Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings review says the entire film is radiant, but Awkwafina is the brightest new star in the Marvel Universe.

The Marvel Universe now has its latest greatest female superhero, and her name is…Awkwafina?

Wait a minute! How did that happen? Awkwafina only plays Katy, quick quipping sidekick to Chinese Canadian star Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi. She doesn’t appear to have any other super powers than mad driving skills and the ability to learn archery really fast. Her real super power, however, is the ability to steal every scene she’s in, and elevate what is already an upper echelon Marvel movie into the stratosphere.

When first we meet this crackling duo, they are happy slackers, content to work as parking valets in San Francisco, even though they have degrees from first rate universities. Then Shang-Chi’s long lost dad (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) enters the picture, via super bad messengers, and a surprise martial arts bus scene breaks out that rivals that in Nobody.

Katy and Shang-Chi find themselves reluctantly pulled into a world of Chinese legends where, wouldn’t you know it, the fate of the world is at stake, and it’s up to these two to save it. They and creatures both magical and mystical, both evil and virtuous, ultimately become involved in an epic battle that will leave you breathless.

This film has all the things we love in action fantasies: irony, comedy, drama, surprise, ancient myths, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon type sparring, and, speaking of dragons, there’s even a warrior princess riding on one! Hello nod to my favorite feature in Game of Thrones!

“Why do girls like dragons so much?” My husband asked after the critics’ screening. There are probably a million Freudian reasons for this, but who cares? Don’t analyze it, just enjoy director Destin Daniel Cretton’s remarkable work.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings leaves you both eager and anxious to see how these fresh new characters will be woven into the Marvel Universe, although the scenes in the final credits…wait for them…give you a clue.

PG-13

2 Hours 13 Minutes

If this Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings review leaves you dying to see it ASAP, you’ll have to visit Fandango to get times and tickets, because, in an unusual move, it won’t be showing up on Disney+ for six weeks.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings review says the entire film is radiant, but Awkwafina is the brightest new star in the Marvel Universe.