grubbs
Onnalee Blank, CAS
Lora Hirschberg
Guntis Sics

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Joel P West

BEST FILM EDITING
Nat Sanders, ACE
Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir, ACE
Harry Yoon, ACE

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Kym Barrett

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Rick Findlater
Lara Birch

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Christopher Townsend
Joe Farrell
Sean Walker
Dan Oliver

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Fire in the Sky”
Written by Anderson Paak, Bruno Mars and Nicholas “Sun Zoo” Race

 

Edited January 6, 2022 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Simu Liu on ‘Shang-Chi’ 2, Online Hate, Mississauga Love, and Making Music
BY ALEX NINO GHECIU  January 7, 2022
https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/simu-liu-talks-shang-chi-2-online-hate-and-his-music-project 

Quote

Awkward segue but speaking of things that are da’ bomb, the Shang-Chi sequel was recently announced. I mean, that’s pretty bomb news. How does it feel?
I feel pretty good. Like, OK, I wasn’t necessarily surprised. I mean, we were the No. 1 movie in the domestic box office in the pandemic era [Editor’s note: Spider-Man: No Way Home has since overtaken it] so I knew that we were probably going to another one. But what I really loved was hearing about Destin [Daniel Cretton] coming back. Again, not a surprise, but we absolutely love to see it. He’s such a critical part of the success of that movie. And I want to say, I often get a disproportionate amount of credit for the movie doing as well as we did, but it really, really is Destin. You know, it’s the filmmaker and storyteller. It’s very much his medium. And so, him coming back means that we get to do it all over again, which is fantastic. And then, seeing all the other stuff that he’s locked in with Disney and Marvel makes me incredibly happy as well. I think he deserves all the things in the world, and all the success. He’s a truly special filmmaker.
*  *  *
But also, it must just feel good just to prove all those Shang-Chi doubters wrong. I saw your tweet about that. Flopped so hard!
[Laughs.] I don’t think I’m nearly as petty as people think I am, but I think I just go for the funny. I’ll go for the funny, especially on Twitter. It was a funny-sounding tweet to say: “Flopped so hard we got a sequel.” But truly, truly, I’m not that petty. Maybe a little bit, but not constantly thinking about the haters. 
*  *  *
There are so many ways the Shang-Chi sequel can go. At the end of the first one, Shaun and Katy are in an interesting spot, linking up with Wong again and meeting some familiar faces. Your sister Xialing has her own game going with the Ten Rings. What are you most curious to find out next about the character and that universe? What would you want to explore?
I think just what Shaun decides to do with all this newfound power, you know? It kind of consumed his father, consumed Wenwu. I’m curious as to how someone much younger, much more inexperienced, would fare against the rings. Just this idea of all of a sudden being gifted something that’s so powerful but also so dangerous. And then the other big question I have is, you know, in what way does Shaun fit in with the rest of the MCU? Who are you going to see? What kind of crazy team-ups? What kinda tie-ins, Easter eggs? I’m just as much in the dark and everyone else, so I don’t know anything, but I’m excited to dive into that process. 

 

Edited January 10, 2022 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Shang-Chi got 1 SAG Awards nomination...

SAG Awards 2022: See the full list of nominees
By Lisa Respers France    January 12, 2022
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/12/entertainment/sag-award-nominations-2022/index.html 

Quote

The ceremony will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS from The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California on at 8 p.m. EST / 5 p.m. PST on February 27.
*  *  *
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
"Black Widow"
"Dune"
"The Matrix Resurrections"
"No Time to Die"
"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings"

 

[rmontro]

Just saw this last night.  I used to read the comic book briefly back in the '70s.  I have to say I expected this to be a little more of a straight martial arts movie, but it seemed to move more into fantasy.  I think of all the Marvel movies, this one felt the most like a Disney movie.  

It was enjoyable, although I thought Black Widow was a touch better.  

