Shang-chi

Stream on Disney+

Runtime: 2 Hours 17 Minutes

Rated PG-13

Shang-Chi is a master martial artist who was raised in isolation by his powerful father and trained from childhood to become a deadly assassin. But after escaping that life, Shang-Chi leaves his past behind and builds a new one with his best friend, Katy. Together, they are content jumping from one dead-end job to another and simply enjoying life.

However, when Shang-Chi is suddenly confronted by the past he thought he had escaped, he and Katy are pulled into a dangerous family conflict. Along the way, Shang-Chi discovers hidden truths about his family, his heritage, and the mysterious Ten Rings, and realizes that he may have to become the warrior he was always meant to be.

Themes:‍ ‍

Martial art, family, history, mysticism, friendship, adulthood, loss, hidden organizations, ninja warriors, change, love, blood debt, and training.

Language:‍ ‍

A*s - 2 B*tch - 1 D*mn - 3 Hell - 8 Sh*t - 6 Religious Exclamations - 7

The word screwed is used.

Stuff to be aware of:‍ ‍

‍ ‍Grossness - A little boy hits a wooden pole over and over again causing his knuckles to become a bloody mess. A huge demon monster explodes in epic gross glory.

‍ ‍LGBTQ+ - None

‍ ‍Scary - There are some mythical creatures/animals that make appearances. In the final battle, there are demon-like flying creatures that attack people and take away their souls. Spoiler alert, there is also a huge dragon! The scariest beast is a giant demon looking flying monster. The dragon and the demon beast have an epic battle.

‍ ‍Sexual - The word vagina is used in reference to someone being born. Several times, guys are seen without shirts.

‍ ‍Violence - Plenty of normal MCU violence and fighting, but with a martial arts flair. I will list things outside of that here. There are multiple fight scene in which people fall from great heights to their deaths.

‍ ‍Other - characters drink in a few scenes, and one character mentions whiskey. A person flips off another.

Overall:‍ ‍

Seeing It With Your Family

‍ ‍If you’ve continued to keep up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shang-Chi is pretty similar to other MCU movies when it comes to language and violence. There is plenty of action and martial arts combat, but it stays within the typical Marvel range. When it comes to sexual content, there really isn’t anything of concern.

What I Thought

I really enjoyed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and I don’t think it gets nearly enough respect within the MCU. For me, it’s one of the better movies to come out of the Multiverse Saga. It introduces a new corner of the MCU with some great action, interesting characters, and a story that feels different from many of the other Marvel movies around it.

There are also some really fun cameos, including the return of a character I didn’t realize how much I missed until he showed up. Now I want to see even more of him!

One of the movie’s biggest strengths, though, is the chemistry between Shang-Chi and Katy. Their friendship feels natural, funny, and genuine. I especially appreciate that they are allowed to simply be a male-female friendship without the movie feeling the need to turn their relationship into a romance. Their back-and-forth adds a lot of heart and humor to the movie.

Shang-Chi is funny, action-packed, and full of personality. Of all the new characters introduced during the Multiverse Saga, Shang-Chi is one I definitely want to see more of, and hopefully we won’t have to wait too much longer.If y