"When you have the heart of our dragon, you can do some amazing things."
Just as Spiderman: Far From Home concluded the MCU Phase Three as a light-hearted cool-down after Avengers: Endgame, here we see the proper start of Phase Four following the flashback farewell to Scarlett Johannson and the introduction of Florence Pugh in Black Widow...and what a kick-off Shang-Chi proves to be, if not one of the best Marvel movies so far. With its mystical storytelling and balletic wire-work fighting in its opening scenes, you almost forget you are watching a Marvel movie, and one of the major strengths of this film is its easy fusion of superhero tropes with Asian tradition and cinematic storytelling. The set pieces and fight sequences are spectacular, but what really sells the movie is its central breakout star Simu Liu (building on the promise shown in Kim's Convenience but here allying his laid-back comedic charm with excellent fighting physicality) equally matched by Awkwafina in the straight person/sidekick role, together with the rock-solid legends that are Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh. Like Black Panther did so well for representation of people of colour in the MCU, Shang-Chi similarly addresses Asian visibilty in the MCU but also does so much more in delivering an impressive, creative and hugely entertaining movie that shows real promise for the next Phase of Marvel.
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