Goldfinger

GOLDFINGER
1964 | Dir. Guy Hamilton | 110 Minutes

"Man has climbed Mount Everest, gone to the bottom of the ocean. He's fired rockets at the Moon, split the atom, and achieved miracles in every field of human endeavor... except crime!"

Under orders from M, James Bond investigates and repeatedly foils the schemes of wealthy businessman Auric Goldfinger. As Goldfinger conducts an elaborate daylight heist at Fort Knox, Bond must stop the villain's plot while he holds the MI6 agent in captivity.

Replacing Terrence Young, director Guy Hamilton's Goldfinger firmly establishes the whimsical elements of the Eon Productions' James Bond pictures. It is a fantastical adventure film that tilts decidedly away from the espionage trappings of From Russia with Love and into full-blown action. Many aspects of the picture are nonsensical but highly entertaining, from Goldfinger's unfortunate assistant Jill Masterson implausibly suffocating from having her entire body coated with gold paint to Korean strongman Oddjob wielding a derby hat with a metal rim as a deadly weapon. Even John Barry's fun if overblown score matches the bombast of the picture.

The set pieces featured in Goldfinger are as iconic as they get for the franchise. Particularly memorable sequences include Goldfinger's interrogation of Bond while the spy is strapped onto a slab of solid gold as a deadly industrial laser beam inches towards his crotch and the epic Operation Grand Slam sequence that culminates with Bond's literally electrifying showdown with Oddjob. The film also features Chinese mercenaries in inauthentic cheap-looking uniforms, stunning blonde female stunt pilots, and stereotypical American mob bosses who don't serve much of a purpose beyond expanding the scale and elaborate plot of the villain's Operation Grand Slam.

In his third appearance as James Bond, Sean Connery is as suave and confident as ever though it's a shame that his take on Bond is characterized with less depth as well. Despite having his dialogue dubbed over by an English stage actor, Gert Fröbe is magnificent as the greedy and dishonest titular adversary. Honor Blackman plays Pussy Galore, the first of the women-of-action James Bond love interest archetypes, with style and grace. Professional American wrestler Harold Sakata makes Oddjob one of the very best henchmen of the franchise by bringing his excellent physicality and an abundance of personality to the role. Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell once again appear briefly as M and Moneypenny, and Desmond Llewelyn makes his second appearance as Q, amusingly cementing the character as MI6's humorless the quartermaster. The cast also features lovely English models Shirley Eaton and Tania Mallet appearing as the doomed Masterson sisters, and Canadian actor Cec Linder replacing Jack Lord as Felix Leiter.

Eon's third James Bond production sets the standard tonal baseline and story structure for the films that follow it, more fantastical and significantly less grounded than From Russia with Love. Despite its dated style and some questionable thematic sensibilities, Goldfinger is nonetheless an exemplary paradigm of the franchise that is immensely entertaining.


THE COLD OPEN
It's pure genius that Goldfinger begins with an explosive James Bond adventure that plays like the climax of another film altogether. It's pretty much the perfect cold open for a Bond film serving up a jolt of quick satisfying action before the main event.


THE THEME SONG AND OPENING TITLES
Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger", the first in a long line of theme songs to play over a James Bond opening title sequence, is fantastic and still one of the best songs of the series. The sequence itself designed by Robert Brownjohn featuring models painted gold with film scenes reflecting off their skin is stylish, provocative, and absolutely iconic.


THE BOND GIRL
Pussy Galore is the strongest and most capable of Bond's love interests yet but it's implausibly for a woman like her to fall for the secret agent and turn against her employer after a literal and proverbial roll in the hay. Also, her name is unfortunate and completely at odds with the no-nonsense nature of her character


THE BOND VILLAIN
It's refreshing that Auric Goldfinger is simply a madman with abundant resources and an ambitious plan, motivated not by any political belief or misguided principal but just to make a name for himself in the annals of criminal achievement. Conversely, it's also quite satisfying to see Bond stop a cheater like Goldfinger over and over again.


FEATURED HENCHMAN
With his deadly hat and menacing smile, Oddjob is one of the most iconic and memorable henchmen of the series. Unfortunately, Oddjob also reinforces the general stereotype of the evil foreign "other."


FEATURED GADGET
Bond's tricked out Aston Martin is a riot, equipped with tire slashes, armored plates, machine guns, and, most memorably, an ejector seat. After introducing this imaginative vehicle, the series would never be the same.


