If you watch any Donny Yen, Jet Li or even Jack Chan movies you notice that every fight IS like a dance. Asian fight cinema doesn’t get enough credit for how good they are. Highly recommend IP man, fist of legend and legend of drunken master.
I know it’s choreographed so it’s always on point and high speed. But in the context of “the story”, Asian fight cinema always makes me speechless by how fast the fighters/characters can “think and move”. Where to to “step” and “grab” things like that.
lol I don't consider dancing to be good fight cinematography. I mean the concept is neat for about 5 mins.... and then it's just gay. Not that's there's anything wrong with that. Except that isn't FIGHTING
I know you guys love romance, but I think having one example of a male/female relationship that are just best friends is also healthy too. Personally, I hope they stay friends.
@@m2vuong I didn't say that. He can fall in love with someone else in the sequel and I'd be happy for him. The point is every male hero with their own movie in the past has been introduced along with a female counterpart they fall in love with. It's nice that they break the mold in this movie. Dr. Strange did something similar by seemingly having the pair already be past their relationship and focusing on other things.
@@m2vuong I understand that concern, but it can ALSO make sense that Shang Chi finds love in a sequel. I'd rather his best friend remains his platonic best friend. You don't get that a lot in media.
Even in the first Iron Man, Tony doesn't get with Pepper right away. If Shang and Katy get together later, it's nice that we can see progression from good friends to something more, instead of being paired up right away, just to have a forced romance subplot in what's supposed to be an origin story about his family.
I agree, I don't love that every male and female lead in a film has to be forced into a romantic relationship- Simu Liu and Awkwafina have great chemistry, but they are perfect as the kind of best friends who become your family.
4:50 - fun fact, in the Polish dub of the movie, instead of Jeff Gordon, she calls herself being like Kimi Raikkonen (the Finnish F1 driver), someone we know much better than the NASCAR racer.
Fun Fact: the big beast that Wong is fighting...the one he called Emile....He was in the Incredible Hulk; he's Emile Blonski, Who's known as Abomination in the comics. They decided to tweek his appearance to look more similar to the comics while keeping some features of his look from Incredible Hulk. That Wong can actually fight him in close like that says a lot about Wong's fighting ability. Also judging from their banter I think they both have a deal to put on a show to make money.
Shang and Katy don't have that kind of relationship that you two were hoping for the entire time :D I think this may in fact be the first MCU movie where the secondary character isn't a love interest of some sort really. Moving forward they may go in that direction, but I don't think that's a smart move - they do so well together as just friends who love each other without "that love" so to speak.
Tony Leung is a brilliant actor. He has appeared in some of the best movies to ever come out of Hong Kong. You should see; In The Mood For Love, Lust Caution, The Grandmaster, Chung King Express and Infernal Affairs just for starters! Infernal Affairs was remade by hollywood as The Departed staring Leo and Jack.
Tony Leung is of course a legend in Hong Kong cinema, and Michelle Yeoh obviously is more recognizable for having already broken into the western film market over twenty years ago, but there's one actor in this movie that western audiences really should know more about -- Yuen Wah. He only has a small role in this flick (he plays Guang Bo, the older warrior in Ta Lo who Wenwu chastises as "young man") but he happens to be one of the great HK character actors, not to mention an exquisite martial artist who learned his craft alongside fellow Peking Opera school students Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung. He's likely most recognized by western audiences as the Landlord in Kung Fu Hustle, and that's a shame because he has many, many memorable roles in HK cinema (usually, though not always, as a slimy villain). Do a deep dive into his film career and you'll uncover all kinds of cinematic treasures. PS -- As much as I enjoy these reaction vids, the ad interruptions every 2-3 minutes are a huge turn-off. Maybe spread them out a bit more.
My most favorite thing about this film is the sound track. The 1st track on the Original Film Score is titled Xu Shang-Chi, his name. The 2nd Track is Your Father, and the 4th Track is Your Mother. And if you play both Your Father and your Mother soundtracks together, you'll hear parts of the 1st song, Xu Shang-Chi. This is literally the film score telling you that Xu Shang-Chi, the main character, is made up of both his Father and Mother. It's so good.
Another little fun fact. When Katy says that her Chinese sucks to jon-jon, he relies “oh no worries, I speak ABC”. This is a funny shorthand way of saying English but also ‘abc’ is a common abbreviation for an ‘American born Chinese’ person. So him saying he speaks abc is also a funny way of kinda poking fun at Katy for not knowing Chinese well
I'm ok with how they changed the power of the Rings for the MCU. In the comics the Mandarin held each Ring on a different finger giving him ten different powers. Left thumb "Daimonic" emit energy along the electromagnetic spectrum. Right "Remaker" rearrange atoms/molecules speed up or slow down their movement. Left index "Incandescence" emit infrared radiation creating heat blast of varying temperature. Right "Influence" creates a concussive force; impact beam. Left middle finger "Lighting" emit electricity blast of varying current. Right "Spin" uses air creating a high speed Vortex beam. Left Ring finger "The Liar" magnifies the wearer's own psionic energy; mentally control people, transmit orders, create illusions. Right "Spectral" creates a disintegration beam that takes twenty minutes to recharge after using it. Left pinky "Zero" emits waves of cold temperatures creating ice blast; can lower the temperature of objects zero. Right "Nightbringer" can create an area of absolute darkness absorbing all light within it.
I loved the Shang-chi movie. Xialing, the sister, was my favorite character in this movie and I'm really curious to see what she's going to do with that organization. Glad you all got to watch this movie!
I just noticed that akwafina’s friend at the beginning who was telling them to grow up , was Stephanie Shu ( excuse the spelling) from “everything everywhere all at once” She is nominated for an Oscar this year . And she’s great !