[tv echo]

How VFX Contenders Crafted Key Sequences in ‘Ghostbusters,’ ‘Shang-Chi’ and ‘Army of the Dead’
By Jazz Tangcay    Jan 14, 2022
https://variety.com/2022/artisans/awards/vfx-contenders-ghostbusters-shang-chi-1235154578/ 

Quote

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”

The end credit scene is something Weta VFX supervisor Sean Walker has rarely talked about. Walker and his team were called late in the day to deliver the sequence that features Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) in holographic form with Benedict. Wong. Wong makes his second cameo of the movie, grabbing Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) and Katy (Awkwafina) at a bar and taking them through a portal to meet the Avengers as they discuss the history of the 10 rings and their importance. “I just sat down two compositors and two effects artists, and just said, ‘Come up with something and let your imagination go wild.’ Within four days they came up with the entire sequence,” says Walker.

Walker notes Captain Marvel’s suit was digital because it only exists in digital form. Additionally, it was the first time Walker had ever done holographic effects.

The sequence was filmed on multiple plates with Liu, Awkwa- fina and Wong on one stage, Lar- son on another, and Ruffalo “in his own laboratory, but we had to bring them all together into one final shot.”

 

Edited January 17, 2022 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Ariana DeBose & Simu Liu | Actors on Actors - Full Conversation
Variety    Feb 4, 2022

The following article contains a transcript of the above video:
From ‘Shang-Chi’ to ‘West Side Story’: Simu Liu and Ariana DeBose on ‘Cultural Authenticity’ in Their Breakout Films
By Adam B. Vary    Feb 4, 2022
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/ariana-debose-west-side-story-simu-liu-shang-chi-1235170824/ 

Quote

LIU: In my college, I was in a hip-hop competitive dance team. It was right in the heyday of “So You Think You Can Dance” and “America’s Best Dance Crew.” I was all about it. I didn’t study for any of my classes because of it. What was your process auditioning for the show, and what was it actually like to be on it?
*  *  *
LIU: When I got the part, they asked me about my martial arts background and experience, which of course I exaggerated because I wanted the job really badly.
*  *  *
LIU: I had done some work as an on-again, off-again stuntman, but if we’re honest, I think I was more of a dancer than I ever was a martial artist. Pretty much from the moment I was cast, I started working with trainers and learning how to move. I had such awful flexibility. My groin and my tendons were just so stiff. A big part of that early process was just bending my body and trying to rip those legs apart.
*  *  *
LIU: Whenever a project is announced with an Asian cast, the feeling that you get at first is not necessarily elation or joy. It’s nervousness. Are they going to get this right, or is it going to be the other thing? We’ve seen a lot of the other thing, so it’s quite natural to be cynical. If you had just looked at those comic books that were written in the 1970s by white people, and you were to say, “Adapt that into a movie,” I think there’s just so many ways that it could have gone wrong.
*  *  *
LIU: Similar to you, I went in expecting, with a machine like Marvel, that I was just going to be a tiny little cog in the wheel. So I was surprised by how much I was asked to provide feedback, at kind of every opportunity. And then you get used to it and you show up and you’re like, “I have ideas. Let’s get ready to work.” For an actor, there’s nothing more fulfilling.
*  *  *
DEBOSE: ... Okay, let’s talk about the movies! Tony Leung? I said it right?

LIU: I think so.

DEBOSE: I don’t want to disrespect him, because dear lord, he’s incredible.

LIU: He’s the GOAT.

DEBOSE: And for that matter, Michelle Yeoh. “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” was one of the most beautiful performances I have ever seen, personally, in my opinion. And also, I love that she was a Bond girl in her own way. What was it like working with them?

LIU: Very different people, but an aura of warmth and friendliness. Tony is famously shy, and very, very soft spoken. You would never know his stature and his fame just by looking at him, because he is just such a well-mannered individual. And then the camera rolls, and then you see the intensity in his eyes, and you’re like, “Holy crap. I’m literally watching mastery unfold.” Tony is such a master of the art of stillness, of these tiny changes, that it almost doesn’t even feel like he’s doing anything. But then you look at the monitor and you’re like, “Holy, this guy is breaking my heart.”

