So the first trailer for Shang-Chi And The Legend of The Ten Rings is here - appropriately dropped on Simu Liu's birthday - and as you'd expect with Marvel, it promises to be another exciting instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. More importantly, it opens up an entirely new culture to this superhero universe, presenting audiences with the MCU's first Asian protagonist. You can check out the trailer below.
In terms of plot it looks like Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) walked away from his life and his family over a feud with his father, Wenwu (Tony Chu-Wai Leung) A.K.A. The Mandarin. Now, ten years later, Shang-Chi finds himself being drawn back into that life he has tried to forget, as a series of killers begin hunting him down. But was he ever really out of it? Was his father simply watching from afar, waiting for the right moment to draw his son back into the fold?
Firstly, it's worth noting that unlike in previous MCU entries, we're not talking about an imposter, this is the real Mandarin, and with the Ten Rings (which are now bracelets rather than actual rings) in his possession he's very powerful. There are a couple of shots in the trailer where we see the power of the rings flowing through the arms of the wearer, not to mention the Mandarin using them to make a mess. I for one am pleased that this secretive organisation that has been lurking in the shadows since Iron Man's first appearance is finally taking centre stage.
The movie has been described as a "sweeping superhero epic" with "emotional family drama" and "gravity defying martial arts action". Well the trailer would certainly support all of that. I can’t help wondering if the Snap/Blip will have some kind of impact. Shang-Chi is definitely struggling with something - maybe a job he did for his father before realising he was the bad guy - whilst living a simple life in San Francisco. Brief glimpses of him with his father, it's obvious their relationship is strained, unsurprising really, given that his childhood looks hellish. I'm not sure anyone would like their parents very much if they were forced into training that involved being beaten with sticks, it's a memory that certainly won't foster warm feelings. In talking about the character, Liu has mentioned that the back-story of Shang-Chi is not universally known - not being a comic book reader, I am guilty of this - which has given the writers "a lot of freedom and creative liberty", so for once many of us are going into this one more blind than usual. Something I actually find quite exciting. It gives both the character and the movie a degree of mystery.
Between moments of family feuds and Shang-Chi's life away from all that, comes some epic martial arts fighting, blended with some of Awkwafina's signature humour, of course. Simu Liu has certainly put a lot of effort into preparing for this role. Obviously he looks totally ripped, and his fight choreography is fantastic, but it's clear he's going to bring a complicated character to life. And when the action does kick in there's plenty of tough adversaries for our hero to go up against, including a sinister masked figure, and Florian Munteanu (Viktor Drago in Creed 2) as Razor Fist. There is a grace and brutality to the action, no doubt inspired by some of the classic kung fu filmmakers. One fight (possibly a flashback) in particular is reminiscent of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. All of which feels like a fresh approach for Marvel.
Director Destin Daniel Cretton (Just Mercy) brought in Bill Pope as the cinematographer. This is Pope's first MCU movie, but not his first Marvel movie, he worked on Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 and 3. But the reason Cretton brought him in on Shang-Chi was for his work on The Matrix. The director wanted to create a world that was both heightened and naturalistic, which does seem to be working here - I'm sure filming the bulk of the movie in Australia helped. When it comes to the look and style there is something that feels very different, but as with all of the MCU movies a familiarity as well. Needless to say it all looks incredible, the visuals are very impressive, especially the shots of epic battles (possibly more flashbacks), and a bus careening down San Francisco streets.
Hopefully the release of this trailer signifies the return to some form of normal (no mention of a Disney+ release here). I know I'm not the only one who's looking forward to returning to the cinema, and this looks like a great movie to bring us back.
Shang-Chi And The Legend of The Ten Rings should hit UK cinemas on 3rd September.
What did you think of the teaser trailer for Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings? Leave a comment below or find us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also email us at moviemoustache@gmail.com.
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