FLEMING FIDELITY
This adaptation of the seventh installment in Ian Fleming's series is faithful to the major plot points of its source material while making several key changes. In the 1959 novel, Bond first encounters Auric Goldfinger while off-duty and spies on him at the request of Junius Du Pont who Bond befriended in 1953's Casino Royale. Goldfinger tortures Bond with a circular saw, changed to an industrial laser in the film. Pussy Galore is the leader of a gang of lesbian burglars known as the Cement Mixers, while she is the leader of squadron of female stunt pilots in the film. Despite identifying as a lesbian, Galore falls for Bond in the novel, impossibly won over by his masculinity. Operation Grand Slam is a genuine heist, while in the film Goldfinger's true intention is to irradiate the gold with a nuclear bomb. The bomb itself, supplied by a Chinese scientist is the film's way of addressing fear against Communist China's nuclear capabilities. Oddjob is sucked out of a depressurized airplane cabin and Bond strangles Goldfinger, while in the film Bond electrocutes Oddjob in Fort Knox and Goldfinger is sucked out of the airplane.


FRAGMENTS
- The producers' first choice for Auric Goldfinger was Orson Welles

- Series regular voice over artist Nikki Van der Zyl dubbed the dialogue for Jill Masterson, and she was Gert Fröbe's on-set English-language vocal coach

- At the top of the end credits, the film advertises that "James Bond will be back in 'Thunderball'"

From Russia with Love

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
1963 | Dir. Terence Young | 115 Minutes

"It must be a pretty sick collection of minds to dream up a plan like that."

SPECTRE devises a plan to eliminate James Bond and destroy his reputation using a beautiful woman and a prized codebreaking machine as bait. Despite knowing it is a trap, 007 agrees to take on the mission.

Better paced than Dr. No, and more daring by far in its overt depictions of Bond's pathological philandering, director Terrence Young returns to direct From Russia with Love and delivers a remarkably improved follow-up. It is one of the best films of the series and generally one of the best spy movies of its time, more grounded and slightly less escapist than most other franchise entries. From top to bottom, the production design of the picture is excellent, its action sequences are exhilarating, and its musical score is notably rousing - the first full James Bond soundtrack composed by franchise regular John Barry.

The film spends an appropriate amount of time defining the players involved in the scheme to murder and discredit the MI6 agent in its opening minutes, collectively some of the best villains of the series. Subsequently, the feature takes off to Istanbul where lively Cold War intrigue and spirited gypsy belly-dancing debauchery await. While the Istanbul portion of the film is immensely entertaining, the section onboard the Orient Express is even better as a menacing killer disguised as an ally enters the picture. The back-to-back climatic action sequences, one featuring a and grenade-dropping helicopter and the other a thrilling boat chase, are staged practically perfectly.

Dashing and ever-so-slightly rough around the edges, Sean Connery further cements his take on Bond. Italian actress Daniela Bianchi is adorable and believably naive playing the Russian beauty Tatiana Romanova. As the Turkish station head Kerim Bey, Pedro Armendáriz exudes good humor and affability. Lotte Lenya provides an iconic performance as the trollish and sadistic SPECTRE No. 2 Rosa Klebb. Robert Shaw brings subtle dimension to hired killer Donald "Red" Grant, turning what would have been a rather simple character into a remarkably interesting foil for Bond. Convincingly arrogant, Vladek Sheybal makes the most of his handful of scenes as SPECTRE No. 5 chess grandmaster Kronsteen. Uncredited with face strategically out of frame, Anthony Dawson stands in for SPECTRE No. 1 Ernst Blofeld while Eric Pohlmann provides the villain's voice. Back at MI6, Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell are amusing as always returning as M and Moneypenny, while series mainstay Desmond Llewelyn appears for the first time as Q though only for a brief equipment demonstration without his trademark snark.

From Russia with Love is not just one of the best films of the 007 franchise but also a great espionage action picture in general. It is an atmospheric, provocative, and immensely entertaining experience that demonstrates some of the very best of what a James Bond film can offer without some of the series' more fantastical flourishes.


THE COLD OPEN
Red Grant stalking and murdering a man in what turns out to be a James Bond mask is a nice fake-out and also a clever way to get in an appearance by Connery at the top of the film considering the real Bond doesn't appear until a ways into the narrative.


