Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (September 3rd, 2021)

[GhostBeard]

"Modern" is a bit of a broad term. It's around 2013 that things shifted, and 2015-2017 that the real awful era reigned. In 2011 you had things like Uncanny X-Force, Hickman's FF which gave way to his Avengers run; it wasn't all bad. But around the time Bendis started writing Iron Man the whole industry shifted. The last two years or so have been marginally better, as things such as "HOLY MENSTRUATION" aren't published anymore. It's not like DC was better. Batgirl had transwomen talking about sexist doctors not wanting to put a fetus in their womb(?) way before Ewing added his own MtF character in Immortal Hulk. The 90s had their thing, which can be come dated or cringy, but at least it wasn't offensivelly awful.

It pains me that Green Lantern, just in a decade and some change, went from a nothing book, to one of DC's main attractions with tons of spin-offs and a widely expanded universe, to a bunch of mediocre series, a meandering two-season run by Morrison that ended on a whimper, and now this:

There's just no reason to be invested in these things. Keep liking that one run from your childhood, buy those specific costumes if they make figures of them, but let the "brand" go.

Man, everything you post makes me want to never read a new comic book again.

 

[The Buffinator]

I actually felt the height during that scene on Imax I had chiils lol

But I agree she was the weakest part of the movie.

I also didn’t really like the village warriors.

Shang’s mother was from there and she could easily defeat the rings but the rest of them were dopey for lack of a better term.

Did she sleep with the dragon protector or what lol

At first I was convinced

Spoiler

that her sister was really Shang’s mom in disguise.

Shang's mother was the one guarding the entrance to the village when she first met Wenwu, so perhaps that honor/duty was bestowed upon the best practitioner of their particular form of martial art? That's how I interpreted it anyway. And yes, before

Spoiler

the flashback to her death, I was expecting Michelle Yeoh to be an older version of his mother who left Wenwu (for ultimately returning to his evil ways) and returned to Ta Lo.

Speaking of the village, maybe it was the way they filmed it but it seemed rather tiny given how many warriors they trotted out for the climactic battle. Maybe when I see it again I'll feel differently...

 

[TurdFurgusonsHat]

I can hear that same catchy 80's faux asian jingle playing as Shang Chi crosses the finish line

 

[Otomofan]

It was this radical Japanese version of "Daisy Bell" (Bicycle Built for Two.)

It's not on the soundtrack and has never appeared online. Nobody knows where the original is. People were going mad for years trying to find it, but nobody could.

Finally some enterprising individual knew the world needed the complete song, so he recreated it himself. Fantastic.

 

[jye4ever]

I suppose that marks the difference in our personal views of Namor (a common issue among comic fans I think). My vision of him goes back to the original artwork of Everett and Kirby. Early on both Johnny Weissmuller and Fred Astaire would, as different stories go, provide inspiration for his physique and facial features. While you need the "Sue Storm was attracted to him" angle, I never thought that translated into 20 year old, shredded, underwear model-type. Chadwick was in his 40's too, I also didn't have a problem with his casting. Chris Reeves was a bean pole when casted, that worked out.

But I also don't understand the shade thrown at Zachary Levi's muscle suit. Not every actor is Cavill and willing, or able, to throw on mass amounts of bulk, which never (for me) lent to his effectiveness as the character. My take, your mileage may vary.

But that muscle suit looked 90’s Flash bad lol

 

[matticus]

Man, everything you post makes me want to never read a new comic book again.

I don't now. I've completely cut off reading comics. My standards for quality story telling and art are too high to consider anything lately worth a purchase. I guess I am that old man now who is to be swept away for a new generation.

 

[jye4ever]

Shang's mother was the one guarding the entrance to the village when she first met Wenwu, so perhaps that honor/duty was bestowed upon the best practitioner of their particular form of martial art? That's how I interpreted it anyway. And yes, before

Spoiler

the flashback to her death, I was expecting Michelle Yeoh to be an older version of his mother who left Wenwu (for ultimately returning to his evil ways) and returned to Ta Lo.

Speaking of the village, maybe it was the way they filmed it but it seemed rather tiny given how many warriors they trotted out for the climactic battle. Maybe when I see it again I'll feel differently...

