Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Archives

2022 Critics Choice Super Awards: ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,’ ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home,’ ‘Evil’ and ‘Midnight Mass’ are the top nominees

February 22, 2022

Meng’er Zhang, Simu Liu and Awkwafina in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios)

Tom Holland and Alfred Molina in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures)

Katja Herbers, Mike Colter and Aasif Mandvi in “Evil” (Photo by Elizabeth Fisher/CBS/Paramount+)

Hamish Linklater in “Midnight Mass” (Photo by Eike Schroter/Netflix)

The following is a press release from the Critics Choice Association:

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced today the nominees for the 2nd Annual Critics Choice Super Awards, honoring the most popular, fan-obsessed genres across both television and movies, including Superhero, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Horror, and Action. Winners will be revealed on Thursday, March 17, 2022.

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” lead this year’s film nominations, with five nods apiece including Best Superhero Movie. Both Tony Leung and Simu Liu garnered Best Actor in a Superhero Movie nods for their performances in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” while Michelle Yeoh is up for Best Actress in a Superhero Movie, and Tony Leung could also take home the award for Best Villain in a Movie. The cast of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” also earned top acting nods, with both Tom Holland and Andrew Garfield recognized with Best Actor in a Superhero Movie nominations. Additionally, Zendaya is up for Best Actress in a Superhero Movie, and Willem Dafoe could take home the trophy for Best Villain in a Movie.

“Evil” and “Midnight Mass” tied for the most television nominations, with each earning six nods including Best Horror Series. Mike Colter and Aasif Mandvi from “Evil” garnered nominations for Best Actor in a Horror Series, while Katja Herbers and Christine Lahti are vying for Best Actress in a Horror Series, and Michael Emerson earned a nod for Best Villain in a Series. Meanwhile, “Midnight Mass” also has two actors, Zach Gilford and Hamish Linklater, competing in the category of Best Actor in a Horror Series. Both Kate Siegel and Samantha Sloyan are up for Best Actress in a Horror Series, and Sloyan was also nominated for Best Villain in a Series.

The full list of nominees can be found below.

Follow the Critics Choice Super Awards on Twitter and Instagram @CriticsChoice and on Facebook/CriticsChoiceAwards.

About the Critics Choice Association (CCA)

The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 525 media critics and entertainment journalists. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the intersection between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit: CriticsChoice.

FILM NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2ND ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE SUPER AWARDS

BEST ACTION MOVIE

Gunpowder Milkshake
The Harder They Fall
The Last Duel
Nobody
No Time to Die
Wrath of Man

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE

Daniel Craig – No Time to Die
Dwayne Johnson – Jungle Cruise
Jonathan Majors – The Harder They Fall
Mads Mikkelsen – Riders of Justice
Liam Neeson – The Ice Road
Bob Odenkirk – Nobody

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE

Jodie Comer – The Last Duel
Ana de Armas – No Time to Die
Karen Gillan – Gunpowder Milkshake
Regina King – The Harder They Fall
Lashana Lynch – No Time to Die
Maggie Q – The Protégé

BEST SUPERHERO MOVIE*

Black Widow
Eternals
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Spider-Man: No Way Home
The Suicide Squad
Zack Snyder’s Justice League

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPERHERO MOVIE*

John Cena – The Suicide Squad
Idris Elba – The Suicide Squad
Andrew Garfield – Spider-Man: No Way Home
Tom Holland – Spider-Man: No Way Home
Tony Leung – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Simu Liu – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPERHERO MOVIE*

Gal Gadot – Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Scarlett Johansson – Black Widow
Florence Pugh – Black Widow
Margot Robbie – The Suicide Squad
Michelle Yeoh – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Zendaya – Spider-Man: No Way Home

BEST HORROR MOVIE

Candyman
Last Night in Soho
Malignant
The Night House
A Quiet Place Part II
Titane

BEST ACTOR IN A HORROR MOVIE

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – Candyman
Nicolas Cage – Willy’s Wonderland
Dave Davis – The Vigil
Vincent Lindon – Titane
Cillian Murphy – A Quiet Place Part II
Sam Richardson – Werewolves Within

