Marvel's "Shang Chi" well worth the price of admission

​By: Izzy Reyes

Shang Chi, the newest Marvel movie, released Sept. 3, is said to be one of the best of its time. Within the first weekend it had already made $94 million at the box office. 

At first, many thought the movie would be one of the less popular in the marvel universe due to its extreme budget cuts, but much to their surprise it became their new favorite.

Although there were massive budget cuts, the directors still managed to find the perfect man to play Shaun/Shang Chi (Simu Liu) and his heroic sidekick Katy (Awkwafina). We learn that the movie takes place around 2023. Shuan was a past martial arts master, and after an unfortunate event he has to join The Web of the Mysterious Ten Rings, which forces him to confront his hard past.

For two hours and twelve minutes, you are transported into the world where the movie takes place, and let me tell you, it’s one bumpy ride, mainly due to the change in relationships between characters, especially the one between Shaun and his father. 

When Shaun was young, his father was training him to become a soldier. In the midst of that, there was an incident that cost Shaun’s mother her life. Afterward, the training intensified and created a rift between father and son. 

Once Shaun was older, he met with his father again and there was this little bond they shared between them about the death of Shaun’s mom. But by the end of the movie they had become estranged again due to Shaun’s father’s desire for power. 

He started to listen to these voices in his head that were saying his wife wasn’t dead, that she was just trapped in another dimension. Shaun and his sister, Xialing, were now unsure what their fathers next move would be so Shaun had no other choice but to attack. In the end, blood was shed and Shaun's father died.

Another cool thing about this movie is that although it features many new actors, they both did their own stunts in the movie which is really impressive. There are a lot of intense fights and battle scenes that make the movie worth watching, and I definitely recommend this to anyone seeking a heartfelt thrill.