THE THEME SONG AND OPENING TITLES
Interestingly, the titular theme song plays over the end credits, and not the opening titles designed by Robert Brownjohn featuring belly dancing to an instrumental version of the tune mixed with a reworking of Monty Norman's James Bond theme. The song itself is a serviceable if unremarkable ballad performed by English singer Matt Monro.


THE BOND GIRL
A more developed character than most Bond love interests of the time but still mostly serving as a prize to be won, hapless reluctant spy Tatiana Romanova is at least afforded her own significantly dramatic moment when she saves Bond from Klebb in the epilogue.


THE BOND VILLAIN
The main antagonist of the film (as Blofeld only makes an appearance as a faceless figure), Rosa Klebb is ruthless and deadly, hiding a nasty poisonous knife in her boot. Regularly parodied, though not quite as often as Blofeld, Klebb is one of the most iconic villains of the series.


FEATURED HENCHMAN
As an unrefined blunt instrument that's quick to violence and neglectful of finer details, a man who pairs red wine with fish, Red Grant shares many similarities with Daniel Craig's initial portrayal of Bond. Having him face off against Connery's Bond virtually compares Craig's take against Connery's in a roundabout way.


FEATURED GADGET
The trick briefcase with hidden gas bomb, knife, ammo, and gold sovereigns may not be the flashiest of gadgets but proves to be one of the more practical and grounded ones.


FLEMING FIDELITY
Based on the 1957 novel of the same name, the fifth installment in Fleming's series, the only notable change is the replacement of Soviet counterintelligence agency SMERSH with SPECTRE, as SPECTRE hatches the scheme against both SMERSH and MI6 in the film. Also, in the epilogue that takes placed in Paris (moved to Venice in the adaptation) Klebb manages to cut Bond with her poisoned knife, ending the novel with a cliffhanger.


FRAGMENTS
- Eon Productions decided to adapt From Russia, with Love as the second film in the series following Dr. No due to US President John F. Kennedy naming it as one of his favorite books of all time in a Life magazine interview

- Series regular voice over artist Nikki Van der Zyl dubbed the dialogue for Sylvia Trench

- John Barry's "007" theme is featured for the first time during the raid in the gypsy camp, a unique theme that would recur in several more Bond films; the theme inspired Shiro Sagisu's "Decisive Battle" theme and its myriad of variations featured in the Hideaki Anno's Evangelion anime television series and films, and in Anno's Shin Godzilla

- Walter Gotell appearing as SPECTRE henchman Morzeny would go on to play KGB head General Gogol in The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill, and The Living Daylights

- At the top of the end credits, the film advertises that "James Bond will return in the next Ian Fleming thriller 'Goldfinger'"

Dr. No

DR. NO
1962 | Dir. Terence Young | 109 Minutes

"East. West. Just points of the compass, each as stupid as the other."

Secret Agent James Bond travels to Jamaica when the British station chief on the island nation suddenly goes missing. Bond's investigation leads him to Crab Key where the mysterious Dr. No orchestrates a nefarious clandestine operation.

With Dr. No, the first James Bond film adapted by Eon Productions from Ian Fleming's fantastical spy novels, director Terrence Young lays out many, if not all, of the regular fixtures commonly associated with the prolific cinematic franchise. In this entertaining and problematic work of titillating escapism, the impossibly clever British hero straight-up murders the dastardly villain and his henchmen, romances every beautiful woman he encounters - friend or foe, casually demonstrates his presumed superiority over foreign powers (and people), and completes his mission for Queen and Country while carving a path of wanton destruction without any real consequences. As an action adventure picture that only briefly dabbles in espionage, Bond's spycraft is rudimentary and rather quaint, fully illustrated in the sequence in which the spy uses talcum powder and his own hair and saliva as his sole tools to detect hotel room intrusion. Yet it all works brilliantly thanks to the feature's excellent pacing and tongue-in-cheek tone.

The action featured in the early parts of Dr. No is somewhat standard but serviceable, consisting of a pair of fun car chases - one ending in a fiery explosion, tensionless but brisk combat and gunplay, and perhaps most notably a humorous encounter with a deadly tarantula. Things pick up significantly when Bond makes his way to Carb Key with his doomed temporary sidekick Quarrel in tow. What follows is an unlikely encounter with a buxom shell diver, a confrontation with a goofy-looking fire-breathing mechanical beast, and an imaginative journey through the evil mastermind's elaborate secret nuclear facility. Through it all, the secret agent remains effortlessly cool and slightly detached, traits that would quickly become insufferable for a lead character if not for the natural charisma of the man in the role.