BEST ACTRESS IN A HORROR MOVIE

Barbara Crampton – Jakob’s Wife
Rebecca Hall – The Night House
Anya-Taylor Joy – Last Night in Soho
Thomasin McKenzie – Last Night in Soho
Agathe Rousselle – Titane
Millicent Simmonds – A Quiet Place Part II

BEST SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY MOVIE

Don’t Look Up
Dune
Free Guy
The Green Knight
The Mitchells vs. the Machines
Swan Song

BEST ACTOR IN A SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY MOVIE

Mahershala Ali – Swan Song
Timothée Chalamet – Dune
Leonardo DiCaprio – Don’t Look Up
Tom Hanks – Finch
Dev Patel – The Green Knight
Ryan Reynolds – Free Guy

BEST ACTRESS IN A SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY MOVIE

Cate Blanchett – Don’t Look Up
Jodie Comer – Free Guy
Rebecca Ferguson – Dune
Mckenna Grace – Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Jennifer Lawrence – Don’t Look Up
Alicia Vikander – The Green Knight

BEST VILLAIN IN A MOVIE

Ben Affleck – The Last Duel
Willem Dafoe – Spider-Man: No Way Home
Idris Elba – The Harder They Fall
Tony Leung – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Marina Mazepa (performer) & Ray Chase (voice) – Malignant
Tony Todd – Candyman

* Superhero categories also include Comic Book and Video Game Inspired Movies

NOMINATIONS BY FILM FOR THE 2nd ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE SUPER AWARDS

A Quiet Place Part II – 3

Best Horror Movie

Best Actor in a Horror Movie – Cillian Murphy

Best Actress in a Horror Movie – Millicent Simmonds

Black Widow – 3

Best Superhero Movie

Best Actress in a Superhero Movie – Scarlett Johansson

Best Actress in a Superhero Movie – Florence Pugh

Candyman – 3

Best Horror Movie

Best Actor in a Horror Movie – Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

Best Villain in a Movie – Tony Todd

Don’t Look Up – 4

Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie

Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie – Leonardo DiCaprio

Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie – Cate Blanchett

Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie – Jennifer Lawrence

Dune – 3

Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie

Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie – Timothée Chalamet

Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie – Rebecca Ferguson

Eternals – 1

Best Superhero Movie

Finch – 1

Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie – Tom Hanks

Free Guy – 3

Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie

Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie – Ryan Reynolds

Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie – Jodie Comer

Ghostbusters: Afterlife – 1

Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie – Mckenna Grace

Gunpowder Milkshake – 2

Best Action Movie

Best Actress in an Action Movie – Karen Gillan

Jakob’s Wife – 1

Best Actress in a Horror Movie – Barbara Crampton

Jungle Cruise – 1

Best Actor in an Action Movie – Dwayne Johnson

Last Night in Soho – 3

Best Horror Movie

Best Actress in a Horror Movie – Anya-Taylor Joy

Best Actress in a Horror Movie – Thomasin McKenzie

Malignant – 2

Best Horror Movie

Best Villain in a Movie – Marina Mazepa (performer) & Ray Chase (voice)