The story of Shang-Chi, and particular his dad, and transferring it to screen was pretty interesting. The character was created for a comic title called "Master of Kung-Fu" to get on the Kung Fu craze of the 70's. Around the same time, Marvel got the license to character named Fu Manchu, who was sort of a contemporary of Sherlock Holmes, and because he was villain, thought it would work best as Shang-Chi's father/antagonist. Eventually, the rights expired, and he was put in comic book limbo, with 1) The owners not thrilled with what Marvel was doing, and and 2) People being like "Okay, Fu Manchu is actually a really racist collection of stereotypes." Come 2008, we have an Iron Man movie, and the director not wanting to use the Mandarin, Iron Man's traditional archenemy, because he was also very problematic, but not as much as Fu Manchu. (He at least has a cool gimmick irrespective of being Chinese) The Iron Man movies run their course, with the Mandarin IM going up against not even being a "real" person. Eventually it's decided to make Shang-Chi, Marvel's first Asian star, into a movie. But Marvel cannot use Fu Manchu, and frankly, would not want to go the trouble, so they bring in the Mandarin. This plugs in a hole in the storyline, and sands the edges off of troublesome "White capitalist vs scary foreigner" dynamic.
No Fu Manchu was a good call. And they changed the rings from the finger kind to arm ones. Comic book accurate would look too much like an infinity gauntlet on each hand. lol...
Dude you just wrote a whole story, complete with paragraphs and you've left out the part where the movies start or that nobody gives a crap about shang-chi
@@johnfive2440 Some parts and characters from Master of Kung Fu were brilliant (Nayland Smith, Clive Reston, and especially Black Jack Tarr). Their omission (so far) was the only real disappointment I had with the movie. So you can take that "nobody gives a crap" and file it where the sun never shines youngster. 😏
11:53 Fun fact: Meng Er Zhang, who plays Xialing actually had zero experience in martial arts. This film was her debut and when she auditioned, she had no idea she was getting the role of Shang Chis sister. But she trained for months and many experts who watched this film thought she was a master. Bonus fun fact: she started filming this movie single. And when the movie wrapped, she was married. The entire cast took the newlyweds out for karoake to celebrate.
I enjoy a film the most when I see people making connections to the film they're watching and truly invest in it. Cassie and Carly are my favorite to watch!!!
Here's the thing, my interpretation of this movie is that is as much as about Shang Chi as about his father, Wenwu. So this man lived for atleast a thousand years and he wasn't holding back his desires and whatnot. So he prob took whatever he wanted for all that time and eventually got bored, until he met Ying Li (his wife to be) and suddenly his 1000 years old life has meaning. Wenwu gave up everything for her and became happy. actually happiness maybe for the first time ever. And then that one and only happiness in a 1000 years went away, partially because of him. Why wouldn't he do everything he could to get that back? You could argue that he should love his children too right? The guy been alive for 1000 years you don't think he has other children? Prob lived and died over and over. So eventually you might not care that much about your children that much when you had hundreds. Imagine living for 1000 years and care about one thing.
17:05 Fun fact even though it's a quick moment during the flashback. Yiling is actually pranking Wenwu in this scene. On their date, she's teaching him the basics of her style of martial arts. Actually, she put him in a classic horse stance. In Chinese, even with the lowered audio, he's asking her if he's doing it right. She's responds with a cheeky grin, "Nope. Like this." And when he's about to turn and look at her, she quickly tells him, "Eyes forward." Because she doesn't want him to see she's holding in her laughter because of how ridiculous he looks.
It's worth remembering that for comic book fans and plenty of the folks that work on them, Marvel movies are the fulfillment of dreams we had when we were younger. When the very idea of seeing the stories we loved come to life as movies, were nothing more than distant improbabilities.
The best part of this movie is when the lion-dog straight-up yeets one of the Ten Rings soldiers into the far distance like a ping-pong ball. It's a decent movie overall, but that one part just had me rolling. Guy taps it with his electro-sword, and the thing is just like, "dude, wtf are you doing?" And then just paws the guy off into the sky.
Im not gonna lie this movie might be my favourite marvel movie, it’s so pretty to watch and has such a different feel to the other movies. Plus the cast is amazing and I love the way ist written Also loved all of the cool badass female characters
Actually in Chinese martial arts (or fantasy) , it is well known that the soft can conquer the hard. It is not simply strength or power, because all things can be strong and powerful. Like water that drips through stone or wind that carves tunnels. So shang chi's mom used a soft style to turn his dad's strength against him.
@@Delostacia Many reaction channels watched the film without knowing anything about STAR TREK and still loved it! I'm a STAR TREK fan for over 30 years and maybe reaction videos like this would get people to watch STAR TREK as well! 🖖
11:02 There is in fact a Black Widow and Iron Man 3 reference in this scene when they walk past the cells with all the fights. The girl that's fighting the glowing soldier. He's an Extremis soldier from the third Iron Man movie. But the girl that is named Helen is a Black Widow that Nat and Yelena freed from the Red Room. Look carefully at her outfit and you'll see the Black Widow Emblem. Even better because you can even spot her character again in the scene when all the Widows are about to gang up and fight Nat during the final battle of her movie. Same actress and same character credited in these two films.
I'm going to suggest that Marvel "WHAT IF..." is like dessert - some might argue that it's not a necessary part of the meal and yes some people skip dessert, but... it's pretty easy to eat... and I'm going to say "save room for dessert!" 😀😋
I would suggest watching this before Dr. Strange and the multiverse of madness. It's not technically necessary but it does help with references. They make quite a bit of references to what if in Dr. Strange MoM.
What you've probably been told by others (by now) is that Xialing was setting up the Ten Rings to be part of her commercial fight-for-money outfit. She's putting them into the entertainment business.
You guys are killing me, it is so much fun watching these movies with your commentary, I am not getting anything else done! The level of cuteness is off of the charts! Keep it up, you two are awesome.
I got a kick out of seeing Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley) show up in this after only seeing him in Ironman 3 as the same character (the fake Mandarin). He plays that role so hilariously for being such a serious actor most of his career.
The "open palm" technique is actually Tai Chi Chuan, which is based on the movements from Tai Chi (which old people do in the park. This is known as a "soft martial art" which means open palm and more works on the spirituality of the "Chi" / lifeforce energy / "the Force". There are legends of the abilities in ancient manuscripts and old tales - this is why martial arts movies often defy the laws of "physics" (as we know it).
Another great reaction, I enjoyed this movie when I saw it in a theater. Tony Leung (the father) and Michele Yeoh (the aunt) are legendary kung fu movie stars. You might find "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" with Michele Yeoh, and "Kung Fu Hustle" (a comedy) with the guy who played the archer mentor in Shang-Chi, of interest if you want to delve into a couple entertaining kung fu movies.
