A New Hero Is the Star of Marvel’s 25th Film

The Marvel¹ Cinematic Universe releases² its 25th film this week, with a hero new to movies.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is based on a comic book series first published in 1973. Actor Simu Liu plays the lead character, Shang-Chi. As the movie opens, he is a low-level hotel worker in San Francisco. He rides the bus to work. He does not appear especially powerful or brave.

But by the time the film is over, Shang-Chi is a valuable addition to the Marvel universe. He proves to be a dependable fighter whose bravery is tested again and again. And he has a new transportation system. Forget the bus --- Shang-Chi rides dragons.

In the story, Shang-Chi has run away from his oppressive father, a man more than 1,000 years old who seeks to control the universe. Shang-Chi's father is in possession of 10 magical rings that give him extraordinary powers.

Shang-Chi has fled because his father wanted him to become an assassin, someone who murders people as a job. But, now the old man wants the family back for an operation to rescue his dead wife.

Actor Awkwafina plays Shang-Chi's friend Katy. The character brings humor³ to the story, especially in tense situations.

Destin Daniel Cretton is the director of the new film and helped write the script⁴. It includes many strange characters and places. For example, Morris is a pig-chicken creature with no face; another is an assassin with a huge knife for an arm. There is an underground fight ring, forests that move and exciting fight scenes, including one high above the streets on the outside of a very tall building.

Beneath the beauty and the violence, however, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a story about family ties, fatherly expectations and the modern world's demands over individual traditions.

Words in This Story

comic book –n. a magazine that is made up of a series of comic strips⁵, which tell stories through a series of pictures

character –n. a person who appears in a story, book, play, movie, or television show

script –n. the written form of a play, movie, television show, or audio⁶ performance

scene –n. a part of a play, movie, or story, in which a particular action or activity takes place

1 marvel   

vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事

参考例句：

• The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
• The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。

2 releases   

v.释放( release的第三人称单数 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• Nuclear fission releases tremendous amounts of energy. 核裂变释放出巨大的能量。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Zemel says that when calcium levels are low, the body releases a hormone that helps squeeze the most out of every available milligram of the mineral. 泽莫尔博士说，当人体中的钙含量偏低时，身体里就会产生一种荷尔蒙，它能帮助肌体最大限度地吸收所摄入的钙。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 humor   

n.(humour)幽默，诙谐

参考例句：

• He is distinguished for his sense of humor.他以其幽默感著称。
• American humor is founded largely on hyperbole.美式幽默主要以夸张为基础。

4 script   

n.剧本，广播稿；文字体系；笔迹，手迹

参考例句：

• It's easy to identify his script.他的笔迹容易辨认。
• The script is massaged into final form.这篇稿子经过修改已定稿。

5 strips   

n. 条，片 名词strip的复数形式

参考例句：

• Cut the vegetables into thin strips. 把菜切成细条。
• The baskets are woven from strips of willow. 这些篮子是用柳条编的。

6 audio   

n./adj.音频(响)(的)；声音(的)，听觉(的)

参考例句：

• Often,the meeting is recorded on audio or video media for later reference.通常这种会议会以视频或者音频形式记录下来，供以后查阅。
• You don't even have to pay for audio programs.你大可不必为自己听这些节目付费。