Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: Trope Or Trailblazer?
By Sonja Jugo
In the latest installment of the franchise, Marvel takes on a whole new beast — their first Asian superhero. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the long overdue “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (2021) takes a stab at Asian representation and does an exceptional job.
When Shang-Chi — known as Shaun in San Francisco — finds himself dragged back into the shadows of his hidden past, he teams up with his Asian-American best friend Katy to find his sister and face the leader of the elusive Ten Rings organization, who just so happens to be his estranged father. Part family drama, part martial arts film, director Destin Daniel Cretton works within Marvel’s strict confines to create a side-splitting film that still manages to touch the heart.
As a Mandarin speaker myself, it was a joy to hear the language spoken so fluently by the characters. So often Hollywood has settled for the mediocre, casting actors who speak Mandarin like they’re tone-deaf. In fact, this authenticity permeates the film, down to the overflowing shoe rack outside of the front door of Katy’s family’s apartment.
The first act is held together by a stellar performance from Awkwafina, whose teenage sass and brashness executes Katy’s over-the-top character with unbelievable believability. Simu Liu’s (Shang-Chi) acting errs on the flat side in the beginning, as if he were acting in the shadow of Akwafina’s comedy. But as his character grows, so does his depth.
It does stand to note that without the association to Marvel, the film would be disregarded as a cliche. A hero coming home to a secret Chinese village in the mountains? Sounds a little like “Kung Fu Panda 3” (2016). Cretton falls back on the audience’s existing immersion in the
Marvel Universe to draw audiences into Shang-Chi’s story — evident during a brief cameo from Wong (Benedict Wong), Master of the Mystic Arts in MCU’s “Doctor Strange” (2016).
Even so, he has managed to offer Asian audiences an oasis in the desert. With projects such as “The Glass Castle” (2017) and “Short Term 12” (2013), Cretton has a history of focusing on the people sidelined in mainstream pop culture. As Hollywood takes tentative steps toward increasing the industry’s diversity, Cretton bears the responsibility of Marvel’s Asian representation in stride.
With intricate fight scenes and an abundance of wit, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” stands out in the Marvel franchise as a pioneering tribute to Asian-Americans.