Part of me wonders if the amazement of seeing Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon will be a little lost on them after seeing this movie, as some of the fight scenes seem to be hugely inspired by it (and forgive me if something with similar scenes came before Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon... I'm not well-versed in that kind of cinema). I just remember the amazement and awe I felt when I saw Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in the theater, on IMAX. Such a beautiful movie... I hope that Cassie and her sister watch it.
This has become my favorite MCU movie. It feels like a live action anime. I’m here for it too. However, the MCU did create a film world where the mid-budget movie no longer exists. Movies such as the recent 90’s movies you’ve posted sadly aren’t being made anymore. I watch all movies released at the theaters but I’m also one to watch every MCU release on opening night and multiple times. So I’m part of the problem as well.
I sure hope y'all have watched the Marvel One-Shot (well, all of them, actually, but specifically here), "All Hail the King." It will become relevant late in the movie. You may also remember that the Ten Rings was the name of the organization that kidnapped Tony Stark in Afghanistan, and which was the name of the terrorist group in IRON MAN 2, as well. It all makes sense eventually.
7:00 "I don't want any trouble." Is a Jackie Chan reference and tribute. The bamboo fight also was fantastic for showcasing and referencing Rush Hour 2. The Jackie Chan stunt team worked on this film and did the action choreography.
This movie really does a great job of putting an Asian family dynamic on screen. So much of it is very relatable in its little moments. Love that many people think at the end that his sister is making the ten rings better, when there’s never any indication that she will. You can see how hurt she was by her family essentially turning their backs on her, and it’s so telling when she says that if her father won’t let her into his empire that she’d build her own. As much as it’s a badass line to say, it’s also pretty telling of where her head is at. Also really like that Shang and Kady don’t become a couple in it, it really does feel like they are just really really good friends. Who knows in the future if they put them together, but I like that you can have a male and female lead in a movie and not fall back on a relationship trope. Loved your reaction! It was so much fun! Think I’ll go rewatch the movie now as it really is such a fun ride. Keep up the great work!
Being in Canada, you may already know and/or may have already seen the show Kim's Convenience, starring Simu Liu. If not, it is a great, hilarious show. Some of the colorful dragon creatures reminded me of Raya and The Last Dragon, which also has the voice of Awkwafina. So, I like to think that was intentional.
I'm old. I read Shang-Chi back in the day. This film is so far removed from that, I was very "meh" about it. But when I see films through your eyes, I get a fresh, wonderful perspective. I wish...well, I wish I weren't tired and jaded and so aware of the beats etc of a film (watching & reading films for 50plus years will do that) that I could be surprised and amazed and moved like I used to be. You both bring that back somewhat. That's why I subscribed. To enjoy the films. Your reactions to this one and the latest Spider-Man made both films resonate on levels they hadn't at the cinema. I found you when you did "Jaws" (my favourite film). I'm a (very) long-time Marvel fan. Thank you both for what you do.
I REALLY enjoyed watching this with you both! HANDS DOWN my absolute FAVORITE of all the films! Thanks so much for sharing your experience watching and enjoying this film for the first time. I absolutely loved it.! :-)
Enjoyed this movie when I watch it during its release. The flashback part where the dad said a blood debt needs to be paid with blood has some meaning as well.
Happy Mother's Day, Cassie!🌹 Great reactions as always, Ladies!!!🎬👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Red twizzlers is one of my favorite snacks. That dragon was just beautiful to look at. Bringing back Trevor was a good way to add some comedy to this sometimes very serious film.
I love the Eternals movie and this one too. Glad you enjoyed this one and yes they are bringing X-men into the MCU along with the vampire/human hybrid Blade that was originally played by Wesley Snipes but now will be someone new and the Fantastic Four will also be included at some point which worries me because so far the last attempt at doing so wasn't a good movie compared to the original 2.
@@IcyTorment I know not many enjoy Eternals but I did very much. I never saw it in the theaters sadly but still I liked it. It also helps that I did research about the two after credit scenes as well.
G'day ladies, thanks for posting your reaction. I'm glad that you enjoyed the movie. You're right about Marvel taking a different direction in the story telling in making it more of an Asian fantasy/fairy-tale element which makes the movie more palatable for the senses. Cannot wait for your next Marvel movie review. Take care.
The fun fact in all asian movies is that unlike American movies , us Asians focus on character sketch , cultural references , traditions And the legends . That's why there is still considerably lower scenes of intimacy or kissing even in such movies .... They portrait us to stay true to our roots . Marvel ,out of the standard,has done an Absolutely brilliant job in incorporating Shang Chi within Marvel fantasy but also with cultural references. Dr strange , kamartaj was located in Nepal i believe which suggests ancient power is greater than any modern tech things . Kung fu , martial arts or kind of realistic intense fight scenes can be seen in such asian movies . Loved your guys reaction . I guess Shang Chi will be mentored by wong to harness the power of the rings so it might take some time to make them mix with Dr strange .
I don't actually think the sister is going to go full villain...but there will probably be some conflict later. I'm pretty sure what happened, is that she really did go there with the intent of disbanding her father's organization, but then decided that such powerful resources would be better turned to more beneficent pursuits. Why throw away all that money and infrastructure when you can use it to help people instead? She's still got some development ahead of her, but I think her general intentions really are honorable. She's just going to make some mistakes because she's still somewhat hardened by her past.
'That guy' the faux Mandarin is Sir Ben Kingsley. He has acted a bit here or there, he also is very funny in this movie. But the true jewel is Michelle Yeoh, Miss Singapore 1973 (Miss Universe) who then picked up martial arts, I don't know that I have seen her in a bad movie, top 5 bond girl evah. Here you know her as Auntie.
And the guy that was Live Streaming the fight on the bus has appeared in a MCU movie before. He was in Spider-man: Homecoming. He was the man on the street that told Spider-Man to "Do a flip" early while Spider-Man was on a roof and cheered when Spider-man did the flip.
I got the impression at the end that his sister was setting it up the "right" way. She was cut off and left out from her dad's buisness and therefore she will be inclusive to all with her operation.
