Shang-Chi: Appreciation 2020

[Tien Long]

https://twitter.com/SimuLiu/status/1340938159362891776


So this is a test fight for Shang Chi with Simu and the stunt team, I find that extremely mediocre, I take any days Finn Jones fight and...No I'm kidding, I find that very good; Simu Liu
know how to deal with complicated kungfu choregraphy, he make differents kind of punch and kicks in the same time, he have the rythm, the powers, he don't stop to be cool during the fight,and in the same time he is charismatic and charming, that not something easy to do.

Yeah bro, thanks for posting this. Saw this clip posted on Simu's IG feed as well. Great choreography! I was skeptical at first with how the fighting in the film might look, but I like what I see here! Love Simu's delivery as well. Maybe he'll show that personality in the film? If so, he's got to balance it with Shang's wisdom and seriousness. Shang can laugh but he can also be serious.

Oh yeah, fun fact, one of the individuals in that clip is Wang Zhenwei, or the kid wo played the bad kid in the 2009 Karate Kid. Interestingly enough, he's become part of the Jackie Chan stunt team. Definitely shows!

Looking forward to more clips and hopefully a trailer!

[gonnagiveittoya]

Also so apparently I've been pronouncing Shang-Chi wrong forever? Because Feige pronunced it as "Shung-Shee"

[Bolo]

Hi Tien Long, I think Simu is more or less himself in this video, in the movie that will probably be a mix between him and the Shang Chi from the comics, I hope he will be serious too, but I think with the 10 rings etc... that will be lot of dramatic moments.

I like in this choregraphy how they mix traditional martial arts but with something modern, I like how they do different kungfu pose without to be goofy; honestly they have done a very good work, and yes I have seen the guy from Karate kid, I feel old to see him adult.

Except that I have seen this video from Enter the Dragon, that outtakes from the movie, I have noticed something about the kimono from Bruce Lee:



This costume look like a lot of the original Shang Chi costume, the same little circles around the collar, sure the colors are differents, but imo that look like alot.

[Yin&Yang]

What I'd like to see in Shang-Chi. If not may be in a second film.

This version of the Mandarin and the 10-Rings. I think its awesome!
btw from animated Iron Armored Adventures.

Tumblr_m7061pitxn1rr0x4wo1_1280.jpg

[Blind Wedjat]

https://twitter.com/SimuLiu/status/1340938159362891776


So this is a test fight for Shang Chi with Simu and the stunt team, I find that extremely mediocre, I take any days Finn Jones fight and...No I'm kidding, I find that very good; Simu Liu
know how to deal with complicated kungfu choregraphy, he make differents kind of punch and kicks in the same time, he have the rythm, the powers, he don't stop to be cool during the fight,and in the same time he is charismatic and charming, that not something easy to do.

It's not everyday you see the lead actor of a big budget studio film pulling off tight fight choreography with a stunt team like this. I suspected that the moment I saw Simu Liu wearing the official stunt team merchandise for Shang-Chi that he was working really close with them. Obviously there's footage of Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Michael B Jordan and the late Chadwick Boseman doing fight choreography practice and even shooting it. They were all very dedicated to their craft. However Simu's moving like someone that's practiced martial arts for years and not someone who's learned it over crunch time.

If this is a taste of what is to come in the film added with a Marvel budget, then we're in for something special. I hope I'm not getting my hopes up for nothing, but this is very encouraging.

[Tien Long]

It's not everyday you see the lead actor of a big budget studio film pulling off tight fight choreography with a stunt team like this. I suspected that the moment I saw Simu Liu wearing the official stunt team merchandise for Shang-Chi that he was working really close with them. Obviously there's footage of Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Michael B Jordan and the late Chadwick Boseman doing fight choreography practice and even shooting it. They were all very dedicated to their craft. However Simu's moving like someone that's practiced martial arts for years and not someone who's learned it over crunch time.

If this is a taste of what is to come in the film added with a Marvel budget, then we're in for something special. I hope I'm not getting my hopes up for nothing, but this is very encouraging.

Agreed. That is some tight choreography and wow for an actor who had zero Kung Fu training beforehand, it looks smooth and sharp. Course he's working with some great stunt folks as well who can sell those shots. That's a good thing. If you're going to do a film on the the master of Kung Fu, it's gotta have good Kung Fu.

The more I watch it though, the more I really like Simu's acting. Again, his personality is really friendly and real. Said before how I'd like Shang to be serious, but he can be funny as well.

[Tien Long]

Just wanted to share some interesting points from an interview Jason Aaron gave over on Gamesradar concerning the upcoming "Enter The Phoenix" arc in Avengers (https://www.gamesradar.com/avengers-...gers-vs-x-men/):

Aaron: I think Black Panther might be my favorite of Javier's designs. He takes his mask off and gave him this kinda fiery crown. I think Shang-Chi is really cool and I'm having a lot of fun using him in 'Enter the Phoenix.'

