The Marvel Cinematic Universe releases its 25th film this week, with a hero new to movies. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is based on a comic book series first published in 1973. Actor Simu Liu plays the lead character, Shang-Chi. As the movie opens, he is a low-level hotel worker in San Francisco. He rides the bus to work. He does not appear especially powerful or brave. But by the time the film is over, Shang-Chi is a valuable addition to the Marvel universe. He proves to be a dependable fighter whose bravery is tested again and again. And he has a new transportation system. Forget the bus --- Shang-Chi rides dragons. In the story, Shang-Chi has run away from his oppressive father, a man more than 1,000 years old who seeks to control the universe. Shang-Chi's father is in possession of 10 magical rings that give him extraordinary powers. Shang-Chi has fled because his father wanted him to become an assassin, someone who murders people as a job. But, now the old man wants the family back for an operation to rescue his dead wife. Actor Awkwafina plays Shang-Chi's friend Katy. The character brings humor to the story, especially in tense situations.
