From the enemies-to-lovers trope to headless flying animals, explore the most fascinating origin story of the MCU in Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings.
This high-flying action Marvel film stars Simu Liu as the responsible and comical Shaun-slash- Shang-Chi and the master of comedic timing herself Awkwafina as Shaun’s hilarious partner-in-crime Katy. The movie also stars Tony Chiu-Wai Leung as evil overlord father-slash-keeper of the Ten Rings Xu Wenwu, Fala Chen as beautifully badass sorceress mother Li, Meng’er Zhang as Shang-Chi’s entrepreneurial fight club owner sister Xialing, Florian Munteanu as (not joking) sword-handed henchman Razor Fist and Michelle Yeoh as wise auntie Ying Nan.
Without giving too much away, this film is basically about Shang-Chi returning home to find that his dad has every intention, as any evil overlord with a heart would, to revive the family he lost… because you know “power.” But since this quest threatens to destroy an entire village, not to mention the world, Shang-Chi, along with Xialing and Katy, must do everything in their power to stop Xu Wenwu and his army. Ooops, did I give the whole plot away? Oh well…
MORE SPOILERS AHEAD…
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
FOX STUDIOS AUSTRALIA
The majority of the movie was filmed here, in one of the biggest integrated lots in the centre of Sydney. Located in the state capital of New South Wales, the square footage of all 9 sound stages is 160,000. Plus, they have a variety of incredibly diverse locations including alpine, metro, urban and jungle. It is also most likely that the post animation of the incredible animals living in the forest were done in the hub of the studios.
Look Around…
URBAN WINERY SYDNEY
Located in the Entertainment Quarter of Moore Park, you can experience a one-of-a-kind wine tasting about 10 minutes from the airport. They have a wide selection of craft beers, Gin, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and more! If you’ve ever wanted the full-experience to call yourself a winemaker, they hold wine blending sessions on Mondays and Tuesdays from 3pm-5pm. That’s a subtle flex you can show off to your friends or a really hot date!
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
When we meet present day Shang-Chi or Shaun, audience get an overview of San Francisco. We see everything from the sharp, winding road of Russian Hill to the architecture of Noe Valley homes. Probably best experienced behind the wheels of a luxury sportscar rather than a bus that has been split in half.
Actually, we do get a good view in passing of the entrance archway of Ghirardelli Square, located on 900 North Point, on that destroyed bus. Mostly because the breaks were out and Shang-Chi was fighting for his life on one end of the bus. Otherwise, could have made for another great stop for ice cream on the way to work.
Nearby…
CITY LIGHTS BOOKSELLERS AND PUBLISHERS
Unfortunately, you cannot read up on the magical forest in the film like Xu Wenwu. But never fear, this bookstore has its lights on for whatever genre you are fond of. Even if you are fond of enemies-to-lovers type of tropes. A poet by the name of Lawrence Ferlinghetti founded the store in 1953. The store holds a famous poetry series that has gone on to publishing international and local authors from a wide range of genres.