[Episode theme]

In this episode, we talk about the latest Marvel blockbuster, “Shang-Chi: legend of the ten rings.” At the time of publishing, Shang-Chi has become the first pandemic film to gross over $200M at the box office. We dive deep into what we love and appreciate about this film — the various styles of fight scenes, Tony Leung, care paid to language and dialect. And where we find the movie to be falling short — the ambiguity of Taluo, the tired narratives when it comes to womanhood, motherhood, and a woman’s role in the marriage. 

[Timecode]

• 1:19 — Guest intro and first impressions 
• 8:00 — How Marvel creates an “anti-hero” the audience loves (Wenwu) 
• 15: 00 — Are the Chinese dialogue and dialects in this film legit?
• 26: 24 — The references of Wuxia style in this film, and a smart appropriating of Chinese fantasy elements  
• 32: 21 — Awkwafina is the first female Asian character whose main use is to be a getaway driver (we dig) 
• 34: 11 — Is the story of Taluo holding up under scrutiny? What are the weaknesses of world-building in this film, when compared with “Black Panther”? Do we need this type of ambiguity in geography and history? Do we need an Asian “Wakanda”? 
• 49: 00 — Marvel commoditized the identity movement of Asian Americans but did not dig deep into their stories in this film 
• 51: 20 — The movie’s polite but ultimately inadequate nod to feminism 
• 56: 16 — Are we tired of the same old narrative of a woman sacrificing herself for a relationship 
• 59: 00 — As a part of the Chinese audience, how should we understand cultural creations that belong to Chinese Americans? 

[Guest introduction]

 Frankie: Chinese American illustrator 

 Kao: Host of the podcast “Overcooked” https://overcooked.typlog.io/ 

[Audio editor]

Joshua Odgen-Davis

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