DEBOSE: Just a force, an absolute force.

LIU: It was just even incredible just being able to sit next to him in between takes, and to be like, “What do you do in your spare time?” And it turns out our boy Tony is a little bit of an adrenaline junkie. Tony Leung loves snowboarding, loves water sports, slalom skiing, wakeboarding. He just loves it. And I kind of love that.
*  *  *
LIU: It does. Michelle, too, really surprised me with how goofy she is, because she plays these bad asses that don’t take crap from anyone, they’re very serious. But then you meet her, and — first of all, she’s every bit as badass in real life. But she’s also kind of a goofball. We’ll be rolling camera, and then she’ll just be like [waves hands at the camera] — she’ll just make a funny face, or she’ll be like, “Boop, boop, boop, boop.” It was her wonderful way of telling me to relax and just settle in and be every bit as free flowing and as goofy and just normal and natural as she was.

 

Edited February 7, 2022 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Oscar nominations were announced yesterday (Feb. 8) - Shang-Chi got got a nom for Best Visual Effects...

Oscars: Full List of Nominations
BY KIMBERLY NORDYKE, HILARY LEWIS     FEBRUARY 8, 2022
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/oscar-nominations-2022-nominees-list-1235088770/ 

Quote

A host has not yet been named for the Academy Awards ceremony, which will take place on Sunday, March 27. The broadcast will air live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ABC.
*  *  *
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Dune (Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and
Gerd Nefzer)
Free Guy (Swen Gillberg, Bryan Grill, Nikos Kalaitzidis and
Dan Sudick)
No Time to Die (Charlie Noble, Joel Green, Jonathan Fawkner and Chris Corbould)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Christopher Townsend, Joe Farrell, Sean Noel Walker and Dan Oliver)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (Kelly Port, Chris Waegner, Scott Edelstein and Dan Sudick)

 

Edited February 9, 2022 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Shang-Chi got 5 Critics Choice Super Awards nominations...

‘Spider-Man,’ ‘Shang-Chi’ Lead Critics Choice Super Awards Film Nominations
BY AARON COUCH   FEBRUARY 22, 2022 
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/critics-choice-super-awards-2022-nominations-nominees-list-1235097398/ 

Quote

Find the complete list of nominees below. Winners will be announced March 17.
*  *  *
BEST SUPERHERO MOVIE
Black Widow
Eternals
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Spider-Man: No Way Home
The Suicide Squad
Zack Snyder’s Justice League

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPERHERO MOVIE
John Cena – The Suicide Squad
Idris Elba – The Suicide Squad
Andrew Garfield – Spider-Man: No Way Home
Tom Holland – Spider-Man: No Way Home
Tony Leung – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Simu Liu – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPERHERO MOVIE
Gal Gadot – Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Scarlett Johansson – Black Widow
Florence Pugh – Black Widow
Margot Robbie – The Suicide Squad
Michelle Yeoh – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Zendaya – Spider-Man: No Way Home
*  *  *
BEST VILLAIN IN A MOVIE
Ben Affleck – The Last Duel
Willem Dafoe – Spider-Man: No Way Home
Idris Elba – The Harder They Fall
Tony Leung – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Marina Mazepa (performer) & Ray Chase (voice) – Malignant
Tony Todd – Candyman

 

Edited February 24, 2022 by tv echo

[tv echo]

(source)

[tv echo]

Edited March 14, 2022 by tv echo

[Shannon L.]

Last night, I watched Assembled: The Making of Shang-Chi on Disney Plus. I hope the whole hour is on the dvd bonus features (even if it's cut up into segments) It was so good and a little emotional.  I highly recommend it.

[blueray]

I finally watched this movie, seriously I'm so behind lol.

Anyhow, I really enjoyed it a lot. The actors did a good job and the action was great. My favorite being the train fight. Though my husband walked into the room right at the point, and just said "well you got to have one of those" ;).

 I loved the cameos of Wong, Bruce and Captain Marvel. Especially the part when Wong just opens the portal in the middle of a restaurant. Though, I guess this means they aren't even trying to keep anything a secret anymore. Which makes me wonder more about the whole Spiderman thing....

