Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

We can all agree that by and large 2021 was not a good year. Thankfully, in one aspect, particularly the movies, it was a rousing success. We had everything from terrifying horror films and boundary-pushing animation to heartstring-pulling dramas and top notch action flicks. After a year at the movies and at home glued to every streaming service under the sun we’ve come up with a list of our personal top ten films of the year. Granted we didn’t get a chance to see everything and while we recognise some films here have their problems, these are the ones that made us the happiest to escape to from the scourge that was 2021.

But first, some honourable mentions. Godzilla vs. Kong brought the long awaited earth-shaking showdown of Kaijus on the scale they truly deserved. Jungle Cruise was the spiritual successor to 1999’s The Mummy we never knew we needed, anchored by the terrific chemistry of Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. The Suicide Squad was the hilarious, action-packed retcon of the abysmal 2016 instalment that proves James Gunn a master of the superhero (or in this case antihero) film. Nobody created an unlikely action hero out of veteran character actor Bob Odenkirk; a quirky, white-knuckle thriller from the creators of John Wick. Finally, the well overdue screenwriting return of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, The Last Duel, proved a thrilling, at times harrowing follow-up; an awful subject matter told in a non-conventional, always engaging way.

10. King Richard

Will Smith gives the performance of the year as the Williams’ patriarch; a deeply flawed yet deeply caring character who has carefully structured a plan to ensure his daughters dominate the game of tennis. Reinaldo Marcus Green’s film succeeds by focusing not on the successes of Venus and Serena throughout their competitive lives, but through its examination of the adversity and struggles they underwent to get where they are today. Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton quickly vault to the top of the pack as two of the most promising talents working today, but it’s Jon Bernthal who is the MVP supporting player, with an unusually quirky performance as coach-to-the-stars Rick Macci. An emotionally stirring sports biopic filled with heart, King Richard hits with all the force of a Williams’ sister serve.

9. Boiling Point

A kitchen caper that quickly moves beyond its one night in one location shot in one-take gimmick (no sneaky cuts here either, just one incredibly well choreographed 90 minute shoot) thanks to a carefully measured and constantly rising sense of tension, Boiling Point is, as well as an incredibly effective slow-burn thriller, a showcase for the talent that is Stephen Graham; a veteran English character actor who finally gets his time to shine here. Playing an overwhelmed chef on the busiest night of the year, Graham becomes superbly unhinged as problems are heaped on his shoulders, as a constantly roaming camera that moves from one disaster to the next contributes to a constant sensation that something is going to tip the scales here. When things do reach their peak and Graham self-destructs, it isn’t in a loud, overly melodramatic way, but a sad descent into the inevitable; a final gut wrenching piece of acting that cements Graham as a truly talented actor more than capable of carrying features like this.

8. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

It’s not easy to break into a franchise as established as the MCU, but Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings manages to introduce martial arts to the long-running Marvel series and make it look easy, with director Destin Daniel Cretton delivering some of the most exhilarating hand-to-hand combat since The Winter Soldier. What really cements Shang-Chi as a top-tier origin story is the deeply tortured, unconventional father-son relationship at its heart, thanks in no small part to Hong Kong cinema legend Tony Leung as Shang’s father Wenwu. He gives a gut-wrenching performance as a man who has returned to a pursuit of power after the death of his wife, tarnishing the relationships with his children in the process and stopping at nothing to obtain the power to resurrect his true love. Wenwu is one of the few MCU villains with a genuinely compelling driving force behind him and Marvel’s first Asian-starring superhero film is all the richer for it, even if Simu Liu isn’t given the material he deserves in his debut.

7. No Time to Die

Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond was a far more poignant affair than most had expected; a typical thrilling, action packed blockbuster sure, but one that gave Bond (and by extension Craig) time to reflect on his legacy. Cary Joji Fukunaga’s film feels like such a satisfying conclusion for Craig; his genuinely compelling romance with Léa Seydoux’s Madeleine reflecting the shift in Bond from macho-man cliché of old to a flawed, fully formed person craving a quieter life with someone he loves. The combat is a return to the crunchy, gritty hand-to-hand combat of Casino Royale that gives every bout the sense of life or death stakes; brutally violent and dangerous for a Bond that has stepped away from the game for so long. While Rami Malek’s villain falls short of being impactful or compelling, No Time To Die succeeds as a giant, multi-million dollar ride off into the sunset for one of the greatest Bonds to do it. Whoever is up next will have a tough time dethroning Daniel Craig.

6. The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Phil Lord and Chris Miller continue to push the envelope when it comes to animation, following up Oscar-winner Into the Spider-Verse with the arguably even better The Mitchells vs. the Machines; a frenetic, endlessly entertaining apocalyptic family road trip. On a purely animation level there’s simply nothing else like the Mitchells, a vibrant and unique style that feels alive in the doodlings and cutaway gags that appear on-screen borne out of the mind of film-obsessed Katie Mitchell (Abbi Jacobson). That creative energy is in stark contrast to family patriarch Rick (Danny McBride), making for some heartwarming and emotionally shattering moments as Rick fails to understand his daughter’s interests, struggling to connect with her where once they were as thick as thieves. The Mitchells is also extremely funny, which should come as no surprise given the comedy all-star voice cast (alongside Jacobson and McBride are SNL alumni Beck Bennett, Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph), delivering mile a minute laughs that perfectly complement the frantically-fast pace set by the constantly evolving animation. A step forward in animation that never forgets to have fun along the way.

