Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has held more than a dozen screenings now, starting with its premiere in Hollywood one week ago and continuing with press screenings and fan events around the country. Now, the review embargo has lifted and the RottenTomatoes score has come in, giving the latest Marvel Studios movie endeavor and impressively “fresh” score: 93% through 56 reviews. This is in line with the initial wave of reactions posted to social media following the premiere and other screenings and agrees with ComicBook.com’s 4.5 out of 5 star spoiler-free review by Phase Zero co-host Jamie Jirak.
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“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s best origin stories to date, filled with stunningly choreographed action, unexpected laughs, and a whole lot of heart,” Jirak wrote in ComicBook.com’s official review. “Even if you’re unfamiliar with the Shang-Chi comics, this film is worth seeing on the big screen. And be sure to stick around for both the mid-credits and post-credits scenes, which are guaranteed to please any Marvel fan. With the addition of Simu Liu, Awkwafina, and Meng’er Zhang, the future of the MCU is looking bright.”
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu has already made his jokes about the impressive RottenTomatoes score. The actor took to Twitter when the film was sitting at 86% with less reviews, saying, “‘86% on RottenTomatoes? What happened to the other 14?’ -my parents, probably.” The score quickley popped up a bit by the time this article was published and Liu responded to a tweet from RottenTomatoes, letting them know his mother would like to know where the other 6% went when the score at that time was 94%.
Liu was introduced as the star of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019. Quickly after that, the film went into production in Australia. However, the work on the film was temporarily halted when the global pandemic calld for new safety measures to be put into place before people could get back to work. Now, Shang-Chi is set to face one of his biggest challenges, serving as the first Marvel Studios film to open exclusive in theaters since Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019 at a time where theaters don’t seem to be seeing a mad rush to their seats. On the heels of a successful first two weekends for Free Guy, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings may have a chance at delivering some solid numbers at the box office.
Are you excited for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings? Share your thoughts in the comment section or send them my way on Instagram! To join our Marvel community, subscribe to the Phase Zero podcast which drops new episodes every Wednesday to tackle all things MCU. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings hits theaters on September 3.