Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings will be in theaters exclusively for 45 days starting September 3rd, 2021. But is it worth venturing to a public movie theater to see and is Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings kid-friendly or should you leave them at home? I break it all down in this spoiler-free review.
I’m going to be honest – I had never heard of Shang-Chi before the movie was announced. Trust me, I know, I’m hanging my head in shame. But to be fair, I was never heavily into the comic book space.
As with most movies, I stayed away from all trailers, sneak peeks and featurettes. So, it’s safe to say I went in absolutely clueless and with no expectations.
Synopsis
Living a mundane life, Shang-Chi aka Shawn is comfortable. He has a job, a place to live and his bestie, Katy (Awkwafina) by his side. But his world is thrown upside down when he has to confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.
Is Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings kid-friendly?
Shang-Chi is rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and language. While the MPAA suggests that it may not be appropriate for kids under 13, if your child has seen other Marvel films, they should be ok with this one.
Is there adult language in Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings?
There are some colorful words thrown around in Shang-Chi but nothing too taboo (at least in our house, lol). You’ll hear sh*t, holy sh*t, bullsh*t, b*tch, hell, damn and a**hole. And the middle finger is used. I’ll also mention that vagina is used because that may bother some folks.
Does the film have any violence or scary moments?
The movie is based on a Marvel comic book, so the simple answer is yes, of course, there is violence. While there are some instances of self-defense fighting those are quickly countered with a pure hate-filled vengeance. Guns and knives are seen in the film but it’s mostly martial arts “fighting”. And at one point, Shawn and Katy find themselves in an MMA-like fight club where fighting is all about winners, losers and money.
Guns and knives do find their way into the film but for the most part, the fighting scenes are hand to hand, martial arts type fighting.
And I have to admit, a couple of the martial art fight sequences are like a beautifully choreographed dance. I was whispering words like gorgeous, stunning as I watched in awe of the graceful movements.
Without giving too much away, I think the childhood “training” flashbacks are the hardest violent scenes to watch.
And the death and/or dead bodies – there’s a lot. Thankfully, for the most part, the actual act of death is not shown. But there are multiple scenes with implied death showing unmoving bodies on the ground.
As with many Marvel/Disney movies, there is the death of a parent that may evoke some strong feelings for adults and kids.
And not to be left out, there is a big scary monster that just might be too much for the younger ones to handle. It gave me the creeps and I’m um, well over the age of “young”.
Is there adult content in Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings?
In regards to sexual content – there isn’t anything. There is a love story but about the romance and love they shared instead of the lust and sexual relationship.
You won’t find any drug use shown but there are a couple of bar scenes that include casual drinking along with a couple of drunken karaoke moments.
And of course, going back to the MMA-like fight club – there are those moments of gambling including wads of money being shown.
So is Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings kid-friendly?
With the mixture of violence, language and monsters – I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable saying Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings is kid-friendly for all ages. I think this might be one that parents should view ahead of time before taking kids younger than 10 and anyone that may be sensitive to the items mentioned above.
But of course, you know your child best and if they’ve seen other Marvel movies, they should be fine watching Shang-Chi. I do feel like the language may be a little more adult than in previous films, so if cursies are a big deal, I’d skip the theatrical release and wait for it on Disney+.
The Cast of Shang-Chi
Simu Liu (Shawn/Shang-Chi) and Awkwafina (Katy) were beyond brilliant. They gave these new heroes life with such chemistry it was impossible not to fall in love with them. And I know I can’t be the only one hoping for a little more romance between the two besties in Phase Four.
The villain of the story, Wenwu/Mandarin is played magnificently by Tony Leung Chiu-wai. You know you’re supposed to hate him but that doesn’t stop a tiny twinge of understanding from creeping in. Yes, he’s a supervillain in the beginning motivated by greed but we see that he changes his ways until tragedy strikes. The new Wenwu is no longer motivated by truly selfish reasons but by love for his wife which makes you question “what lengths would you go to for love and family?” Tony Leung Chiu-wai had me feeling all the things. His facial expressions were on point and at times I was so drawn in everything else faded to the background.
But honestly, the break-out star for me was Meng’er Zhang, who plays Shang-Chi’s sister, Xialing. She took to the character with grace and made you want to root for her, even when she was being a wee bit shady. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of her in the future but what side she’ll be on, I’m not sure. But I have a feeling it may not matter and that I’ll love her character either way.
My overall Shang-Chi review
If you know me, you know I avoid trailers for most films and I did exactly that for Shang-Chi… Now, the confession – I didn’t do it this time particularly by choice but more because I didn’t care. EEK! I knew I was going to see it simply because it’s a Marvel movie. But I do want to take the time to apologize to the cast and crew because I feel like I let them down. This movie deserves all the hype.
I’m not usually an origin story type of fan (I tend to find them a little boring) but Shang-Chi (imagine you’re saying Shawn with a “G” at the end when you pronounce “Shang” and look for a funny scene in the movie about that!) is not just an origin story for some of the newest heroes and villains in the MCU, but a glimpse at what we can expect in the future from the universe we only think we understand.
And as much as it hurts to know most of our favorite superheroes won’t be back, Shang-Chi left me excited for the future of the Marvel universe.
I’ll leave you with this – support this film like you would every other Marvel film and then some. I know the times are different, so even if you’re not comfortable seeing it in the theater still buy a ticket (if you can afford too) just to support this amazing cast and crew!
How many end credit scenes are in Shang-Chi?
There are two end credit scenes that are the perfect setup for Phase Four. The final end credit scene shows up after the last credit rolls, so stay in your seat!
More about Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings
On social media
- Website: https://www.marvel.com/movies/shang-chi-and-the-legend-of-the-ten-rings
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialshangchi
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/shangchi
- Instagram: @shangchi
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