5. Candyman

Reviving a decades-old horror franchise proved to be the right move for Nia DaCosta’s Candyman reboot/sequel, an atmospheric nightmare that creeps its way into your brain and sends shivers down your spine with each terrifying revelation into the mythology of Candyman. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II gives an unhinged performance as Anthony, a painter who feels a particularly sinister connection to the legend and its effects on the neighbouring Cabrini-Green projects, losing himself the further he investigates. Coming from Jordan Peele (co-written with DaCosta and Win Rosenfeld), it should be no surprise that Candyman packs a good amount of social commentary into its gentrification-focused horror but it never feels forced, with DaCosta letting the commentary flow from the situations that the characters find themselves in, rather than bombarding you with preaching messages. When things lean into the horror they do so with reckless abandon; a gory, balls-to-the-wall crazy finale capping everything off and reminding viewers why they shouldn’t be saying the Candyman’s name five times.

4. Dune

Denis Villeneuve’s return to the world of sci-fi is nothing short of a masterpiece in big-budget filmmaking. A visual spectacle from start to finish, Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal novel about the political treachery and war between the Atreides and Harkonnen families for control of Spice (a precious mineral) amazingly never gets lost in the enormity of the source material, adapting a small portion of the books and doing it extremely well. Every planet is distinct, with production design that is, ahem, out of this world and Villeneuve uses scale to create some of the most jaw-droppingly impressive set-pieces in recent memory, whether that be the arrival of a giant sand-worm or the mass planetary evacuation of giant starships. At its core, Dune is a story about family legacy and with an all-star cast led by Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson that grounded, relatable story shines through the spectacle, immediately investing you in Paul Atreides’ plight. The only negative is that we have to wait two years for the next instalment!

3. Spider-Man: No Way Home

Not only did Tom Holland’s third Spider-Man film live up to the hype that had been heaped onto it in the months up to release, but it flew past it; delivering a dark, more mature outing that never took the focus off Peter whilst juggling fan service and a complex story involving returning villains from different Spidey franchises. Alfred Molina and Jamie Foxx are a ton of fun reprising their roles here, but it’s Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin that is the standout, the veteran actor slipping right back into where he left off in 2002, contorting his face to denote the different personalities at play in his head and bringing a chaotically evil energy to go up against Spider-Man’s youthful innocence. It’s the third act that truly cements No Way Home as a top-tier Spider-man film however, a rousing finale that brings together more than 20 years of on-screen history for a showdown that rivals Avengers: Endgame in terms of sheer unbelievable spectacle. If you haven’t seen it at this point, then you must be one of about three people – what are you doing?

2. Belfast

A slice-of-life examination of a youth lost during the Troubles in Ireland in the late 60’s, Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical Belfast is a refreshingly intimate film from the usual blockbusters he directs. We follow young Buddy (Jude Hill) as he navigates the everyday problems associated with school and crushes, whilst struggling to comprehend the riots and political upheaval that have his mother (Caitriona Balfe), father (Jamie Dornan) and grandparents (Judi Dench & Ciarán Hinds) so shaken. As uplifting as it is harrowing at times, Branagh strikes the perfect balance between the childlike wonder which Buddy (Jude Hill) views the world through and the shocking realities of the uprising happening around the young boy, harsh lessons he must learn at an age far too young to truly comprehend them. But it’s the exploration of the people around Buddy, his family and friends that make Belfast such a special film; a celebration of Irish spirit, the collective humour of the place and the struggles that the people have gone through. Branagh’s best work in years.

1. Malignant

The best film of 2021 also might be its weirdest; a shocking departure from James Wan’s usual horror efforts that makes for one of the most refreshing, off-the-walls crazy films you can experience this year. What could be mistaken for another Conjuring or Insidious instalment from Wan takes a dramatic turn in the third act, with a reveal you won’t see coming that completely changes the tone and outcome of the film. That might sound like a jarring shift but Wan pulls it off so masterfully, slowly building up the tension of the events unfolding around Madison (Annabelle Wallis) through his usual carefully controlled scares and atmosphere of pitch-black dread that that twist feels like a relief, a punctuation of camp amidst reminiscent of 70’s giallo horror. This bold embrace of the weird combined with the tried and tested Wan-ism’s might not be to everyone’s taste, but there’s one thing you can’t argue: you’ve never seen anything like Malignant before.

After crafting old-school spy thrillers, cosmic space adventures and box-office crushing event films, the MCU has had to shift in recent outings to new territory. The time jumping Loki and the television spanning Wandavision have shown how the long-running series has attempted to adapt to new mediums, and with their latest effort Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Marvel has shown how their films are attempting to differentiate going forward, in this instance with a visual feast of martial arts excellence. The hero himself might be slightly undercooked on debut, but thanks to a brilliant supporting cast, a villain to rival Thanos and Loki and a rich appreciation for Asian culture, Shang-Chi triumphs; introducing yet another game-changing layer to the juggernaut franchise going into its 13th year.

