'Shang-Chi' Delivers Epic Superhero Action and Positive Asian Representation
Marvel’s first Asian superhero film, 'Shang-Chi', deserves praise for balancing epic superhero action, a heartfelt family plot, and positive Asian representation.

A sensual drama that depicts the fates of a man and a woman who are entangled in a negative chain of events that begins with a certain incident. This is an absurdist drama written by Takahisa Zeze, a leading director in the film industry, and shows the fate of men who are at the mercy of two women, played by a new actress with an outstanding presence. They attack a cash transport vehicle, but Taichi (Takeshi Ito) and Kazumi (Yuji Sawayama) are caught, while Hideji (Hironori Okajima) steals the money and escapes. Five years later, after being released from prison, Taichi visits a coffee shop run by Hideji with Noah (Harumi Kashima), who is suffering from an incurable disease, but an unexpected situation arises when his wife Reiko (Mayuko Sasaki) and Kazumi's love interests become involved.
Marvel’s first Asian superhero film, 'Shang-Chi', deserves praise for balancing epic superhero action, a heartfelt family plot, and positive Asian representation.
Ian and Barley embark on a quest to find a magical gem to restore their father back to life.
Two Distant Strangers (2020) centers around Carter James (Joey Bada$$) as he tries to get back home to his pitbull, Jeter, after spending a night at the apartment of his date Perri (Zaria Simone). What gets in the way of Carter reuniting with his dog is that every time he tries to leave Perri’s apartment, he is killed by police and wakes up back in her bed in a never-ending cycle. It addresses the issue of police brutality which rightly has been in the public eye more and more with the unjust deaths caused at the hands of law enforcement.
The assassins in Bullet Train are quirky, deadly, and diverse. Yet, they all seem to be some type of caricature. While the movie is fun and action-packed, it’s also packed with stereotypes that don’t make for the best representation.
An aspect of She-Ra that I find refreshing is even though a large portion of the cast is on the LGBTQ+ Spectrum, being gay is never mentioned. While this might initially sound like a negative thing, in the show’s land of Etheria being on the gay spectrum is shown to be so common and normalized that straight isn’t the default. As much as there is to appreciate about narratives revolving around the obstacles that may come from being non-heteronormative, it’s nice to get immersed in a world where no one bats an eye at all to any sort of differing identity.
Disney/Pixar may see a bit of a turning point with Pixar’s new Disney+ Sparkshorts short film: OUT.