Diving into Captain America's head in this story has been really fun too. This is not a situation he's particularly comfortable with. The last time he had any involvement with the Phoenix, it was fighting a battle to keep it from coming to Earth and to keep someone from wielding it, and now he's part of a tournament where he could wind up the host of the Phoenix Force. It's not a situation he relishes.

I think that stuff is fun, putting all these different characters together, some of whom will be surprises, who all view the situation differently.

Namor embraces it in a way that few others do, and Shang-Chi's view on it is completely different, as is Jane Foster's.

Great to hear that Aaron looks fondly on Shang. And that he's giving Shang a unique view on how to use the Phoenix Force. Again, I was iffy hearing about Shang having cosmic powers. I've always seen him as street level. BUt the possibilities of what Shang could do, those are tantalizing. How does Shang's view contrast with Cap's or Jane Fosters'? Hope get to see that. Crossing the fingers that Shang isn't knocked out early in this tournament arc either.

[Bolo]

Agreed. That is some tight choreography and wow for an actor who had zero Kung Fu training beforehand, it looks smooth and sharp. Course he's working with some great stunt folks as well who can sell those shots. That's a good thing. If you're going to do a film on the the master of Kung Fu, it's gotta have good Kung Fu.

The more I watch it though, the more I really like Simu's acting. Again, his personality is really friendly and real. Said before how I'd like Shang to be serious, but he can be funny as well.

Apparently it was a mistake from an article, from Simu Liu interview:

https://enroute.aircanada.com/en/art...imu-liu-marvel

You’ve done stunts on series like Designated Survivor and Heroes Reborn before. Were you self-taught?

"SL I’ve always been fascinated by martial arts but I didn’t do it growing up because my parents wanted me to focus on school. I started doing parkour and gymnastics at 16, and as I got older, I took a class here and there. When I started acting in Toronto, I tried to do stunts as well because I didn’t want to be picky about jobs I took on."

He is very vague, but in various biography, they indicate background in martials arts (wushu, karate, taekwondo etc...); there are also another interview from 2017:

http://alumni2.westernu.ca/alumni-ga...-his-shot.html

"While Ivey attracted him to Western, Liu credits one of his first experiences as a frosh with giving him his first taste of fame and one he would reflect on often as he launched his acting career.

“The three sciences do O-Week together. So they had this big talent show where each of the sciences would audition one champion. Then on the final night of O-Week, they compete against each other on stage – and I won,” he said.

Liu used his dance, gymnastics and martial arts skills to put his routine together, all skills he would later draw on to expand his acting offerings."

So he seem to have already a good level during his first year of college (visually good).

I agree with Blind Wedjat, he seem extremely fluid during this demo, the actors from MCU are all very athletics,the great Chadwin Boseman has background in martial arts (Robert Downey jr too), Tom Holland have a strong acrobatic training, but not one of them seem so natural, I think he is not maybe an "expert", but he have a very good training to be a good stuntmen, with a strong focus on visual like wushu, taekwondo and karate (according some of his bio), it's like that I understand his words "I took class here and here", but it's maybe for the better !!! I know before that I was a big critic, we need to have the best of the best etc..., but sometimes "expert" can be very rigid in their style, and not enough open.

I agree with you, Simu is naturally charming, I was very critical first, but this demo show clearly he can both both badass and funny, he is not funny in the sense goofy or stupid, but funny in a cool way, he make fun of himself and the situation and not the opposite, but he is still serious during the fight and proud of himself; in some way Bruce Lee was like that, peoples seem to forget, but Bruce Lee was very cool and modern during his times; Shang Chi have been inspired alot by him; I think a too serious "hero", specially in a martial arts movies could be seen like too "old school", too close minded and too caricatural.

[Tien Long]

Hey all. Preview images from Shang-Chi #4, coming out this Wednesday (12/30). Click at the here: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/previews/shang-chi-4/

[Tien Long]

Just read Shang-Chi #4. Wow......this was a great issue. I've been harping a lot on the series, but definitely this issue really clicked for me. It performed something I've always wanted to see in a Shang-Chi series, blend traditional Chinese culture with these touches of the Marvel Universe. Honestly, I cried (yet again) when I saw some of the scenes, because they were that moving. Tan and Ruan really got it with the artwork his issue as well. Here are more of my thoughts:

spoilers:

- I cried watching Shang do the tomb sweeping ceremony. Now, I've never done tomb sweeping during Qingming Jie, but I've prayed at temples before and in front of altars of fruits, incense, and pictures of lost loved ones. Shang captures the essence of why it's done as he mentions how it bridges the past and present. Now, I'm a little hesitant when he says things like "my people." Not every Chinese person does this. Nor are Chinese the only culture that worships and honors the dead. Still, the scene was a spotlight on a tradition that isn't seen in American media. - Great to see the Uncle reanimated through the food. The idea of nourishment of the dead, that's what the food is supposed to do. - Best scene had to be the Five Weapons Society against the foreign troops. Perfect marriage of Chinese history and Marvel history. Lang's name-dropping got me real giddy with excitement. Baron Harkness calling upon the Mindless Ones? Holy crap, so is this character related to Agatha Harkness, instructor of the Scarlet Witch? Or Baron Mordo since he called Dormamu and the Mindless Ones? Had to check Kamar-Taj, but yes, it's the homeland of the Ancient One! I knew Zheng Zu had to have met the Ancient One! Total geek out moment! - So, we're learning that Zheng Zu maybe wasn't as bad as we thought he was. He was just corrupted after leading his empire alone for so long. This is definitely setting up for Shang to take over his father's empire. The question becomes will he continue it's ways or mold it towards a more positive direction? And if he does lead this empire, Shang suddenly becomes a big player in the Marvel Universe. I could see him shifting the balance of power of the Agents of Atlas for instance. - Liked the interaction among Shang, Esmee, and Takeshi. Why was Takeshi giving a sideways glance towards the end, I wonder?

end of spoilers

So yes, I enjoyed this issue. A lot of things were explained and set up. Both Marvel and Chinese history were incorporated. Issue has definitely gotten me hyped for how this will end. In any case, what were your thoughts on this issue?

[Dthirds3]

Just read Shang-Chi #4. Wow......this was a great issue. I've been harping a lot on the series, but definitely this issue really clicked for me. It performed something I've always wanted to see in a Shang-Chi series, blend traditional Chinese culture with these touches of the Marvel Universe. Honestly, I cried (yet again) when I saw some of the scenes, because they were that moving. Tan and Ruan really got it with the artwork his issue as well. Here are more of my thoughts:

spoilers:

- I cried watching Shang do the tomb sweeping ceremony. Now, I've never done tomb sweeping during Qingming Jie, but I've prayed at temples before and in front of altars of fruits, incense, and pictures of lost loved ones. Shang captures the essence of why it's done as he mentions how it bridges the past and present. Now, I'm a little hesitant when he says things like "my people." Not every Chinese person does this. Nor are Chinese the only culture that worships and honors the dead. Still, the scene was a spotlight on a tradition that isn't seen in American media. - Great to see the Uncle reanimated through the food. The idea of nourishment of the dead, that's what the food is supposed to do. - Best scene had to be the Five Weapons Society against the foreign troops. Perfect marriage of Chinese history and Marvel history. Lang's name-dropping got me real giddy with excitement. Baron Harkness calling upon the Mindless Ones? Holy crap, so is this character related to Agatha Harkness, instructor of the Scarlet Witch? Or Baron Mordo since he called Dormamu and the Mindless Ones? Had to check Kamar-Taj, but yes, it's the homeland of the Ancient One! I knew Zheng Zu had to have met the Ancient One! Total geek out moment! - So, we're learning that Zheng Zu maybe wasn't as bad as we thought he was. He was just corrupted after leading his empire alone for so long. This is definitely setting up for Shang to take over his father's empire. The question becomes will he continue it's ways or mold it towards a more positive direction? And if he does lead this empire, Shang suddenly becomes a big player in the Marvel Universe. I could see him shifting the balance of power of the Agents of Atlas for instance. - Liked the interaction among Shang, Esmee, and Takeshi. Why was Takeshi giving a sideways glance towards the end, I wonder?

end of spoilers

So yes, I enjoyed this issue. A lot of things were explained and set up. Both Marvel and Chinese history were incorporated. Issue has definitely gotten me hyped for how this will end. In any case, what were your thoughts on this issue?

He was giving a vision of Shang-Chi using his father's powers becoming a villan

[Tien Long]

He was giving a vision of Shang-Chi using his father's powers becoming a villan

Yeah, thanks for pointing that out. I picked up on it after doing a second read through.

Raises some interesting questions. Could Shang become the leader The Five Weapons Society deserves? Could it be the leader to turn it into a positive force in the world? Or will Takeshi's vision come true? And what would Takeshi do with that idea?

We've seen things like this before, heroes who join villainous organizations hoping to redeem them. Daredevil and Shadowland come to mind. BUt we've seen what happens when heroes try to do that. Again, Daredevil and Shadowland. Shang was a part of that too. That would be on his mind as well.

[Séb]

https://twitter.com/SimuLiu/status/1340938159362891776


So this is a test fight for Shang Chi with Simu and the stunt team, I find that extremely mediocre, I take any days Finn Jones fight and...No I'm kidding, I find that very good; Simu Liu
know how to deal with complicated kungfu choregraphy, he make differents kind of punch and kicks in the same time, he have the rythm, the powers, he don't stop to be cool during the fight,and in the same time he is charismatic and charming, that not something easy to do.

Damn that was good! Really promising stuff from Liu.

[Tien Long]

Damn that was good! Really promising stuff from Liu.

Truth. For those who'd like a more easily accessible version, here is the clip from YouTube: