Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

After a largely pandemic-induced lull in full feature-length proceedings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the release schedule looks set to resume (for a mostly vaccinated stateside audience, at least) with Shang-Chi.

Starring Simu Liu (whom Canadians and many around the world will recognize from CBC’s Kim’s Convenience), Marvel’s first film with an Asian lead happens to be arriving in the midst of a moment of increasing awareness—and incidence—of anti-Asian hate.

As Liu put it, it is a virus of “hate crimes being committed against Asian people at an alarming rate over the past year.” As he also said in a guest column in Variety, it will not be solved by “an opulent rom-com or Marvel superhero, but with you” –in other words, his audience--seeing the validity of Asians’ pain.

That being said, Liu is also evidently aware of the positive impact of his role, and how representation matters—and the trailer certainly serves to drum up anticipation for Liu’s debut. The music gives a hip-hop spin on a theme that aptly uses Asian instrumentation and a melodically Eastern motif. It appears to be a new track, featuring vocals by Jackson Wang, perhaps best known as the lead for K-Pop group GOT7.

Percussion joins the fray around the thirty-second mark, with the synch-points between the action and rhythm of the soundtrack growing more prominent. Notice leading into 0:35 the blaring of a horn (typical for epic trailers) along with some more insistent percussion to match the flurry of punches on screen. It is followed by an action sequence up to 0:42 that precisely tracks the downbeat and melody, almost as a corrective to the triplet rhythm earlier.

The soundtrack only ramps up from there, with ever more fantastical scenes giving a teaser of what’s to come. However, what’s arguably more notable in this second half of the teaser is the shocking ordinariness around 1:28-1:30, where Shang-Chi performs a mid-air kick to two people simultaneously on an articulating bus. He’s in regular clothes, and his actions are paired off-screen with drums only. This is followed by a precious moment of silence before he ruffles his jacket.

It’s both the steady build-up, as well as moments of release like this, that make the edit so effective; it’s possible that Liu’s affability (paired in part with Awkwafina’s brand of zany) is exactly what makes his superhero entrance so enthralling; it’s that sense of contrast and dynamic range that makes the highs of this trailer’s soundtrack what they are.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is due in theatres (status of the pandemic willing) September 3rd.

— Curtis Perry