For the people that complain that marvel is just releasing movies, tell them to not watch it. I kind a feel it in my wallet going to the theater for all of them. All the creature you see in Ta Lo are mythical creatures from Chinese mythology. Each animals is a symbol for something or another. The fight scene in the movie was inspired by Jackie chan's rush hour 2 (bamboo scaffolding) and king fu hustle (killing the big boss at the end). The bus where he used his jacket to fight was from one of Jackie chan's movie but he uses his environment in many movies so I can remember specifically when.
Popcorn: I think you'll really enjoy "47 Ronin." A very fantasized tale set in 18th Century Japan, about 47 rouge samurai (samurai not in the service of a lord are ‘ronin'), with an underlying love story between an outcast half-American/English half-Japanese man, born to a loose Japanese woman (prostitute?), and a Japanese noble-woman - who attempt to avenge the death (murder) of their lord. Based on a legend that endures and is celebrated to this day in Japan. With a fine performance by Keanu Reeves, Give it a view, you really won't regret it, enjoy!
This is my 2nd favorite MCU movie after Avengers: End Game (well Infinity War too, so 3rd?) I love how they transformed the Rings into Bracelets. Their powers are very different than in the comic books, each one is supposed to have an individual power but the writers didn't want them to sound similar to the Infinity Stones. I don't have a clue as to when Shang-Chi or the Ten Rings would be involved with any future MCU storyline, but I hope they have a Shang-Chi 2 where they tell us the origin of the Rings.
23:07 not the only one, In her sisters fight club Wong was fighting The Thing from The Incredible Hulk, there was a Widow fighting an Extremis guy too in there
Btw the monster Wong was fighting was Abomination, bad guy from the Hulk movie. He will return in the new show, She-Hulk. I was glad we finally got a real Mandarin. I really liked how he looked in Iron Man 3. Was so pissed in the theater when he was revealed to be a fake. Too bad Iron Man never got to meet the real one since they have fought many time in the comics.
U girls are So Cool. I Love over watching this movie with you two. Hope to do it again sometime. Stay safe & have a Great weekend & spoil ur Mom's tomorrow. ✌🏾
Fun Fact: the thing Wond from Dr Strange was fighting when they get to his sister's place is Abomination, he's from the Hulk movie (where edward norton is playing Bruce Banner) which is the first cannon MCU movie =)
the actor of Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) really did all of his stunts which is what i love about this movie, also Shang-Chi doesn’t have any powers (except for the rings) he’s just so good at so many fighting styles and trained for so long he is able to go toe to toe with actual superheroes like spiderman in the comics, and win
3:10 The crew of this film worked on the Matrix films. Which is why this scene looks similarly to how the characters and action sequences look like a Matrix fight.
I think the explanation of Ta- Lo’s location it’s the same situation as Asgard was instead of being a entirely new dimension like it shows in future marvel movies this is called a wormhole realm
If you watch any Donny Yen, Jet Li or even Jack Chan movies you notice that every fight IS like a dance. Asian fight cinema doesn’t get enough credit for how good they are. Highly recommend IP man, fist of legend and legend of drunken master.
A reaction to House of Flying Daggers or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, just for the aesthetics would be fun.
The fight coreographer for Shang-Chi (Andy Cheng) worked with Jackie Chan for decades. But that's why the fighting was so good.
I know it’s choreographed so it’s always on point and high speed. But in the context of “the story”, Asian fight cinema always makes me speechless by how fast the fighters/characters can “think and move”. Where to to “step” and “grab” things like that.
Chow yun fat xx
lol I don't consider dancing to be good fight cinematography.
I mean the concept is neat for about 5 mins.... and then it's just gay.
Not that's there's anything wrong with that. Except that isn't FIGHTING
I know you guys love romance, but I think having one example of a male/female relationship that are just best friends is also healthy too. Personally, I hope they stay friends.
So no love for the Asian male MCU character. Most or all lead superheroes have love interest…hmmmm
@@m2vuong I didn't say that. He can fall in love with someone else in the sequel and I'd be happy for him. The point is every male hero with their own movie in the past has been introduced along with a female counterpart they fall in love with. It's nice that they break the mold in this movie. Dr. Strange did something similar by seemingly having the pair already be past their relationship and focusing on other things.
@@m2vuong I understand that concern, but it can ALSO make sense that Shang Chi finds love in a sequel. I'd rather his best friend remains his platonic best friend. You don't get that a lot in media.
Even in the first Iron Man, Tony doesn't get with Pepper right away. If Shang and Katy get together later, it's nice that we can see progression from good friends to something more, instead of being paired up right away, just to have a forced romance subplot in what's supposed to be an origin story about his family.
@@HeatRaver Yeah.. but Tony Stark a player.
The most refreshing thing about this movie is that they DIDN’T fall in love
Fuck yeah.
cuz Disney probably wants the two main girls to be lesbian lol
I agree, I don't love that every male and female lead in a film has to be forced into a romantic relationship- Simu Liu and Awkwafina have great chemistry, but they are perfect as the kind of best friends who become your family.
Definitely. Need to display more healthy platonic relationships.
So refreshing
4:50 - fun fact, in the Polish dub of the movie, instead of Jeff Gordon, she calls herself being like Kimi Raikkonen (the Finnish F1 driver), someone we know much better than the NASCAR racer.
Fun Fact: the big beast that Wong is fighting...the one he called Emile....He was in the Incredible Hulk; he's Emile Blonski, Who's known as Abomination in the comics. They decided to tweek his appearance to look more similar to the comics while keeping some features of his look from Incredible Hulk. That Wong can actually fight him in close like that says a lot about Wong's fighting ability. Also judging from their banter I think they both have a deal to put on a show to make money.
The fuck, _really??_
@@existenceisrelative Yes, Wong was fighting Abomination.
@@patrickcromwell7554 That makes Shang Chi better!
Yup. They should have made Hulk look the same from Incredible Hulk as well
Wong has to make his sandwich money somehow.
Shang and Katy don't have that kind of relationship that you two were hoping for the entire time :D I think this may in fact be the first MCU movie where the secondary character isn't a love interest of some sort really. Moving forward they may go in that direction, but I don't think that's a smart move - they do so well together as just friends who love each other without "that love" so to speak.
