The Marvel cinematic universe is one of the most well-known movie series in the world. As beloved characters like Iron Man and Captain America are left behind, the new superheroes will have to be spectacular in order to keep audiences rooting for the Avengers. The newest installment, “Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”, will leave you astounded and anxiously anticipating the rest of Shang’s story.

This movie introduces characters Shaun and Katy, who are happily avoiding the thought of growing up. However, when it appears someone is hunting down Shaun and his sister for their pendants, Shaun must reveal his secret past life to Katy and figure out why his family is being targeted. 

SPOILER ALERTS AHEAD

Shang and Katy travel to China, where Shang was disciplined and trained to be a Kung Fu master. They, along with Shang’s sister, Xialing, discover that their father, Wenwu, has hunted them down in order to reunite their family. Their father believes that their late mother has been trapped in her home village, and he intends to break her out and burn the village to the ground. Shang, Katy, and Xialing are worried by Wenwu’s delusions, and realize they must find this village and save it before their father arrives. 

I walked into this movie unsure what to expect, but was very pleasantly surprised. I loved how the legend of the Ten Rings was incorporated, not as a magical weapon, but more like an ability that changes based on the person’s intentions. I was expecting Shang to try to steal his dad’s rings, but instead, he learns to wield them the way they were intended, and earns them from his father. The mythical aspects of the movie are so cool, from the ancient martial art Ta Lo, to the water dragon in the final battle scene. These elements make the movie feel magical and so much bigger than a typical superhero movie. The family dynamic was also very interesting to me, since we explored how each family member felt betrayed by the other. Rather than simply defeating his father, Shang had to confront his past, and find the strength inside him. The film shows our hero saving the world and making peace, not only with his father, but with himself.

This movie perfectly combined the action I was excited for with the backstory that made me root for Shang the whole movie. This movie is awesome and is perfect for anyone who’s been missing the feeling of leaving the movie theater after seeing one of your new favorite movies.