Simu Liu is Shang-Chi, going by the name Shaun as he ekes out a living as a valet with best friend Katy (Awkwafina). When their usual bus ride is besieged by assassins hell bent on stealing a necklace from Shaun’s neck, Katy discovers that the friend she thought she knew so well has a dark past, thanks in no small part to his father Wenwu’s (Tony Leung) position as the leader of terrorist syndicate The Ten Rings (a proxy of which appeared before in Iron Man 3).

After scrambling to protect sister Xialing (Meng’er Zhang) from the same group of assassins the trio find themselves face to face with Wenwu himself, a shell of his former self following the death of his wife; an event which sent him down a dark path of devotion to the ten rings: ancient artefacts that grant the wearer eternal life and superhuman abilities. Now hearing his wife’s voice and desperate to save her from a dark hellscape, Wenwu launches an all-out assault against the mythical realm of Ta Lo, putting himself at odds with his children who understand that what is really calling out to Wenwu will destroy the world if unleashed.

The best thing Shang-Chi has going for it is just how much director Destin Daniel Cretton is able to bend the Marvel formula to conform around the Asian talent and culture rather than the other way around. This feels like a wholly unique (for the MCU at least) modern martial arts epic, drawing inspiration primarily from Chinese culture, with expertly choreographed fight scenes that looked like they could be outtakes from classic Wuxia films like House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. These scenes are truly special – the bus scene heavily featured in the trailers is a particular highlight along with a vertigo-inducing skirmish on a high-rise scaffolding – full of carefully considered camera placement that allows you to take in the fluidity of the action; almost dance-like in a way that MCU action has never been before – no super-powered slugfests here.

That cultural examination flows through to the story, one of the best the MCU has seen in a long time. At the core of all the martial arts and epic action is a family drama, a long-gestating conflict between a father and his children that Cretton expertly manipulates to ensure that the audience feels for Wenwu as well as the heroes. Tony Leung is exactly the type of imposing presence necessary to portray the conflicted Wenwu, who found love through his wife and family but has lost that light following her untimely death; steeling himself against the world that he believes is responsible for his loss.

Reaching out to his children in an attempt to reassemble the family unit before going to war to save their matriarch is the last glint of goodness in Wenwu’s life, and watching his children reject his offer to rejoin their family organisation is both empowering and necessary to build our heroes, but also devastating to the fragile state of Wenwu; the last straw before he devotes himself entirely to his mission. We feel Wenwu’s pain through Leung’s eyes alone, full of hurt, regret and ultimately acceptance of what he must do; a fantastic performance that adds immensely to the film’s huge emotional centre.

Unfortunately that level of depth doesn’t quite extend to the film’s titular hero. While Liu brings an impressive physicality to the role of Shang-Chi, the character seems strangely devoid of personality; his story being driven largely through the interesting cast of characters he intersects with rather than the man himself. Part of this blankness is understandable as Shang-Chi is our guide into this world of the mystical new but his time as part of the cutthroat world of assassins as a child does not seem to have shaped his personality in any way other than some killer fight moves and monumental daddy issues. Where his character goes from here is anyone’s guess, but after this film it is safe to say that Shang-Chi as a character hasn’t found his hook yet; nothing about him promises the kind of crossover fun with the Avengers that the franchise relies on to stoke excitement.

Fortunately the excellent supporting cast makes up for any misgivings with Shang-Chi himself, filled to the brim with screen-stealing talent at every turn. Awkwafina is comedy gold as the awkward friend Katy, but beyond that has a nice little side arc as her character struggles with finding her place in the world; a relatable and empowering storyline that shows you don’t have to have superpowers or be the chosen one to be special in your own way. The always brilliant Michelle Yeoh brings a level of gravitas to her mentor role as the guardian of Ta Lo, guiding Shang-Chi and his crew on their journey. The most surprising discovery however is Meng’er Zhang as Shang-Chi’s sister Xialing, delivering an exceptional performance in her first on-screen role; her hard, menacing exterior giving way to a big heart and some extremely poignant and heart-wrenching moments as the member of Wenwu’s family most often forgot about.

Brimming with culture and character – outside of its lead – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a breath of fresh air to an MCU in desperate need of one, bringing an entire new style of filmmaking to the party without ever losing the superhero fun that Marvel does so well. The new supporting characters and world it introduces have a depth that will surely see them become a staple of the franchise going forward; steeped in culture without ever alienating audiences unfamiliar with their origins. Destin Daniel Cretton should be applauded for bringing his distinctive style to the series where other directors haven’t been as succeessful, crafting a film that is not only a successful Marvel film, but a successful celebration of Asian culture and the Asian experience throughout the world.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings stars Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Meng’er Zhang, Fala Chen, Michelle Yeoh, Florian Munteanu, Ben Kingsley & Tony Leung – In cinemas now.