As the Marvel Cinematic Universe
proceeds further into its Phase 4 story arc, one might notice that the
franchise’s more superhuman characters are in limited series on Disney+ while
the films are headlined by “normal human” leads. While Wanda/Scarlet Witch and
Vision as well as Loki were busy in their respective shows, Scarlett Johansson’s
Black Widow went to action one last time (in a solo film that was actually a Phase
3-set prequel), and then Shang-Chi used his lifelong martial arts training to
stand against the secret society led by his father who wore magical iron rings.
True, there were dragons in the end of that movie but it was still primarily a
Kung-Fu adventure.
But the premise seems more than
enough as told by Comic Book Resources to secure for Marvel Studios’ “Shang-Chi
and the Legend of the Ten Rings” one of the most impressive box office runs
this year. Bear in mind that this is still all happening in the middle of a
global pandemic that could see some North American domestic and international markets
close their theaters when the film is supposed to be releasing. Building from a
September US Labor Day weekend premiere, “Shang-Chi” now has a US-Canada gross
of $145.6 million and $112 million globally, for a $257.6 million total.
Speaking of the box office, its
earnings have put this MCU blockbuster (in pandemic terms) as the Top 8 Best
Movie of 2021 in the US, and the Top 6 US-Produced Movie worldwide. But the
appeal of “Shang-Chi” was felt by critics too. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has the film at a 92% “fresh”
rating from 269 total reviews. Metacritic was a bit tougher with 71 out of 100
from 51 critics, but still “generally favorable.” This is the new best-reviewed
MCU installment thus far.
“Shang-Chi” stars Simu Liu as the
titular character, a martial arts expert trying to escape the influence of his
father Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung), leader of the Ten Rings society who has lived
millennia thanks to the power of the eponymous Ten Rings. The Ten Rings were initially
seen in the very first MCU movie, 2008’s “Iron Man,” with this film being the
first time its leadership has taken center stage. Other cast members include
Awkwafina, Meng’er Zhang, Benedict Wong, Michelle Yeoh and Sir Ben Kingsley. “Shang-Chi”
is still playing in cinemas globally, where available if not closed by COVID.
Image from Box Office Mojo
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