Sean Connery immediately and completely embodies Agent 007, taking total ownership of the role, dashing, funny, and convincing as a man capable of swift and confident action, an instant icon. Despite the fact that her character carries virtually no agency, the gorgeous Ursula Andress is a sight to behold as Honey Rider. As the titular antagonist, Joseph Wiseman's isn't afforded a whole of screen time but he makes the most of it providing a methodical, balanced performance, making his mark as one of the more memorable Bond villains overall. In the thankless role of Quarrel, John Kitzmiller is a likable jolly tough guy, which makes the character's stereotypical superstition feel all the more out of place. Anthony Dawson cowers and scowls his way through the part of Dr. No's chief henchman Professor Dent, doing what he can with the mostly unmemorable role. Lois Maxwell begins her long tenure as M's mildly flirtatious secretary Miss Moneypenny as does Bernard Lee as the comically no-nonsense spymaster M. Hawaii Five-O star Jack Lord plays CIA Agent Felix Leiter, the first of many actors to portray Bond's canny American counterpart. Dr. No also features Eunice Gayson as Bond's socialite paramour Sylvia Trench, and Zena Marshall in regrettable yellow-face as Professor Dent's underling Miss Taro who Bond beds and discards with haste.

In spite of the questionable values and dubious politics that are inextricably tied to the film's place and time, Dr. No remains a jaunty fast-paced affair with an undeniably charming star at its center. 007 makes his cinematic debut delivering action, humor, and sex appeal.


THE BOND GIRL
For good reason, the moment Honey Rider emerges from the ocean has drawn comparisons to the mythological birth of Venus. Honey's arrival sets a markedly high standard of beauty for the role of Bond's love interest from the get-go, but despite a miniscule highly exploitative backstory provided in one brief scene, her characterization is noticeably paper-thin and her presence doesn't serve much purpose besides damsel in distress.


THE BOND VILLAIN
Dr. No is both a fascinating and highly troubling caricature. His heritage combines the West's post-war tension with Germany and anxiety surrounding China's growing influence as a global power. Dr. No's customary Bond villain physical deformity is one of the more interesting ones, having somehow lost just his hands to radiation exposure, replacing them with a set of metal ones that are apparently good for crushing objects but bad for holding on for dear life. Ultimately, despite his eloquent monologue, his plan to disrupt the American space program with a nuclear-powered radio beam seems rather dull all things considered.


FEATURED HENCHMAN
Unfortunately, Professor Dent the geologist is both incompetent and rather forgettable. The most memorable aspect of his character is how easily Bond tricks and murders him using just a few pillows and a blanket in a darkened room.


FLEMING FIDELITY
The film is mostly faithful to the 1958 novel of the same name, the sixth installment in Fleming's series. The novel is a direct continuation from the cliffhanger ending of 1957's From Russia, with Love, which this film disregards for practical storytelling reasons. The nuclear aspect of Dr. No's lair was invented for the film. Other notable differences include a centipede placed in Bond's bed instead of a tarantula, Dr. No being affiliated with the Russians and not SPECTRE, Dr. No having his hands cut off by the Chinese tong instead of losing them to radiation burns, Bond's fight a giant squid not present in the film, and Dr. No's demise buried alive in guano instead of falling into a radioactive pool.


FRAGMENTS
- Series regular voice over artist Nikki Van der Zyl dubbed the dialogue for Honey Ryder and Sylvia Trench

- Author Ian Fleming's first choice for the role of Dr. No was Christopher Lee, Fleming's cousin

Everything or Nothing: Eon Productions Presents Ian Fleming's James Bond 007

"Bond, James Bond."

British Secret Service agent James Bond, code number 007, made his debut in the hit 1952 novel Casino Royale written by restless World War II English naval intelligence veteran Ian Fleming. An innately problematic idealized symbol of British exceptionalism and global policing ideology, Fleming conceived Bond as a man of decisive action, cold and merciless against his enemies, overindulgent in gambling and alcohol, and absolutely irresistible to women. Broadly appealing to readers seeking to vicarious partake in the primal pleasures of sex and violence neatly dressed is escapist fantasy, it was inevitable for 007 to leap off the page and become a film icon for the ages.