No Time to Die – 4

Best Action Movie

Best Actor in an Action Movie – Daniel Craig

Best Actress in an Action Movie – Ana de Armas

Best Actress in an Action Movie – Lashana Lynch

Nobody – 2

Best Action Movie

Best Actor in an Action Movie – Bob Odenkirk

Riders of Justice – 1

Best Actor in an Action Movie – Mads Mikkelsen

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – 5

Best Superhero Movie

Best Actor in a Superhero Movie – Tony Leung

Best Actor in a Superhero Movie – Simu Liu

Best Actress in a Superhero Movie – Michelle Yeoh

Best Villain in a Movie – Tony Leung

Spider-Man: No Way Home – 5

Best Superhero Movie

Best Actor in a Superhero Movie – Andrew Garfield

Best Actor in a Superhero Movie – Tom Holland

Best Actress in a Superhero Movie – Zendaya

Best Villain in a Movie – Willem Dafoe

Swan Song – 2

Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie

Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie – Mahershala Ali

The Green Knight – 3

Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie

Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie – Dev Patel

Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie – Alicia Vikander

The Harder They Fall – 4

Best Action Movie

Best Actor in an Action Movie – Jonathan Majors

Best Actress in an Action Movie – Regina King

Best Villain in a Movie – Idris Elba

The Ice Road – 1

Best Actor in an Action Movie – Liam Neeson

The Last Duel – 3

Best Action Movie

Best Actress in an Action Movie – Jodie Comer

Best Villain in a Movie – Ben Affleck

The Mitchells vs. the Machines – 1

Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie

The Night House – 2

Best Horror Movie

Best Actress in a Horror Movie – Rebecca Hall

The Protégé – 1

Best Actress in an Action Movie – Maggie Q

The Suicide Squad – 4

Best Superhero Movie

Best Actor in a Superhero Movie – John Cena

Best Actor in a Superhero Movie – Idris Elba

Best Actress in a Superhero Movie – Margot Robbie

The Vigil – 1

Best Actor in a Horror Movie – Dave Davis

Titane – 3

Best Horror Movie

Best Actor in a Horror Movie – Vincent Lindon

Best Actress in a Horror Movie – Agathe Rousselle

Werewolves Within – 1

Best Actor in a Horror Movie – Sam Richardson

Willy’s Wonderland – 1

Best Actor in a Horror Movie – Nicolas Cage

Wrath of Man – 1

Best Action Movie

Zack Snyder’s Justice League – 2

Best Superhero Movie

Best Actress in a Superhero Movie – Gal Gadot

TELEVISION NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2^ND ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE SUPER AWARDS

BEST ACTION SERIES

9-1-1

Cobra Ka

Heels

Kung Fu

Lupin

Squid Game

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION SERIES

Mike Faist – Panic

Lee Jung-jae – Squid Game

Alexander Ludwig – Heels

Ralph Macchio – Cobra Kai

Omar Sy – Lupin

William Zabka – Cobra Kai

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION SERIES

Angela Bassett – 9-1-1

Kim Joo-ryoung – Squid Game

HoYeon Jung – Squid Game

Queen Latifah – The Equalizer

Olivia Liang – Kung Fu

Mary McCormack – Heels

BEST SUPERHERO SERIES*

Doom Patrol

Hawkeye

Loki

Lucifer

Superman & Lois

WandaVision

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPERHERO SERIES*

Paul Bettany – WandaVision

Tom Ellis – Lucifer

Brendan Fraser – Doom Patrol

Tom Hiddleston – Loki

Tyler Hoechlin – Superman & Lois

Anthony Mackie – The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPERHERO SERIES*