Tony Leung is a brilliant actor. He has appeared in some of the best movies to ever come out of Hong Kong. You should see; In The Mood For Love, Lust Caution, The Grandmaster, Chung King Express and Infernal Affairs just for starters! Infernal Affairs was remade by hollywood as The Departed staring Leo and Jack.
Red Cliff I think should be the first one, it's one of his best.
Tony Leung brought this movie up 10 levels.
Tony Leung is of course a legend in Hong Kong cinema, and Michelle Yeoh obviously is more recognizable for having already broken into the western film market over twenty years ago, but there's one actor in this movie that western audiences really should know more about -- Yuen Wah. He only has a small role in this flick (he plays Guang Bo, the older warrior in Ta Lo who Wenwu chastises as "young man") but he happens to be one of the great HK character actors, not to mention an exquisite martial artist who learned his craft alongside fellow Peking Opera school students Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung. He's likely most recognized by western audiences as the Landlord in Kung Fu Hustle, and that's a shame because he has many, many memorable roles in HK cinema (usually, though not always, as a slimy villain). Do a deep dive into his film career and you'll uncover all kinds of cinematic treasures.
PS -- As much as I enjoy these reaction vids, the ad interruptions every 2-3 minutes are a huge turn-off. Maybe spread them out a bit more.
My most favorite thing about this film is the sound track. The 1st track on the Original Film Score is titled Xu Shang-Chi, his name. The 2nd Track is Your Father, and the 4th Track is Your Mother. And if you play both Your Father and your Mother soundtracks together, you'll hear parts of the 1st song, Xu Shang-Chi. This is literally the film score telling you that Xu Shang-Chi, the main character, is made up of both his Father and Mother. It's so good.
Another little fun fact. When Katy says that her Chinese sucks to jon-jon, he relies “oh no worries, I speak ABC”. This is a funny shorthand way of saying English but also ‘abc’ is a common abbreviation for an ‘American born Chinese’ person. So him saying he speaks abc is also a funny way of kinda poking fun at Katy for not knowing Chinese well
I'm ok with how they changed the power of the Rings for the MCU. In the comics the Mandarin held each Ring on a different finger giving him ten different powers.
Left thumb "Daimonic" emit energy along the electromagnetic spectrum. Right "Remaker" rearrange atoms/molecules speed up or slow down their movement.
Left index "Incandescence" emit infrared radiation creating heat blast of varying temperature. Right "Influence" creates a concussive force; impact beam.
Left middle finger "Lighting" emit electricity blast of varying current. Right "Spin" uses air creating a high speed Vortex beam.
Left Ring finger "The Liar" magnifies the wearer's own psionic energy; mentally control people, transmit orders, create illusions. Right "Spectral" creates a disintegration beam that takes twenty minutes to recharge after using it.
Left pinky "Zero" emits waves of cold temperatures creating ice blast; can lower the temperature of objects zero. Right "Nightbringer" can create an area of absolute darkness absorbing all light within it.
Finger thing would be ridiculous in live action if not done carefully
@@LeoDas411 They're basically the infinity stones lol. Glad they changed it.
I loved the Shang-chi movie. Xialing, the sister, was my favorite character in this movie and I'm really curious to see what she's going to do with that organization. Glad you all got to watch this movie!
I just noticed that akwafina’s friend at the beginning who was telling them to grow up , was Stephanie Shu ( excuse the spelling) from “everything everywhere all at once” She is nominated for an Oscar this year . And she’s great !
Hsu
The story of Shang-Chi, and particular his dad, and transferring it to screen was pretty interesting.
The character was created for a comic title called "Master of Kung-Fu" to get on the Kung Fu craze of the 70's. Around the same time, Marvel got the license to character named Fu Manchu, who was sort of a contemporary of Sherlock Holmes, and because he was villain, thought it would work best as Shang-Chi's father/antagonist.
Eventually, the rights expired, and he was put in comic book limbo, with 1) The owners not thrilled with what Marvel was doing, and and 2) People being like "Okay, Fu Manchu is actually a really racist collection of stereotypes."
Come 2008, we have an Iron Man movie, and the director not wanting to use the Mandarin, Iron Man's traditional archenemy, because he was also very problematic, but not as much as Fu Manchu. (He at least has a cool gimmick irrespective of being Chinese) The Iron Man movies run their course, with the Mandarin IM going up against not even being a "real" person.
Eventually it's decided to make Shang-Chi, Marvel's first Asian star, into a movie. But Marvel cannot use Fu Manchu, and frankly, would not want to go the trouble, so they bring in the Mandarin. This plugs in a hole in the storyline, and sands the edges off of troublesome "White capitalist vs scary foreigner" dynamic.
No Fu Manchu was a good call. And they changed the rings from the finger kind to arm ones. Comic book accurate would look too much like an infinity gauntlet on each hand. lol...
Dude you just wrote a whole story, complete with paragraphs and you've left out the part where the movies start or that nobody gives a crap about shang-chi
@@johnfive2440 Some parts and characters from Master of Kung Fu were brilliant (Nayland Smith, Clive Reston, and especially Black Jack Tarr). Their omission (so far) was the only real disappointment I had with the movie. So you can take that "nobody gives a crap" and file it where the sun never shines youngster. 😏
11:53 Fun fact: Meng Er Zhang, who plays Xialing actually had zero experience in martial arts.
This film was her debut and when she auditioned, she had no idea she was getting the role of Shang Chis sister. But she trained for months and many experts who watched this film thought she was a master.
Bonus fun fact: she started filming this movie single. And when the movie wrapped, she was married. The entire cast took the newlyweds out for karoake to celebrate.
I saw this movie on an IMAX screen, and that scaffolding fight gave me so much vertigo!
I enjoy a film the most when I see people making connections to the film they're watching and truly invest in it. Cassie and Carly are my favorite to watch!!!
Here's the thing, my interpretation of this movie is that is as much as about Shang Chi as about his father, Wenwu. So this man lived for atleast a thousand years and he wasn't holding back his desires and whatnot. So he prob took whatever he wanted for all that time and eventually got bored, until he met Ying Li (his wife to be) and suddenly his 1000 years old life has meaning. Wenwu gave up everything for her and became happy. actually happiness maybe for the first time ever. And then that one and only happiness in a 1000 years went away, partially because of him. Why wouldn't he do everything he could to get that back? You could argue that he should love his children too right? The guy been alive for 1000 years you don't think he has other children? Prob lived and died over and over. So eventually you might not care that much about your children that much when you had hundreds. Imagine living for 1000 years and care about one thing.
