![]() Deciding to pursue work in film and television instead, he quickly landed roles on series such as Heroes Reborn (2015),Īir Crash Investigation (2003). Working at a top accounting firm for nearly a year, Liu was laid off. After graduating from the Richard Ivey School of Business and ![]() Immigrating from China at the age of 5, Simu was raised in Mississauga, Before his leading role in a Marvel movie, he played Jung Kim on the CBC sitcom Kim's Convenience (2016). Together, the writing trio earnestly attempt to infuse some elements of Chinese myth and storytelling into what's known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Simu is a Chinese-Canadian actor who won a Game Changer Award and People's Choice Award for his role as Shang-Chi in the Marvel movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). Cretton's frequent writing partner Andrew Landam is also credited. Shang-Chi co-writer Dave Callaham (best known for his work on The Expendables) is Chinese-American. In interviews, director Destin Daniel Cretton has talked about relating to Shang-Chi's journey of self discovery and emphasising the Asian dedication to family. Cretton himself isn't Chinese his mother was Japanese-American, his father white and he grew up in Hawaii. Those grander themes come at the cost of the more light-hearted humour which Liu and Awkwafina excel at. WATCH | Shang-Chi face off against opponents in a fast-moving fight scene from the film:Īs Shang-Chi is reunited with his long-lost sister, the film's tone shifts back into a more sombre mode when Wenwu reveals his plan to finally conquer the mythical realm of Ta Lo.īeneath the dazzling rings and furious fight choreography is a story about a son struggling with who he was meant to be, and fighting to leave his father's shadow. Perhaps you've seen the bus scene in the trailers as Simu Liu battles the bad guys in close combat as the vehicle careens down San Francisco streets. With his best bud Katy, played by Awkwafina, at his side, it appears Shang-Chi's life has stalled until Daddy's thugs show up. Soon we find ourselves stateside, where we meet Shang-Chi, Wenwu's grown-up son, hiding from his father while working as a valet. What begins as a posturing battle turns into something closer to dance as Wenwu and Ying Li trade blows, like slender branches bowing in the wind. When Wenwu meets Ying Li, the protector of a mythical village, we are quite literally swept into a wuxia film, the soaring martial arts genre popularized in the West by Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. (Marvel Studios) Marvel channels a classic Chinese film style Wenwu (Tony Leung) and Ying Li (Fala Chen) face off in a moment where a battle scene blurs into something like dance near the beginning of the film. ![]() A crimelord driven by a tragic sense of love and loyalty. Legendary Hong Kong film star Tony Leung opens the film as Wenwu, the power-hungry general and keeper of the ten rings, mysterious weapons of devastating power he's used in the shadows for centuries. Wenwu doesn't have Killmonger's visceral sense of rage but instead, Leung gives us an antagonist that's more magnetic than monstrous. Once again with Shang-Chi, the villain nearly steals the show. With that film, director Ryan Coogler drew on his own experience growing up Black in Oakland California to inform Killmonger, one of Marvel's most vital villains in a decade. The result is a film with inspired moments, but nowhere near the breathtaking boldness of Black Panther. Similar to 2018's Black Panther, it's a long overdue dose of diversity, adding more Asian characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a film inspired by Chinese folklore and film styles. It's also the first theatrical release for Marvel's much-hyped Phase Four. Discounting the ever proliferating Disney+ shows, Shang-Chi gives fans their first taste of the next decade of Marvel's cinematic ambitions. Now how about an Asian American hero?- so much riding on Shang-Chi's shoulders it's hard to separate the film from what it represents. ![]()
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