After failing to bring Bond to the silver screen himself, Fleming sold the film rights to his novels to producers Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli and Harry Saltzman in 1961. Broccoli and Saltzman formed Eon Productions for the sole purpose of making James Bond adventure pictures, EON being an acronym for Broccoli and Saltzman's driving motto and a perfect summation of Bond's world view: "Everything or Nothing." Since the release of the Eon's adaptation of Fleming's sixth Bond novel Dr. No in 1962, the production company's James Bond film series quickly became one of the most prolific and lucrative cinematic franchises ever, featuring exotic locations, beautiful ladies, imaginative gadgetry, and spectacular stunts. However, the series is not without its share of creative and financial highs and lows.

As the audience's tastes change with the times, the direction and overall tone of the Bond films shift accordingly but not always gracefully. The franchise has of taken odd turns into disparate genres, co-oping styles of other successful action films and Hollywood blockbusters with mixed results. As a whole, the franchise may be viewed as a fascinating study on the evolution of action cinema

Showing a surprisingly amount of self-awareness and depth, the character of James Bond gradually grows throughout the series, particularly in the best films of the franchise. Bond transforms from a charming and clever hunk with a mean streak to a corny impeccable gentlemen spy to a defiant roguish hero to a quietly tormented deeply flawed freight train of a man with an unrelenting talent for murder. Later entries of the series ease into challenging 007's place in our ever-changing world and go as far as examining his damaged psyche, offering a fuller portrait of a government operative ready to kill and die for his country at a moment's notice.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS

2021 | Dir. Destin Daniel Cretton | 132 Minutes

"You are a product of all who came before you, the light and the dark, the legacy of your family. You are your mother and, whether you like it or not, you are also your father. Stop hiding who you are."

Following a surprise attack by deadly assailants on a public bus, mild-mannered San Francisco valet Shaun reveals to his true identity to his best friend Katy. Shaun is Xu Shang-Chi, the son of an immortal warlord who wields a powerful set of ancient otherworldly artifacts and commands a clandestine criminal empire. Reunited after years of separation, Shang-Chi and his estranged sister Xialing are captured by their ruthless father as the siblings hold the key to unlocking a mythical realm where their father hopes to reunite with their late mother.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings brilliantly balances humor, kung fu action, and poignant family drama with elements of fantasy and even a surprising dash of horror thrown into the mix. Without wholesale rehashing standard superhero origin story tropes, director Destin Daniel Cretton introduces a new champion to Marvel's shared cinematic world by telling a story of defiance and self-actualization that young immigrants growing up in America, particularly Asian Americans, may find all too relatable. The narrative places equal focus on both its hero and villain, pitting a young man trying to escape his past and the legacy he is expected to carry against his profoundly heartbroken father who happens to be the leader of the world's deadliest criminal enterprise. Structurally, while the primary storyline is funny and action-packed, carried by the immense charisma and natural chemistry on display from leads Simu Liu and Awkwafina as Shang-Chi and Katy, the film takes its time to fill in the particulars of its central conflict, its true emotional core gradually revealed in numerous flashback sequences. Thankfully, these tangents into the past are exceptionally engaging thanks in no small part to a masterful performance from Tony Leung Chiu-wai in the role of the complex, startlingly sympathetic antagonist Wenwu.

Coordinated by Jackie Chan stunt team veteran Brad Allan and shot by acclaimed cinematographer Bill Pope, the fight sequences in Shang-Chi are indisputably the very best featured in a Marvel Studios production so far. The vast majority of the martial arts choreography is captured clearly and beautifully, especially during the first half of the film, the wire fu on display is expertly executed with graceful precision, and the incredible stunt work is absolutely inspired. Notable fights include the simply gorgeous opening encounter between Wenwu and the eventual love of his life Jiang Li, the exhilarating bus fight between Shang-Chi and Ten Rings assassins led by Razor Fist that properly reveals the hero's formidable skills, Shang-Chi reluctantly facing off against Xialing in an underground fight club, and the perilous escape sequence on skyscraper scaffolding leading to an intense brawl between Shang-Chi and the visually striking masked Death Dealer.