"What's another 17 years?!"
17:05 Fun fact even though it's a quick moment during the flashback.
Yiling is actually pranking Wenwu in this scene. On their date, she's teaching him the basics of her style of martial arts.
Actually, she put him in a classic horse stance. In Chinese, even with the lowered audio, he's asking her if he's doing it right. She's responds with a cheeky grin, "Nope. Like this."
And when he's about to turn and look at her, she quickly tells him, "Eyes forward." Because she doesn't want him to see she's holding in her laughter because of how ridiculous he looks.
Ahhh I didn't know that! That's adorable!
Somewhere in the MCU Multiverse "Razor Fist" and "Taser Face" have teamed up and rule their Universe.
It's worth remembering that for comic book fans and plenty of the folks that work on them, Marvel movies are the fulfillment of dreams we had when we were younger. When the very idea of seeing the stories we loved come to life as movies, were nothing more than distant improbabilities.
And now it’s woke garbage
@@Chopperwocky Grow up lmao
@@Chopperwocky just like yer mother
@@Chopperwocky woke how?
The best part of this movie is when the lion-dog straight-up yeets one of the Ten Rings soldiers into the far distance like a ping-pong ball.
It's a decent movie overall, but that one part just had me rolling. Guy taps it with his electro-sword, and the thing is just like, "dude, wtf are you doing?" And then just paws the guy off into the sky.
Ya that one had me too
Im not gonna lie this movie might be my favourite marvel movie, it’s so pretty to watch and has such a different feel to the other movies. Plus the cast is amazing and I love the way ist written
Also loved all of the cool badass female characters
This movie was a surprising gift, I expected it to be cheesy, but it wound up being one of my favorite Marvel movies.
Akwafina and Ben Kinsley were amazing in this movie. Loved the vibes of other Kung fu movies to as well.
Actually in Chinese martial arts (or fantasy) , it is well known that the soft can conquer the hard. It is not simply strength or power, because all things can be strong and powerful.
Like water that drips through stone or wind that carves tunnels. So shang chi's mom used a soft style to turn his dad's strength against him.
Please watch GALAXY QUEST!
Seconded! But I think she needs some star trek to give it perspective too.
@@Delostacia You don't have to know STAR TREK to enjoy this movie!
@@martinbraun1211 No, but some perspective helps.
@@Delostacia Many reaction channels watched the film without knowing anything about STAR TREK and still loved it! I'm a STAR TREK fan for over 30 years and maybe reaction videos like this would get people to watch STAR TREK as well! 🖖
Others have probably said it, so yes “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” should be added to your watch list. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won 4.
"I'm all for that (joining the Avengers), but all she can do is shoot arrows" **looks over at Hawkeye** 😉
Hilarious!
U read my mind
11:02 There is in fact a Black Widow and Iron Man 3 reference in this scene when they walk past the cells with all the fights.
The girl that's fighting the glowing soldier. He's an Extremis soldier from the third Iron Man movie.
But the girl that is named Helen is a Black Widow that Nat and Yelena freed from the Red Room.
Look carefully at her outfit and you'll see the Black Widow Emblem.
Even better because you can even spot her character again in the scene when all the Widows are about to gang up and fight Nat during the final battle of her movie.
Same actress and same character credited in these two films.
I'm going to suggest that Marvel "WHAT IF..." is like dessert - some might argue that it's not a necessary part of the meal and yes some people skip dessert, but... it's pretty easy to eat... and I'm going to say "save room for dessert!" 😀😋
I would suggest watching this before Dr. Strange and the multiverse of madness. It's not technically necessary but it does help with references. They make quite a bit of references to what if in Dr. Strange MoM.
Great. Way to make me hungry.🍨🍰
Tbh 'WHAT IF' was trash, except for like 2 episodes 🤷🏻♂️
What you've probably been told by others (by now) is that Xialing was setting up the Ten Rings to be part of her commercial fight-for-money outfit. She's putting them into the entertainment business.
You guys are killing me, it is so much fun watching these movies with your commentary, I am not getting anything else done! The level of cuteness is off of the charts! Keep it up, you two are awesome.
I got a kick out of seeing Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley) show up in this after only seeing him in Ironman 3 as the same character (the fake Mandarin). He plays that role so hilariously for being such a serious actor most of his career.
The "open palm" technique is actually Tai Chi Chuan, which is based on the movements from Tai Chi (which old people do in the park.
This is known as a "soft martial art" which means open palm and more works on the spirituality of the "Chi" / lifeforce energy / "the Force". There are legends of the abilities in ancient manuscripts and old tales - this is why martial arts movies often defy the laws of "physics" (as we know it).
Did Carly just call Wong "that guy from Doctor Strange"? The Sorcerer Supreme would not be pleased. 😆
Thoroughly enjoyed your joint reactions; a lot of fun.
Tony Leung's Performance is exceptional.
Another great reaction, I enjoyed this movie when I saw it in a theater. Tony Leung (the father) and Michele Yeoh (the aunt) are legendary kung fu movie stars. You might find "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" with Michele Yeoh, and "Kung Fu Hustle" (a comedy) with the guy who played the archer mentor in Shang-Chi, of interest if you want to delve into a couple entertaining kung fu movies.
2 excellent suggestions
Part of me wonders if the amazement of seeing Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon will be a little lost on them after seeing this movie, as some of the fight scenes seem to be hugely inspired by it (and forgive me if something with similar scenes came before Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon... I'm not well-versed in that kind of cinema).
I just remember the amazement and awe I felt when I saw Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in the theater, on IMAX. Such a beautiful movie... I hope that Cassie and her sister watch it.
The creatures of Ta Lo are all drawn from actual Chinese myths. 9 tailed foxes, Fu dogs; Morris is a thing called a Hundun.
First time ever using the "set reminder" feature. I am so looking forward to this. I've watched it five times. One of my favorite movies of all time.