Sophia Di Martino – Loki

Kathryn Hahn – WandaVision

Javicia Leslie – Batwoman

Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Loki

Elizabeth Olsen – WandaVision

Hailee Steinfeld – Hawkeye

BEST HORROR SERIES

Chucky

Dr. Death

Evil

Midnight Mass

Servant

Yellowjackets

BEST ACTOR IN A HORROR SERIES

Adrien Brody – Chapelwaite

Mike Colter – Evil

Zach Gilford – Midnight Mass

Rupert Grint – Servant

Hamish Linklater – Midnight Mass

Aasif Mandvi – Evil

BEST ACTRESS IN A HORROR SERIES

Lauren Ambrose – Servant

Katja Herbers – Evil

Christine Lahti – Evil

Melanie Lynskey – Yellowjackets

Kate Siegel – Midnight Mass

Samantha Sloyan – Midnight Mass

BEST SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY SERIES

Foundation

Resident Alien

Snowpiercer

Star Trek: Discovery

Station Eleven

The Witcher

BEST ACTOR IN A SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY SERIES

Henry Cavill – The Witcher

Daveed Diggs – Snowpiercer

Matthew Goode – A Discovery of Witches

Jared Harris – Foundation

Lee Pace – Foundation

Alan Tudyk – Resident Alien

BEST ACTRESS IN A SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY SERIES

Mackenzie Davis – Station Eleven

Laura Donnelly – The Nevers

Sonequa Martin-Green – Star Trek: Discovery

Teresa Palmer – A Discovery of Witches

Jodie Whittaker – Doctor Who

Alison Wright – Snowpiercer

BEST VILLAIN IN A SERIES

Vincent D’Onofrio – Hawkeye

Michael Emerson – Evil

Kathryn Hahn – WandaVision

Joshua Jackson – Dr. Death

Jonathan Majors – Loki

Samantha Sloyan – Midnight Mass

* Superhero categories also include Comic Book and Video Game Inspired Series

NOMINATIONS BY SERIES FOR THE 2^ND ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE SUPER AWARDS

9-1-1 – 2

Best Action Series

Best Actress in an Action Series – Angela Bassett

A Discovery of Witches – 2

Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series – Matthew Goode

Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series – Teresa Palmer

Batwoman – 1

Best Actress in a Superhero Series – Javicia Leslie

Chapelwaite – 1

Best Actor in a Horror Series – Adrien Brody

Chucky – 1

Best Horror Series

Cobra Kai – 3

Best Action Series

Best Actor in an Action Series – Ralph Macchio

Best Actor in an Action Series – William Zabka

Doctor Who – 1

Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series – Jodie Whittaker

Doom Patrol – 2

Best Superhero Series

Best Actor in a Superhero Series – Brendan Fraser

Dr. Death – 2

Best Horror Series

Best Villain in a Series – Joshua Jackson

Evil – 6

Best Horror Series

Best Actor in a Horror Series – Mike Colter

Best Actor in a Horror Series – Aasif Mandvi

Best Actress in a Horror Series – Katja Herbers

Best Actress in a Horror Series – Christine Lahti

Best Villain in a Series – Michael Emerson

Foundation – 3

Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Series

Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series – Jared Harris

Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series – Lee Pace

Hawkeye – 3

Best Superhero Series

Best Actress in a Superhero Series – Hailee Steinfeld

Best Villain in a Series – Vincent D’Onofrio

Heels – 3

Best Action Series

Best Actor in an Action Series – Alexander Ludwig

Best Actress in an Action Series – Mary McCormack

Kung Fu – 2

Best Action Series

Best Actress in an Action Series – Olivia Liang

Loki – 5

Best Superhero Series

Best Actor in a Superhero Series – Tom Hiddleston

Best Actress in a Superhero Series – Sophia Di Martino

Best Actress in a Superhero Series – Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Best Villain in a Series – Jonathan Majors

Lucifer – 2

Best Superhero Series

Best Actor in a Superhero Series – Tom Ellis

Lupin – 2

Best Action Series

Best Actor in an Action Series – Omar Sy

Midnight Mass – 6

Best Horror Series

Best Actor in a Horror Series – Zach Gilford

Best Actor in a Horror Series – Hamish Linklater

Best Actress in a Horror Series – Kate Siegel

Best Actress in a Horror Series – Samantha Sloyan

Best Villain in a Series – Samantha Sloyan

Panic – 1

Best Actor in an Action Series – Mike Faist

Resident Alien – 2

Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Series

Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series – Alan Tudyk

Servant – 3

Best Horror Series

Best Actor in a Horror Series – Rupert Grint

Best Actress in a Horror Series – Lauren Ambrose

Snowpiercer – 3

Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Series

Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series – Daveed Diggs

Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series – Alison Wright

Squid Game – 4

Best Action Series

Best Actor in an Action Series – Lee Jung-jae

Best Actress in an Action Series – Kim Joo-ryoung

Best Actress in an Action Series – HoYeon Jung

Star Trek: Discovery – 2

Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Series

Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series – Sonequa Martin-Green

Station Eleven – 2

Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Series

Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series – Mackenzie Davis

Superman & Lois – 2

Best Superhero Series

Best Actor in a Superhero Series – Tyler Hoechlin

The Equalizer – 1

Best Actress in an Action Series – Queen Latifah

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – 1

Best Actor in a Superhero Series – Anthony Mackie

The Nevers – 1

Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series – Laura Donnelly

The Witcher – 2

Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Series

Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series – Henry Cavill

WandaVision – 5

Best Superhero Series

Best Actor in a Superhero Series – Paul Bettany

Best Actress in a Superhero Series – Kathryn Hahn

Best Actress in a Superhero Series – Elizabeth Olsen

Best Villain in a Series – Kathryn Hahn

Yellowjackets – 2

Best Horror Series

Best Actress in a Horror Series – Melanie Lynskey

Review: ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,’ starring Simu Liu, Tony Leung, Awkwafina, Meng’er Zhang, Fala Chen, Michelle Yeoh and Florian Munteanu

August 23, 2021

by Carla Hay

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton

Some language in Mandarin with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in China and in San Francisco, the superhero action film “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” features a predominantly Asian cast of characters (with some white people) representing heroes, villains and people who are in between.