I was thinking that since his mother left the order that maybe she began to age and I was actually kind of hoping that was the case that would’ve been a pretty good emotional punch what say you lol

 

[The Buffinator]

I was thinking that since his mother left the order that maybe she began to age and I was actually kind of hoping that was the case that would’ve been a pretty good emotional punch what say you lol

I didn't think the villagers lived extraordinarily long lives, only Wenwu due to his use of the 10 rings. If that was stated I missed it. They were the protectors of that gate for hundreds of years, but I assumed the duty was passed down from generation to generation.

 

[matticus]

So we have a Ten Rings Organization, Black Widow group, Zemo, Taskmaster, Batroc, U.S. Agent, Ghost, Mitchell Carson Hydra from Ant-Man, Sharon Carter Power Broken, now Abomination with Valentina recruiting some. Don't forget Young Avengers are slowly being introduced too. The MCU machine still powering through.

 

[jye4ever]

So we have a Ten Rings Organization, Black Widow group, Zemo, Taskmaster, Batroc, U.S. Agent, Ghost, Mitchell Carson Hydra from Ant-Man, Sharon Carter Power Broken, now Abomination with Valentina recruiting some. Don't forget Young Avengers are slowly being introduced too. The MCU machine still powering through.

And 15 different scenarios to create the multiverse which ever one makes more money will be the designated multiverse plot in Avengers 5 my money is on crazy Strange sorry Sad Wanda, Kang Father Time and House of Flying Dragon lol

 

[ZE_501]

I don't now. I've completely cut off reading comics. My standards for quality story telling and art are too high to consider anything lately worth a purchase. I guess I am that old man now who is to be swept away for a new generation.

Growth is good. I've gone through a few Image titles as an adult to look for interesting ideas or light entertainment, and they've been okay, but after a very quick scan through some contemporary Marvel and DC titles I left 'em for the young'ns.

 

[matticus]

Growth is good. I've gone through a few Image titles as an adult to look for interesting ideas or light entertainment, and they've been okay, but after a very quick scan through some contemporary Marvel and DC titles I left 'em for the young'ns.

I also think the repetition just gets old after awhile. Sure, no one has seen or read every storyline, just the universe has been tapped out of ideas for me. Now it is just variations of those previous storylines or new woke stuff that isn't even digestible for me.

 

[jye4ever]

Growth is good. I've gone through a few Image titles as an adult to look for interesting ideas or light entertainment, and they've been okay, but after a very quick scan through some contemporary Marvel and DC titles I left 'em for the young'ns.

I agree I remember when I left porn magazines behind for porn movies change is indeed good.

 

[ZE_501]

I also think the repetition just gets old after awhile. Sure, no one has seen or read every storyline, just the universe has been tapped out of ideas

Decades of ageless characters. It inevitably becomes repetitious and soap opera-esque.

"This makes money, let's suck it dry under the guise of endless creativity!"

Imagine if Shakespeare refused to end his stories because the audiences wanted "more of the Capulet-verse" or prequels to Macbeth.

This is -- relatively speaking -- a creatively bankrupt period for certain mediums. But consumers won't stop buying it all because their identities are tied to what they buy. Just as God marketing intended.

 

[matticus]

Decades of ageless characters. It inevitably becomes repetitious and soap opera-esque.

"This makes money, let's suck it dry under the guise of endless creativity!"

Imagine if Shakespeare refused to end his stories because the audiences wanted "more of the Capulet-verse" or prequels to Macbeth.

This is -- relatively speaking -- a creatively bankrupt period for certain mediums. But consumers won't stop buying it all because their identities are tied to what they buy. Just as God marketing intended.

Curious what Batman will be in 5 years. Movies haven't ever whored him out this much. I was proud of the Arkham series cause that was a different medium that really brought the depth and creativity that highlights Batman.

 

[ZE_501]

Curious what Batman will be in 5 years. Movies haven't ever whored him out this much. I was proud of the Arkham series cause that was a different medium that really brought the depth and creativity that highlights Batman.

Not familiar with Arkham. I can't imagine superheroes will be very resonant with adult audiences in 5 years. My guess is that the demographics they're aimed at will skew considerably younger than the median age on this board, for instance. Buncha whiz-bang CGI with the issues of the day just tacked on for Twit-appeal.

Cinema could do more with the source material but it won't, because the massive studios and corporations are too conservative now, which is why it's getting boring.

I could be wrong, of course. Time will tell.

 

[matticus]

Not familiar with Arkham. I can't imagine superheroes will be very resonant with adult audiences in 5 years. My guess is that the demographics they're aimed at will skew considerably younger than the median age on this board, for instance. Buncha whiz-bang CGI with the issues of the day just tacked on for Twit-appeal.

