For years Marvel fans and movie fans alike have clamored for any type of change from the formulaic script of every single Marvel movie to date, and with the release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, that’s just what they received.  

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings follows the journey of Shang-Chi, or “Shaun” as he is referred to, a humble valet driver from the streets of San Francisco, all the way to the bustling city of Macau, a Chinese ruled territory. While this journey may seem like a stretch, the events of the film neatly bring everything together in a logical way, without any rigid jumps that some Marvel movies (looking at you Infinity War) have had in the past.

While the journey the story takes is awesome and all, where this movie really shines is in its fight sequences. From the first 20 minutes of the movie, all the way to the end, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is packed full of fight scenes that are easily the best choreographed in any Marvel movie ever. The camera angles and movement is exquisite, and allows true immersion into each and every detail, something that the at times overcrowded and lackluster fights that have occured in recent years in Marvel movies. The scenes themselves also are fantastic in their inspiration, clearly drawing heavily from the incredible martial arts films of the past, and bringing out the inner Jackie Chan in the characters.

The actor choices are another well thought out part of the film as well. Tony Leung is the perfect choice to play the troubled and misguided soul of Shaun’s father, Xu Wenwu. The raw emotion and acting prowess of Leung in the film is easily enough to be considered for some type of award, and really shined where Marvel movies have had past difficulties. Simu Liu does a great job of portraying a great hero, and really brings out a great level of character development. Awkwafina excels in her role of the plucky best friend, and Meng’er Zhang does an equally impressive job of portraying Shaun’s tough younger sister.

Overall, the movie definitely brings out what Marvel has truly always been capable of and goes above and beyond any expectations I could’ve ever had. The movie ties all details together very nicely and fits nicely into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. The movie is a must see for Marvel fans, martial arts fans, and the average movie goer alike.