Culture Clash: A Chinese man who ran away to the U.S. as a teenager, in order to get away from his ruthless overlord father, must confront his past and the power of 10 magical arm rings that are the source of the story’s conflict.

Culture Audience: “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and are looking for an enjoyable origin story that is not a sequel or a prequel.

Tony Leung and Fala Chen in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios)

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings” has plenty of heart and adventurous spirit to satisfy superhero movie fans. It’s too bad that the title character has a personality that’s duller than the average Marvel superhero. Shang-Chi is frequently outshined by his wisecracking female best friend/sidekick. And there’s a long stretch in the middle of the film that drags the pace down considerably.

Directed by Daniel Destin Daniel Cretton, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Rings” is an origin story that doesn’t dazzle in a spectacular way, but it gets the job done in a crowd-pleasing way that serves the movie’s target audience well. Cretton co-wrote the movie’s screenplay with Dave Callaham and Andrew Lanham. It’s yet another Hollywood studio superhero story about a superhero with “daddy issues.” The big difference this time is that the majority of the cast is Asian, mostly of Chinese heritage.

One of the problems with the movie is that the climactic showdown scene doesn’t offer much that most movie and TV audiences haven’t already seen before. To put it bluntly: This movie needed better villains. In “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” there’s a villain named Razor Fist (played by Florian Munteanu) with a machete as an arm. That pales in comparison to a “Stars Wars: Rise of Skywalker” villainous henchman named Cardo that had a shotgun for an arm.

Battles with dragons? Yawn. It’s very “Game of Thrones” and not much different from any recent big-budget live-action movie where the dragons are the big monsters that have to be defeated. And a hero going in a one-on-one duel fight against his villain father? Ever hear of “The Empire Strikes Back” or “Return of the Jedi”?

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is literally an origin story, since viewers see how, in China, his parents met, fell in love, got married, and had Shang-Chi as their first child. The movie shows Shang-Chi as a baby, as a pre-teen child (played by Jayden Zhang), as a teenager (played by Arnold Sun) and as an adult (played by Simu Liu). Shang Chi’s father Xu Wenwu (played by Tony Leung) was a corrupt overlord who came into possession of 10 magical arm rings (because bracelets must not sound macho enough) that allowed him to have immense power. His heart softened when he met Ying Li (played by Fala Chen), who charmed him after a sword duel that she won against him. It was love at first sight, and they got together soon after that.

Shang-Chi spent his entire life training to be a fighter and to follow in his father’s footsteps. Shang-Chi’s mother Li also gave him a special green pendant that she said he must never lose or give away. But tragedy struck when Shang-Chi was a teenager: His mother died. Wracked with griedfand despair, widower Xu Wenwu went back to his corrupt ways. There’s a part of the movie that reveals that Xu Wenwu also might have lost his mind to insanity.

When Shang-Chi was 14 years old, Xu Wenwu ordered him to complete his first “assignment” assassination. At age 15, Shang-Chi ran away from China to the United States. He ended up settling in San Francisco, where in high school he befriended a smart-alecky girl named Katy, and they’ve been best pals ever since. The movie does not show Shang-Chi’s American life during the time that he was in high school or in his 20s, but he and Katy have a few discussions about their past together.

Now in their early 30s, Shang-Chi (who changed his first name to Shaun) and Katy (played by Awkwafina) work together as parking valets at a ritzy hotel. They’re very educated and over-qualified for the job. He can speak four languages, while she has a master’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley. Katy has a mischievous and rebellious streak, since she’s the type of valet driver who will take a car out on a joy ride instead of parking it. That’s what she does when she gets handed the keys to a red BMW, which she takes to speed through traffic, with Shaun/Shang-Chi along for the ride.

