Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - 3/5

This movie is more interesting with regard to what it introduces to the MCU than it is interesting in its own right. The action choreography is excellent and Simu Liu is outstanding as Shang-Chi, but the cinematography is so shaky that it’s difficult to tell what’s going on most of the time. Most of the runtime isn’t action or Marvel worldbuilding, but slow inter-personal family drama that far overstays its welcome. Still, there’s plenty of colorful forgettable fun to be had for the whole family, though kids may doze off in the middle.

Closest comparison: It’s like Venom (2018)

Setting: Modern Myth
Plot: Hidden World
Tone: Super Hero

Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) - 3/5

This is a solid sequel with great locations and action setpieces in the same vein as its 2017 predecessor. Because of the nature of these films there’s an aspect of the acting that amounts to the actors doing impressions of each other, hamming it up as they go, and that is much more varied in this film. The main characters are doing impressions of multiple people throughout the runtime and it’s fun and funny to watch. The action / adventure part gets predictable and unrealistic in several places, but here it’s funny instead of irritating because of the video game premise. It’s not as good as the previous installment, but still a lot of fun.

Closest comparison: It’s like The Saint (1997) by way of Indiana Jones.

Setting: Adventure
Plot: Action Adventure
Tone: Adventure Comedy