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

Iron Man 3 - 3/5

This movie has some of my favorite moments in all of the Iron Man movies, but huge plot holes and convoluted retrospective character motivations unravel what could have been an amazing movie. The creators definitely seem to be having a lot more fun with this one over previous installments, sometimes getting caught up in their own enjoyment and forgetting to tie everything together at the end. This movie’s biggest strength is how it contrasts Tony Stark with Iron Man. This movie’s biggest flaw is introducing plot points, characters, and very powerful abilities, then forgetting about them. And this movie’s biggest sin is creating a central bait-and-switch, but making the switch far less interesting than the bait.

Closest comparison: It’s the troubled third child in the Iron Man series.

Setting: Geopolitical thriller
Plot: Underdog adventure
Tone: Action

The Jungle Book (2016) - 2/5

Not worth your time. All of the actors phoned in their lines (except Ben Kingsley) and the tone of the writing was all over the place. Just see Zootopia a second time instead. Or better yet, just watch the 1994 live action Jungle Book.