Katy doesn’t know about Shang-Chi’s past until it catches up to him in one of the movie’s best action scenes. It’s when Iron Fist and some other thugs attack Shang-Chi and Katy while they’re on a moving bus. Katy is shocked to find out that her friend Shaun has superhero-level fighting skills. Later, he tells her that his real name is Shang-Chi.

But the “fight on the bus” scene kicks off the movie in a very thrilling way. The martial arts and choreography are top-notch. And there are some heart-pounding moments when Katy has the take the wheel of the bus and navigate through San Francisco’s hilly, narrow and crowded streets. It makes her daredevil joyrides as a valet look like an easygoing holiday in comparison.

Why is Shang-Chi being targeted by these goons, who seemed to come from out of nowhere? As he explains to Katy about his secret past, it means that his father must be looking for him, because the assassins took Shang-Li’s pendant. And you know what that means: Shang-Chi and Katy are going to China—Macau, to be more specific.

If non-talking monsters or aliens aren’t the main villains in a superhero movie, the talking villains better have a memorable personality. Unfortunately, as talented as Leung is as an actor, this type of formulaic, power-hungry overlord has been done in movies and TV so many times already. After watching “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” for the first time, the average viewer will be hard-pressed to remember one line of dialogue that Xu Wenwu said, although Leung certainly gives it his all in depicting a once-loving father who has since gone in an evil direction.

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” does have moments of levity, mainly because of Katy’s sarcasm and the MCU re-appearance of Trevor Slattery (played by Ben Kingsley), a flamboyant British actor who was previously seen in 2013’s “Iron Man 3.” It won’t be revealed here what Trevor does in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” but it’s enough to say that a cute faceless and furry creature that Trevor has with him (about the size of a dog) will be one of the most remembered aspects about “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”

Dr. Strange sidekick Wong (played by Benedict Wong) is another MCU character who’s in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” although Wong’s screen time is a lot less than Trevor’s. New characters to the MCU include Shang-Chi’s estranged younger sister Xialing (played by Meng’er Zhang, making an impressive feature-film debut) and their aunt Ying Nan (played by Michelle Yeoh), who is the sister of Shang-Chi and Xialing’s late mother.

Before Shang-Chi and Katy go through predictable scenes of training for the big showdown battle that takes place at the end of the movie, there’s another standout fight scene that takes place on a skyscraper. In many ways, the skyscraper scene and the bus scenes are more unique and more thrilling fight than the final battle scene. This movie’s action definitely shines the most when it has martial arts between humans, rather than visual-effect-heavy battles with mythical creatures.

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is a big step forward for Hollywood-made superhero movies that do not have a predominantly white cast. There’s plenty to like about the movie. But as an origin story, it relies a little too much on over-used, basic tropes. Except some of the fight scenes, there wasn’t a lot of originality in how this story was structured. The good news for people unfamiliar with the MCU, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is one of the few MCU movies that’s a true stand-alone film that doesn’t have a lot of references to other MCU films that you would have to know about to understand these references.

However, it’s not a good sign when one of those past references from an MCU movie (Trevor) is more entertaining to watch than the main hero and the main villain in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” Awkwafina might get mixed reactions in her role as Katy, since people seem to love or hate Awkafina’s off-screen personality. Liu is perfectly fine as Shang-Chi, but he doesn’t have the charisma to be in the upper echelon of beloved MCU characters. The rest of the cast is serviceable in their roles. This movie isn’t going to win any prestigious awards for any of the cast members.

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” also has disappointing mid-credits and end-credits scenes. People really won’t miss anything if they skip the credits. However, it’s enough to say that the mid-credits scene does show Shang-Chi, Katy, Wong and two other MCU characters. As far as escapist entertainment goes, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” delivers enough to satisfy people who are fans of superhero movies or martial arts. But people who want more magnetic personalities in action heroes might have to look elsewhere.

Marvel Studios will release “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” in U.S. cinemas on September 3, 2021. A one-night-only sneak preview of the movie was screened in select IMAX cinemas in the U.S. and Canada on August 18, 2021.