Cinema could do more with the source material but it won't, because the massive studios and corporations are too conservative now, which is why it's getting boring.

I could be wrong, of course. Time will tell.

Never know. Some how studios push out of bunch of garbage and still make money. We will see a totally different Avengers and people will gobble it up. If Shang can make this money in Covid, anything will get by for Marvel. I don't think you could have picked a more unknown character that still made big bucks in a Covid era. Marvel has the monopoly on big event experiences right now.

Arkham video game series. Was awesome. If you don't even care to play videogames, you can still just youtube it and get the experience with a no commentary video.

 

[Victοr]

I suppose that marks the difference in our personal views of Namor (a common issue among comic fans I think). My vision of him goes back to the original artwork of Everett and Kirby. Early on both Johnny Weissmuller and Fred Astaire would, as different stories go, provide inspiration for his physique and facial features. While you need the "Sue Storm was attracted to him" angle, I never thought that translated into 20 year old, shredded, underwear model-type. Chadwick was in his 40's too, I also didn't have a problem with his casting. Chris Reeves was a bean pole when casted, that worked out.

But I also don't understand the shade thrown at Zachary Levi's muscle suit. Not every actor is Cavill and willing, or able, to throw on mass amounts of bulk, which never (for me) lent to his effectiveness as the character. My take, your mileage may vary.

That's a valid viewpoint as well. But for me Namor begun in the FF, with the establishment of the shared universe so to speak, so I tend to look at him as the character he ultimately became in the canon instead of the early and original versions.

I'll be honest, I can't say I liked Boseman that much either. He was a resounding meh. MCU T'Challa shares little traits with what I consider to be 616 T'Challa. I've not seen him in any other roles, and he delivered a respectable performance, I just didn't see anything in it that made him stand out. You ask me, even now I'd have preffered someone like DJmon Hounsou.

As for muscle suits, I don't like them. Acting's a relatively stress free job that pays well, especially if you're in Hollywood. If you get hired for a capeflick, put in the work.

Man, everything you post makes me want to never read a new comic book again.

I wouldn't reccomended doing so either way...

I don't now. I've completely cut off reading comics. My standards for quality story telling and art are too high to consider anything lately worth a purchase. I guess I am that old man now who is to be swept away for a new generation.

That's an obvious change for anyone who's not stuck in arrested development. Sadly there are a lot who never seem to be able to do that. The problem however is that even then, we retain lots of attachments to such media through our childhood/teen/whatever nostalgia. Between movies, comics and videogames, you end up connected to a lot of meaningless things, sometimes utter crap. A lot of the figures in my wishlist exist just to represent a mediocre series I binged on a multi-day field trip or vacation or something to that effect. And the more I go through it, the less I want them. The displays can't be made unless I buy doubles and/or alternate costumes. The space required is too much. I know I don't need them, that's certain. But here I am, trying to rationilize buying 100 capeshit characters even though I can't say I hardly care about 1/4th of them. Most days I even get tired of my Top 5 like Doom or Iron Man. But, still, "gotta have catch 'em all". I'm doing better as time goes on, I cut another theme/shelf/subgroup/whatever the other day, but I still have ways to go.

 

[matticus]

~$90 mil domestic for the 4 day weekend.

"The movie had already claimed the third highest opening day of the pandemic era with $29.6M (just behind F9‘s $29.9M), but this now officially secures the Master of Martial Arts' live-action debut the biggest Labor Day opening weekend of all-time. Overseas, the movie has amassed $56.2 million for a global total of $146.2 million."

https://www.comicbookmovie.com/shan...us-90-million-domestic-haul-a187818#gs.a7f0qv

 

[GhostBeard]

To Darthkostis’ point, I don’t know how much work Levi put into working out, but perhaps he wasn’t physically able to tack on the muscle sans steroids, which I’m fairly certain is the standard practice in Hollywood (e.g. Johnson, Cavill, Hardy, etc.). I can’t prove it, just my suspicion. I don’t need these guys to be a bag of boulders, fit and muscular sure, but not the modern, body dismorphia we’re putting on these male actors. Actually, Shang-Chi is a seemingly refreshing nuance in comic book heroes as no one seems to expect him to be any more than fit. Not sure why I’m getting off on this tangent. Not that important.