Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, who must face the past he thought he left behind and confront his father, leader of the dangerous Ten Rings organization. The film also stars Awkwafina as Shang-Chi’s friend Katy, Meng’er Zhang, Fala Chen, and Florian Munteanu, with Michelle Yeoh as Ying Nan and Tony Leung as Xu Wenwu.
For in-depth thoughts on Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, please see my colleague Tia Fabi’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings debuts on Blu-Ray with an AVC encoded 1080p presentation in 2:39:1 that does a fantastic job of bringing this world to life. This Blu-Ray release pushes the format to its limits in terms of technical excellence. The range of the color spectrum is stunning to behold with this world dazzling in its vibrancy. From beginning to end, the disc delivers bold colors within the production design and costumes which really blow you away. Just take a moment to delight in the vividness of the visual effects when powers are being put to use. Skin tones appear natural with healthy doses of crisp detail apparent on faces such as pores. The highlights in the film are finely delineated with whites pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. Elements in the film taking place in the cover of darkness are more vivid and stable. The black levels are especially strong in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail. There is a 4K UHD Blu-Ray also available that was not offered to me for review.
Audio Quality
The movie comes to Blu-Ray with a decent DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio track that is pretty dynamic in its execution but slightly lacking in depth. The movie is action-packed from beginning to end, but with the way the track is mixed you will have to turn up the volume a little louder than normal to feel it is properly effective. The low end of the track is active during the majority of the film, but lacks in the depth you know it should have. The dialogue and sound effects are appropriately balanced with the thrilling score where nothing gets lost in the track. Surround channels get some nice activity during the nature scenes and moments of chaotic action. This track gets the job done, but could be much more effective under different circumstances. Those with an interest in upgraded audio will want to check out the 4K UHD Blu-Ray for a Dolby Atmos presentation.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Destin Daniel Cretton and Writer Dave Callaham deliver a pretty decent commentary track in which they explore nearly every aspect of the production which fans would want to know about. Nothing too thrilling is revealed, but it is worth a listen.
- Building a Legacy: A nine-minute featurette which takes a look at the source material, the importance of having an Asian superhero in the MCU, the training that went into the film, the costumes, the performances, digital effects work and more. This is fairly standard but engaging.
- Family Ties: A nearly eight-minute look at the legacy of Shang-Chi and Xu Wenwu, how the Mandarin and the Ten Rings fit into the story, the work of Tony Leung, the depiction of father-son dynamics and more.
- Deleted Scenes: Eleven unused scenes totaling 14 minutes are included here featuring moments trying to connect and make up with Xialing, a quick getaway sequence, more moments with Katy, Xu Wenwu returning to his empire and more.
- Gag Reel: A two-minute piece which features some flubbed lines, goofing around and more which are pretty funny.
Final Thoughts
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings serves as a fresh and exciting introduction to a new character on screen which delicately explores a rich narrative without feeling like too much is getting short changed. Simu Liu should probably be who we are focused on as we leave the film, but Tony Leung steals the film every single moment he is on screen. Disney Home Entertainment has given this film a Blu-Ray release featuring a fantastic video presentation but slightly lacking audio. The special features provided are decent but could stand to be a bit more substantial. Those MCU fans looking to add this to their collection should not be disappointed, although they may want to go for the 4K UHD option if they are capable. Recommended
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray and DVD on November 30, 2021. The film is currently available on Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Disney Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