James, we'll see you in the Lie Premiere Chat room!
@@jonjohns65 it was a fun reaction video. thanks for producing it.
and Shang-chi is such a good movie.
until the next...
This has become my favorite MCU movie. It feels like a live action anime. I’m here for it too. However, the MCU did create a film world where the mid-budget movie no longer exists. Movies such as the recent 90’s movies you’ve posted sadly aren’t being made anymore. I watch all movies released at the theaters but I’m also one to watch every MCU release on opening night and multiple times. So I’m part of the problem as well.
I sure hope y'all have watched the Marvel One-Shot (well, all of them, actually, but specifically here), "All Hail the King." It will become relevant late in the movie.
You may also remember that the Ten Rings was the name of the organization that kidnapped Tony Stark in Afghanistan, and which was the name of the terrorist group in IRON MAN 2, as well. It all makes sense eventually.
Yes, the binding tie between Iron Man 3 and Shang Chi.
It rhymes, like poetry.
He was also in the show The Expanse… lots of Canadian actors in that show… among others… it sooo awesome!
And he also thinks homsexuality is a “ mental illness “ and called comic fans racist.Sooo awesome! 🤔
For a similar fantastical story that features Michelle Yeoh, I HIGHLY recommend Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. You will not be disappointed.
Strongly seconded.
7:00 "I don't want any trouble." Is a Jackie Chan reference and tribute.
The bamboo fight also was fantastic for showcasing and referencing Rush Hour 2.
The Jackie Chan stunt team worked on this film and did the action choreography.
This movie really does a great job of putting an Asian family dynamic on screen. So much of it is very relatable in its little moments.
Love that many people think at the end that his sister is making the ten rings better, when there’s never any indication that she will. You can see how hurt she was by her family essentially turning their backs on her, and it’s so telling when she says that if her father won’t let her into his empire that she’d build her own. As much as it’s a badass line to say, it’s also pretty telling of where her head is at.
Also really like that Shang and Kady don’t become a couple in it, it really does feel like they are just really really good friends. Who knows in the future if they put them together, but I like that you can have a male and female lead in a movie and not fall back on a relationship trope.
Loved your reaction! It was so much fun! Think I’ll go rewatch the movie now as it really is such a fun ride. Keep up the great work!
I love how they fixed The Mandarin with this movie. That was a big ask and they pulled it off.
I love the family story in this film it's so well done man
Being in Canada, you may already know and/or may have already seen the show Kim's Convenience, starring Simu Liu. If not, it is a great, hilarious show. Some of the colorful dragon creatures reminded me of Raya and The Last Dragon, which also has the voice of Awkwafina. So, I like to think that was intentional.
I believe they are from Canada, but now live somewhere in the US..... not sure on that though.
I cannot get enough of Carly dodging punches along with Shang Chi, cracks me up every time.
I'm old. I read Shang-Chi back in the day. This film is so far removed from that, I was very "meh" about it. But when I see films through your eyes, I get a fresh, wonderful perspective. I wish...well, I wish I weren't tired and jaded and so aware of the beats etc of a film (watching & reading films for 50plus years will do that) that I could be surprised and amazed and moved like I used to be. You both bring that back somewhat. That's why I subscribed. To enjoy the films. Your reactions to this one and the latest Spider-Man made both films resonate on levels they hadn't at the cinema. I found you when you did "Jaws" (my favourite film). I'm a (very) long-time Marvel fan. Thank you both for what you do.
Shang Chi is one of my favorite superheroes!! Seeing him have his own solo movie put a huge smile on my face!!!!! Hope you two like the movie!!!! 🙏🏽💪👏
I REALLY enjoyed watching this with you both! HANDS DOWN my absolute FAVORITE of all the films! Thanks so much for sharing your experience watching and enjoying this film for the first time. I absolutely loved it.! :-)
Enjoyed this movie when I watch it during its release. The flashback part where the dad said a blood debt needs to be paid with blood has some meaning as well.
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon..... simply beautiful
This film is awesome and I can't wait to see sequel in future 🙌😀
Happy Mother's Day, Cassie!🌹 Great reactions as always, Ladies!!!🎬👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Red twizzlers is one of my favorite snacks. That dragon was just beautiful to look at. Bringing back Trevor was a good way to add some comedy to this sometimes very serious film.
Twizzlers.... I can never find the chocolate ones 🤔
@@MoMoMyPup10 They practically throw them at your head here where I live. It's almost impossible to find black licorice Twizzlers as a result.
I love the Eternals movie and this one too. Glad you enjoyed this one and yes they are bringing X-men into the MCU along with the vampire/human hybrid Blade that was originally played by Wesley Snipes but now will be someone new and the Fantastic Four will also be included at some point which worries me because so far the last attempt at doing so wasn't a good movie compared to the original 2.
@@IcyTorment I know not many enjoy Eternals but I did very much. I never saw it in the theaters sadly but still I liked it. It also helps that I did research about the two after credit scenes as well.
29:47
That line is more fun when translated properly.
“I’ve eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice.”
Sir Ben Kingsley, Michelle Yeoh, Tony Leung, three of the greatest actors who ever lived. C'mon guys.
G'day ladies, thanks for posting your reaction. I'm glad that you enjoyed the movie. You're right about Marvel taking a different direction in the story telling in making it more of an Asian fantasy/fairy-tale element which makes the movie more palatable for the senses. Cannot wait for your next Marvel movie review. Take care.
at 29:48 when he says the "I've lived 10 of your lifetimes", what he actually says is I've eaten more salt in my life than you have eaten rice.
The fun fact in all asian movies is that unlike American movies , us Asians focus on character sketch , cultural references , traditions And the legends . That's why there is still considerably lower scenes of intimacy or kissing even in such movies .... They portrait us to stay true to our roots . Marvel ,out of the standard,has done an Absolutely brilliant job in incorporating Shang Chi within Marvel fantasy but also with cultural references. Dr strange , kamartaj was located in Nepal i believe which suggests ancient power is greater than any modern tech things . Kung fu , martial arts or kind of realistic intense fight scenes can be seen in such asian movies . Loved your guys reaction . I guess Shang Chi will be mentored by wong to harness the power of the rings so it might take some time to make them mix with Dr strange .
