'Shang-Chi' masters the art of the Marvel origin story
CNN
"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" conjures a slick addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one that owes less to the comics than most of its predecessors. The movie not only strikes a welcome blow for inclusion with its predominantly Asian cast, but deftly juggles epic world building with lighter comedy in a way that should appeal to audiences, depending on how many can be lured back to theaters at this moment.
That asterisk doesn't detract from the film itself, but it does underscore the weight "Shang-Chi" carries, both as an original (that is, non-sequel) title and a movie released exclusively into theaters without the at-home option that's been offered to fuel subscriptions to Disney+. Fortunately, the film comes armed for battle with an extremely appealing lead in Simu Liu, nicely abetted by Awkwafina as his best pal and plucky comic relief.President Joe Biden is expected to announce an executive order as early as Tuesday that would effectively shut down the US-Mexico border to asylum-seekers crossing illegally when a daily threshold of crossings is exceeded – a sweeping and controversial proposal that is likely to receive fierce pushback from progressives and immigration advocates.
In the days and weeks leading up Hunter Biden’s trial on felony gun charges, President Joe Biden made little attempt to distance himself from his son. Instead, Hunter Biden was seen at the White House and in Delaware at his father’s side amid what the president’s allies acknowledge is a difficult moment for both men.