Anyhow, back to this movie. They did a pretty good job introducing the world and story. My only complaint is the mandarin thing went on way to long, they should have just had the pig thing tell them how to get there, he escapes and they go to the woods. Instead of him rambling on for like 10 minutes. Of course there is also the plot convince of them being there in the first place. Wouldn't the father of thought about the creature before putting them down there? 

Anyhow, I totally called the sister would take over at the end (after the father died). Overall great movie, and I am glad I finally saw it.

[arc]

I forgot to mention this earlier, but when Wenwu told Guang Bo to be respectful, the subtitle said "I've lived ten of your lifetimes" but the phrase would more accurately be a very cool Chinese saying, usually not meant literally: "I've eaten more salt than you have eaten rice".

[tv echo]

The rest of this interview is also really interesting...

Simu Liu is dancing his way from Shang-Chi to Barbie
By Iana Murray    16 May 2022
https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/simu-liu-interview-marvel-barbie 

Quote

Even with pure intentions, Liu feels that social media has become less of a “tool” and more of a “liability,” acknowledging that “anything you say can be misconstrued”. A few weeks ago, he fired off another tweet that got some heat. “Alright Arthur Harrow needs to fire his Mandarin teacher,” he wrote, referring to a scene from Marvel’s Moon Knight series in which Ethan Hawke’s character, an enigmatic cult leader, supposedly speaks in Mandarin with one of his followers, but is really saying incomprehensible gibberish. Shang-Chi, meanwhile, drew plaudits for its language and cultural consultants and cast of Chinese-speaking actors to keep production in check.

When I ask about the intentions behind the tweet, Liu assures that it was just a joke blown out of proportion by headlines. Still I wonder if Shang-Chi was a one off: a shiny display of allyship obscuring the lack of fundamental progress in pop culture. Was it a performative act of diversity if Marvel can’t portray Asian culture respectfully in the long run? Is it so hard to hire an accurate translator?

“I think there’s maybe a misconception that Marvel is this kind of monolithic, all-powerful single organism with infinite resources,” Liu says emphatically. “I think that it’s easy to allocate the blame to Marvel as a whole. If you really break it down, there was a translator that probably shouldn’t have been a translator. There were probably a couple of people in the decision-making process that should have raised a flag that didn’t. I have full appreciation for the fact that Mandarin is not an easy language. I didn’t want to make it into a big political thing. I just wanted to make fun of it because the sound that came out of that man’s mouth did not resemble Mandarin in any way, shape or form.”

The trappings of modern fame – Twitter storms, mugging for selfies, having to absorb everyone’s waking thoughts about you – has forced Liu to re-evaluate his priorities: why he’s in this career in the first place. He wants to make real change. Not just avoiding translation fumbles, but to use his newfound position to help forge a “lexicon” for those figuring out their identity. “[Shang-Chi allowed] me to be in the driver’s seat of projects that wouldn’t otherwise exist,” he says. “For example, this book, or movies that I’m really excited to help get made. Not necessarily just jumping on to the next studio movie, but there are stories out there that I genuinely feel like without my hand pushing them forward, would never get told. Third-culture kids grew up so starved for that kind of content. I just want the next generation to not experience that.”

Edited May 17, 2022 by tv echo

[tv echo]

There was a Shang-Chi panel (with Simu Liu, Meng'er Zhang and Florian Munteanu) at Awesome Con yesterday (June 4)...

SHANG-CHI Cast Panel – Awesome Con 2022
Fandom Spotlite   Jun 4, 2022

[Scarlett45]

I’m using the long weekend to catch up on my MCU viewing- and I really liked this one. I know why it won Best Visual Effects, and I’m looking forward to seeking more of Shang & Katy in the great MCU. 

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

Simu Liu appeared at Superhero Car Show & Comic Con (San Antonio, TX) on August 6...

Simu Liu - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Comic Con Panel
REBORN ANIME    Aug 8, 2022

[tv echo]