To the detriment of Shang-Chi, the superb kung fu is more or less benched for the second half of the film in favor of CGI spectacle. While the creature designs for the myriad of mythical inhabitants in the fantastical realm of Ta Lo are appealing and imaginative, the combat loses some of its visceral impact as it grows in scale only to become increasingly jumbled and augmented with visual effects. The viewer's mileage may vary regarding the sudden introduction of the Dweller-in-Darkness, a terrifying soul devouring eldritch horror, serving as a startlingly gnarly way to wrap up the picture with an epic conclusion. The issues with these sequences are mostly redeemed by the emotional content and drama inherent in the struggle between conflicted son and grief-stricken father and the tragic resolution to their conflict is reasonably satisfying.

Naturally charming and physically skilled, Simu Liu capably carries the film in the lead role performing both the stunts as well as the dramatic heavy lifting. Bringing her brand of comedy to the picture, Awkwafina is delightful as Katy, often the sole voice of reason as the narrative ventures ever deeper into the fantastical. The incredibly convincing friendship between Simu Liu's Shang-Chi and Awkwafina's Katy is one of the feature's greatest strengths. Hong Kong screen legend Tony Leung Chiu-wai imbues the character of Wenwu with a degree of emotional depth that only he can bring, giving the role an unexpected measure of pathos seldom seen in a comic book movie supervillain. As Xialing, Meng'er Zhang is believable as a hardened product of neglect and abandonment, an incredible foil to the central hero. The cast also features Fala Chen as loving wife and mother Jiang Li who can hold her own in a fight, Florian Munteanu giving featured henchman Razor Fist more personality than one might expect,  Michelle Yeoh regal as ever as Ta Lo guardian Nan, the return of Ben Kingsley's hilariously fuddled Trevor Slattery amusingly addressing his culturally offensive role in Iron Man 3 while further developing his character arc, and a brief appearance from Benedict Wong reprising the role of Master of the Mystic Arts Wong to weave story threads back to the overarching Marvel narrative as well as deliver a few good laughs.

Both a rollicking kung fu flick and an exhilarating superhero movie that heavily evokes wuxia flair and East Asian fantasy, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings immediately stands out as a unique picture among the top tier of Marvel Studios' ever-expanding canon. The film features an extraordinarily talented cast predominantly of Chinese descent in excellent, nuanced, and highly engaging roles that play to each performer's respective strengths, delivering easily some of the most outstanding Asian representation in a Hollywood feature ever, more than making up for the picture's relatively minor creative flaws. Asian Americans in particular may find an additional level of resonance in its portrayal of an immigrant hero struggling to embrace all facets of his heritage.

MID-CREDITS STINGER

Wong spirits Shang-Chi and Katy away and attempts to analyze the Ten Rings with assistance from Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Carol Danvers (Brie Larson). The rings seem to originate from another universe and they've begun to signal an unknown entity. Unable to learn more, Shang-Chi, Katy, and Wong go to karaoke to unwind, belting out "Hotel California".

POST-CREDITS STINGER

Xialing takes over leadership of the Ten Rings, rebuilding the organization to her liking.

FRAGMENTS

- Growing up watching him in Hong Kong TVB television series and countless Hong Kong films, I never though I'd ever see Tony Leung Chiu-wai in a major Hollywood film, let alone one from Marvel Studios; I am beyond thrilled that not only did Marvel Studios give him an incredible role, but that he delivers such a memorable performance

- Absolutely love how Zach Cherry hilariously reprises his role from Spider-Man: Homecoming

- The posters for Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle and Walter Hill's The Warriors in Shang-Chi's apartment are on point

- Andy Le's Death Dealer for all of his imposing style was ultimately a letdown considering how the character just unceremoniously dies

- Comedian Ronny Chieng is also a delight in his brief appearance as Xialing's assistant

- First time we've seen the Abomination since The Incredible Hulk, curious if we'll ever see how he and Wong came to know each other

- It's also a thrill to see kung fu character actor Yuen Wah in a small role, a total shame the character bites it without doing anything significant

- Michelle Yeoh previous appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as the Ravager Captain Aleta Ogord, making her the first performer to play two distinct characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

- Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, and Ronny Chieng previously appeared together in Jon M. Chu's Crazy Rich Asians

- Awkwafina referring to Shang-Chi's finishing move on the Dweller as a Kamehameha (from Dragon Ball) is priceless

SUPPLEMENTAL STUFF

- Video: DJ Snake featuring Rick Ross & Rich Brian "Run It"

007 CONNECTIONS

- Michelle Yeoh (Wai Lin in Tomorrow Never Dies)