Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

[Retreater]

I still haven't seen Black Widow. I think the Endgame was a good time for me to get off the superhero movie treadmill. Unless one seems independently compelling to watch, I'll probably pass. I'm tired of watching movies that seem to exist just to hype future movies.

 

[Lidgar]

But yeah, when the Ten Rings rolled up on a village of martial artists and did not immediately unload with machine guns, I sighed and reminded myself to suspend my disbelief.

Ending was hot mess...

Yep. While I liked it overall, the ending was pretty clunky in many spots - felt forced too. But hey, its a superhero movie, so I just (try to) let all that go. Characters were very likable, even the "villains" - came much more positive about this phase of the MCU.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I still haven't seen Black Widow. I think the Endgame was a good time for me to get off the superhero movie treadmill. Unless one seems independently compelling to watch, I'll probably pass. I'm tired of watching movies that seem to exist just to hype future movies.

Then you'd probably like Shang Chi. Just skip the post-credit scenes (the only thing that sets up more MCU).

 

[Stalker0]

The road outside was actually a big trampoline, so they all landed okay. Or else they had parachutes. Or catlike reflexes to handle falls like a champ.

But yeah, when the Ten Rings rolled up on a village of martial artists and did not immediately unload with machine guns, I sighed and reminded myself to suspend my disbelief.

in my head canon, i went with the notion that this was Wenru’s last bit of mercy. He intended to capture the villagers alive (for the most part obviously there are casualties in battle), and so had his men use non lethal weapons.

Option 2, he believes the dragon armor they wear is bullet proof and so relies on energy weapons.

Do either of these REALLY make sense? No, but it was enough for me


like many movies, I could pick apart Sheng Chi if I wanted to. But what I liked about the movie is I didn’t want to, I wanted the ride. That is stark contrast to Black Widow where I got bored and the movie didn’t really jive with me, and so I started picking it apart in my head

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I can't believe I didn't notice that (the non-lethal weapons for the 10 Rings flunkies) before. I like to think about what movies show you vs what they tell you and see how it changes the story. Sometimes it changes things drastically.

This goes to explain some critiques that I've heard "Why did Wenwu send his mooks to kill Shang-Chi if he wanted to reunite his family/" (A: Obviously he didn't. He sent them to remind Shaun who he really was.)

 

[RangerWickett]

in my head canon, i went with the notion that this was Wenru’s last bit of mercy. He intended to capture the villagers alive (for the most part obviously there are casualties in battle), and so had his men use non lethal weapons.

That could have actually worked. When he gives the order to Saberfist to get ready, he looks past his minion and sees some mooks starting to mount a machine gun atop a jeep, so he adds, "My children are still there. Nonlethal weapons. My wife's people are just peasants, after all. We take prisoners, and once I free my wife, I shall let her decide their fate."

 

[Staffan]

I was a bit disappointed with the actual rings. In the comics, the ten rings are the Mandarin's weapons, and each of them have their own powers (e.g. flame projection, mind control, light, darkness, matter rearranging, etc.). These rings just project force and stuff, which is pretty dull all things considered.

I mean, I get why they don't use the classical Mandarin (because it's a horribly racist caricature of a character), but I think the rings suffered as a result.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I was a bit disappointed with the actual rings. In the comics, the ten rings are the Mandarin's weapons, and each of them have their own powers (e.g. flame projection, mind control, light, darkness, matter rearranging, etc.). These rings just project force and stuff, which is pretty dull all things considered.

I mean, I get why they don't use the classical Mandarin (because it's a horribly racist caricature of a character), but I think the rings suffered as a result.

I liked what they did with the rings. The trouble with doing them like the comics is, they'd be very similar to the Infinity Stones. Each a different colour, each controlling a different "element" (one's even a mind-control ring, like the mind stone). This is MUCH more kung-fu.

 

[Marc Radle]

I liked what they did with the rings. The trouble with doing them like the comics is, they'd be very similar to the Infinity Stones. Each a different colour, each controlling a different "element" (one's even a mind-control ring, like the mind stone). This is MUCH more kung-fu.

Agree 100%

 

[DeviousQuail]

It was a good movie and very different from other Marvel films. Some of the story beats were clunky but the cast was mostly great. A solid middle tier MCU movie. If there was one thing I would change

Spoiler

the end of the Macau scene. Their father should have kicked their butts to show off his power and how far Shang-chi and Xuliang are from being on his level. A quick and one-sided fight where they don't work together and give up so he can take them home. It would've made Katy's line about their father being scary land better.