Amazingly the actress playing his sister has never acted on screen before and neither of them had any martial arts training.
What? They did a great job.. Better than the actor in Iron Fist.. LOL
I don't actually think the sister is going to go full villain...but there will probably be some conflict later. I'm pretty sure what happened, is that she really did go there with the intent of disbanding her father's organization, but then decided that such powerful resources would be better turned to more beneficent pursuits. Why throw away all that money and infrastructure when you can use it to help people instead?
She's still got some development ahead of her, but I think her general intentions really are honorable. She's just going to make some mistakes because she's still somewhat hardened by her past.
Sorry I was late and had to leave early. Will try to finish later, if not still got full reaction to watch. Nice job as usual.
'That guy' the faux Mandarin is Sir Ben Kingsley. He has acted a bit here or there, he also is very funny in this movie. But the true jewel is Michelle Yeoh, Miss Singapore 1973 (Miss Universe) who then picked up martial arts, I don't know that I have seen her in a bad movie, top 5 bond girl evah. Here you know her as Auntie.
Michelle Yeoh is the amazings. Loved Everything, Everywhere, All at Once even if it was so way out there.... the stones scenes were awesome.
"Lightsaber hand...knife." 🤭 I'm laughing with you, I promise.
You two are brilliant together. Great reaction!
Great reaction. The kid that played young Shang-Chi is also a fellow Canadian.
Every woman when little Shang-Chi is punching the post: Aww. Poor baby.
Every man: The boy must grow to be a Warrior🤣
"All Katy can do is shoot an arrow........"
Clint Barton & Kate Bishop would like a word with you.......
That's Sir Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin. Oscar winner for Gandhi. Oh and he is half Indian so that role isn't cultural appropriation.
My most favorite movie reactors, so glad to see this with you
And the guy that was Live Streaming the fight on the bus has appeared in a MCU movie before. He was in Spider-man: Homecoming. He was the man on the street that told Spider-Man to "Do a flip" early while Spider-Man was on a roof and cheered when Spider-man did the flip.
It was also Ten Rings that kidnapped Tony Stark in Iron Man I.
I got the impression at the end that his sister was setting it up the "right" way. She was cut off and left out from her dad's buisness and therefore she will be inclusive to all with her operation.
Me too. An earthly representative against intrusions - good excuse for another angle (Sanctum) at a Dr Strange/Wong tie in?
dig the review, ya'll keep it up 🤠
Ya'll might recognize the guy live streaming in the bus, from the famous line, Hey! Your that spider guy from UA-cam right! Do a back flip 😂
Cassie:"But not Katie, she just has a bow" Hawkeye: "Am I a joke to you?" :P
For the people that complain that marvel is just releasing movies, tell them to not watch it. I kind a feel it in my wallet going to the theater for all of them.
All the creature you see in Ta Lo are mythical creatures from Chinese mythology. Each animals is a symbol for something or another.
The fight scene in the movie was inspired by Jackie chan's rush hour 2 (bamboo scaffolding) and king fu hustle (killing the big boss at the end). The bus where he used his jacket to fight was from one of Jackie chan's movie but he uses his environment in many movies so I can remember specifically when.
"Your boy Clev" is the "do a flip" guy in Spiderman Homecoming.
Popcorn: I think you'll really enjoy "47 Ronin." A very fantasized tale set in 18th Century Japan, about 47 rouge samurai (samurai not in the service of a lord are ‘ronin'), with an underlying love story between an outcast half-American/English half-Japanese man, born to a loose Japanese woman (prostitute?), and a Japanese noble-woman - who attempt to avenge the death (murder) of their lord. Based on a legend that endures and is celebrated to this day in Japan. With a fine performance by Keanu Reeves, Give it a view, you really won't regret it, enjoy!
"Enter The Dragon"
I love this movie, and your reaction was great!
This is my 2nd favorite MCU movie after Avengers: End Game (well Infinity War too, so 3rd?) I love how they transformed the Rings into Bracelets. Their powers are very different than in the comic books, each one is supposed to have an individual power but the writers didn't want them to sound similar to the Infinity Stones. I don't have a clue as to when Shang-Chi or the Ten Rings would be involved with any future MCU storyline, but I hope they have a Shang-Chi 2 where they tell us the origin of the Rings.
Love watching y’all enjoy movies like I do!😊
Just remember that Eternals is more of a art film/love story than an action film.
Y’all are adorable. I am only 2 minutes in but I liked and subscribed cause I can already tell this is gonna be a good reaction!
Bahji! So glad you've joined this fun community! Welcome!
Love the new audio 😃
23:07 not the only one, In her sisters fight club Wong was fighting The Thing from The Incredible Hulk, there was a Widow fighting an Extremis guy too in there
The crew of this movie should take over or contribute to all Avatar: Last Airbender live action projects.
Btw the monster Wong was fighting was Abomination, bad guy from the Hulk movie. He will return in the new show, She-Hulk. I was glad we finally got a real Mandarin. I really liked how he looked in Iron Man 3. Was so pissed in the theater when he was revealed to be a fake. Too bad Iron Man never got to meet the real one since they have fought many time in the comics.
U girls are So Cool. I Love over watching this movie with you two.
Hope to do it again sometime.
Stay safe & have a Great weekend & spoil ur Mom's tomorrow.
✌🏾
Fun Fact: the thing Wond from Dr Strange was fighting when they get to his sister's place is Abomination, he's from the Hulk movie (where edward norton is playing Bruce Banner) which is the first cannon MCU movie =)
18:53 and 30:36 Top tier Asian parenting right there. My dad did that to me too. lol
the actor of Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) really did all of his stunts which is what i love about this movie, also Shang-Chi doesn’t have any powers (except for the rings) he’s just so good at so many fighting styles and trained for so long he is able to go toe to toe with actual superheroes like spiderman in the comics, and win
3:10 The crew of this film worked on the Matrix films. Which is why this scene looks similarly to how the characters and action sequences look like a Matrix fight.
“The Art of Confusion, it works great on stupid people” has become the company motto.
I think the explanation of Ta- Lo’s location it’s the same situation as Asgard was instead of being a entirely new dimension like it shows in future marvel movies this is called a wormhole realm