Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe kicks off in earnest with this martial arts adventure. Kung fu master Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) is living incognito in San Francisco as Shaun, working as a car valet and whiling away his days with fun-loving pal Katy (an ebullient Awkwafina). But when assassins strike, he's forced to unleash his abilities during a spectacular scrap on a speeding bus, revealing his identity and initiating a bruising reunion with his fearsome father (played by Hong Kong superstar Tony Leung), the ruthless boss of the deadly Ten Rings organisation. The initial fight scenes and Shaun/Katy double act promise an entertaining Jackie Chan-style romp, but a mystical fantasy storyline involving a magical land and mythical beasts then takes precedence. Admittedly, the nods to wuxia epics like Hero and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon are eye-catching, and the scene-stealing return of a notable MCU character delivers laughs, but this narrative diversion also ends up burying Liu's barely established hero under a welter of CGI.