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Henderson
Wednesday September 15, 2021
Emily Henderson Contributing Reporter Another average Tuesday morning on September 11, 2001, turned into something no one would forget. Around 8:45 a.m. LTC Tommie Campbell received a call from his wife. At the time, Campbell was responsible for putting together a large general officer conference at Camp Robinson. “My wife never calls me at work,” Campbell said, “I thought maybe it was just a drone or something accidental.” As he turned on the television, the second tower was struck. He asked his wife if this was a replay of what happened. His
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wife responded with “no,” as the plane crashed. President George W. Bush soon shut down all flights, but Campbell knew Senior Colonel General Shinseki was in the auditorium and would need to return to Washington. Shinseki was on the only plane that flew out of Arkansas that day. Campbell was stationed in Little Rock at the time. After the attack, he explained that the rubble was being searched through, and his wife did not leave the house for a couple of days. It made moving supplies and every-
day tasks for the military difficult. “Life as we knew it then had come to halt, there was a lot of unknown,” he said. Like most, Campbell and the other men were fearful of what was to come. However, the men knew they were “defending the American way of life” and had to be prepared for anything they were called to do. Two days after the attack, Campbell had been scheduled to fly to Washington D.C. in nearly the same spot the Pentagon was hit, but the flight was canceled due to the strike on New York. He
explains that had it not been for a conference he was supposed to attend, it is likely he would have been there considering his constant presence at the Pentagon. Even today, 20 years later, Campbell remembers the uncertainty and fear he felt. The attack changed the many ways he lived his everyday life. “It made me much more hypervigilant.” He explains he is more cautious of his surroundings. At restaurants, he faces the door, and in his office, he had the bushes cut so he could view the parking lot from the window. While
What You Need To Know About Texas’ New Abortion Law
Photo courtesy of Office of the Texas Governor
Republican Governor of Texas Greg Abbott
Emberlynn Pendergraft Staff Reporter
The law titled the “Texas Heartbeat Act,” was signed May 19th, 2021, by Texas Governor Greg Abbot and is the first A law banning almost abortion ban of its kind to all abortions after about be implemented in the US. six weeks went into effect The bill states, “A on Sept. 1st in the state of physician may not Texas.
intentionally perform or induce an abortion on a pregnant woman with the specific intent of causing or abetting the termination of the life of the woman’s unborn child if the physician detected a fetal heartbeat for the unborn child.” According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), 85 to 90 percent of abortions are performed six weeks or later in Texas. This means that nearly all abortions are no longer legal in the state. The only exceptions to the law are cases involving medical emergencies. Cases including rape or incest, however, are not exempt from its rulings. The bill relies not on criminal enforcement via the state but instead relies
on prosecution by private citizens through civil lawsuits. As opposed to legal action being taken on patients, anyone who provides support in the process can be sued, including doctors, counselors, clinic staff members, members of the clergy and anyone who supplied a patient with transportation to an abortion clinic. Additionally, the Heartbeat Bill creates a system wherein civilians can sue anyone involved in the abortion process for upwards of $10,000 in statutory damages. The bill challenges Roe v. Wade, a case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the United States Constitution protects a person’s right to have an
he is not necessarily looking for the “bad” or “worst that could happen,” he simply wants to stay alert, to be more prepared. After serving our country for 23 years, Campbell retired in October of 2002. Since then, he has spent eight years in a classroom and seven years as a principal. Campbell is currently the project director at Veterans Upward Bound. He has a positive outlook on life: to give and not expect anything in return and help anyone and everyone. “Just don’t take anything for granted.”
abortion until the fetus is viable. However, the law manages to work around the rulings of the Roe v. Wade case through the use of civilian prosecution. The Center for Reproductive Rights filed an emergency request to block the ban on Aug. 30th, 2021. However, this request was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court in a vote of 5-4, leading the case to proceed before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. While Texas is the first state to implement a sixweek ban bill, it is not the first state to pass a law of this nature. Idaho, Oklahoma and South Carolina have also passed similar bills that have yet to be administered due to legal obstacles.
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Teammates for a decade Kolby Reck Contributing Reporter Cade Tucker (left), David Vilches (center), and Nick Butler (right) are players on the baseball team here at Henderson. This will be Tucker and Butler’s third season as a Reddie and David’s first season. They have been playing baseball together since a young age, and that is what makes this trio so unique. “We all played together in the Rawlings Prospect organization here in central Arkansas. I was first teammates with Nick when we were nine years old and David joined our team when we were fourteen,” said Tucker. Butler played his high school career at North Little Rock High School, and Tucker played at Conway High School. Although they were not on the same team, they often played against each other because their schools were in the same conference. Vilches played for Sheridan High School, but the three still remained teammates for their summer league team. It did not stop there because all three of them
Photo By Kolby Reck
Cade Tucker (left), David Vilches (Center), Nick Butler (right)
committed to the same junior college while in high school. Eastern Oklahoma State College is located in Wilburton, Oklahoma. “At the time we committed, we didn’t even know that we were all going to the same college. It just worked out that way. There actually ended up being quite a few guys from central
Arkansas that we grew up playing with that ended up at Eastern,” said Vilches. That team set a school record in wins while going 44-17 their freshman season. “The transition to going out of state for college was a lot easier knowing that we were going to be playing with a lot of guys that we grew
up playing with. We made eachother better and we had a lot of chemistry on the field. It’s no secret to why we had such a special season,” stated Tucker. After one year, Vilches decided to part ways and transferred to Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Tucker and Butler both transferred to Henderson after their two
years at this junior college. They have both had success in the previous two seasons at Henderson, while Vilches had made a name for himself at Creighton University as well. Fast forward to this year, and Vilches has decided to bring the trio back together by transferring to Henderson. “Cade and Nick were huge factors in my decision to come to Henderson. I wanted to be back in my home state and they really encouraged me to join them at this university,” said Vilches. Coming off of a great season, winning the conference championship, this upcoming season for Henderson should not disappoint. “Adding Vilches just adds more chemistry to a team that plays very well together. We know so much about each other’s game and how to make eachother better. It’s a blessing to play the game of baseball, but even more so getting to play with friends that I’ve known for so long. I don’t know how this all worked out, but it is pretty extraordinary,” said Tucker.
SAB executive board Ty Tolbert
Board’s be more involved in Group as an assistant Blanton Matthews attended a free event Activities on campus here at Cultures and Concepts organizations and in HTV and KSWH Comic Reporter
Photo courtesy of SAB
Tyrone Tolbert, the Executive Chair of the Student Activities Board.
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Henderson State University, chances are good that the Student Activities Board had something to do with planning and arranging it. The board is composed of multiple committees, including the Digital Media Committee and the Music Entertainment and Coffeehouse Committee. Tyrone Tolbert, Jr., a Henderson senior from Hazen, AR and graduate of Clarendon High School, has become the Executive Chair of the Student
Committee. One year ago, he joined as an SAB committee member, and has evidently had quite a successful time at SAB. Tolbert told The Oracle that he was initially made aware of the SAB through the Student Engagement Center and encouraged to join. SAB, Tolbert says, provided him with the opportunity to make a difference in the diverse campus community here at Henderson State. He hopes that in the 2021-22 academic year, students will
events happening on campus. “Coming out of a pandemic can be really difficult. The goal is to move forward and make this college experience great for every student; providing awareness, hope, and a sense of belonging to every student,” said Tolbert on Saturday. Tolbert is a Communication major, through the department’s Business and Organizational Communication track, and is involved with the Reddie Media
radio production. He says that after graduating with that Bachelor’s degree soon, he plans to attend a graduate school to earn a Master’s degree. Currently he has not decided which school, nor did he say what Master’s degree he will be going for. “This year will be what we make it but as Reddies, we have every capability to achieve great things,” said Tolbert. “Go Reddies!”
No common book for incoming class
Juli Reaper Features Editor
In past years, the incoming freshmen class at Henderson State University has had something called a “Common Book” or “Reading Reddies.” Reddie Read was inaugurated in Fall 2006 with Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. But what exactly is Reddie Read? Many times this year freshmen have
asked this question. Reddie read is a free book that was given to each student in their seminar class or picked up for free in the library. The class was expected to read the book and discuss it both inside and outside class. They were then encouraged to attend events relating to the book as were the rest of the students on campus. In past years it has been a great experience for freshmen and
upperclassmen alike. As such, students such as myself are asking freshmen how they are liking it, only to discover that, for some reason, they do not have one this year. Lacy Wolfe, from the Huie Library, confirmed this to be true. Students should not feel left out however, because as Wolfe said, “There are many opportunities for student involvement on campus including the book clubs.” These book clubs
are student-led by the Young Adult Literature class with the assistance of their instructor, Professor Melanie Angell and Mrs. Wolfe. The book for Hispanic Heritage Month is called House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros which can be found in pdf form completely free online. This book can by no means replace the common book but it can most definitely help to
lessen the impact of not having one, The Ready Read books were about being able to connect with the others in our community on topics of importance in both formal and informal settings. The book club has the same goal. The reason, however, for the halt on Reddie Reads may be from a financial point of view but there is still hope for its return in the coming semesters.
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HSU senior already in the work force
a daily basis, Wells does work duties, just like my she was only looking for December, Wells will still Phoebe Darley Contributing Reporter “monthly bookkeeping, school work, and as long an internship, “I now hold the same position at In four short months, Henderson State University seniors will be receiving their diplomas if they are graduating in December. The final semester of seniors’ college career is an important one. This is the semester students do their internships, finetune their resumes, and for some, they already have jobs lined up after graduation. But some are already working jobs in their chosen fields. Keely Wells is a senior Business Administration and Accounting major at Henderson State University and is a part of the small number of students who are working in their chosen field before graduation. Wells works at Grove & Company CPAs as a staff accountant in Sheridan, Arkansas. On
weekly payroll, sales tax payments, estimated payments, input tax information for tax returns, and answers client emails.” Wells found this position when she was actually looking for her senior internship, “I actually posted on facebook that I was looking for an accounting position somewhere for an internship. My now boss commented and gave me an interview. I was hired and they offered me a full time position in July after I had interned for a couple of months.” Wells works full days on Tuesday and Friday and half days on Wednesday. “My boss is very understanding of me still being in school and let’s me do schoolwork while I am at work. I have deadlines on all of my
as everything gets done, I am fine.” Wells was very shocked when she was offered the full time position when
have a full time job doing what I love and I have not even received my diploma yet.” After she receives her diploma in
the company but will be focusing mainly on tax returns since it will be closer to tax season as a full time accountant.
Photo by Phoebe Darley
A headshot of Keely Wells
Vaccine clinic follow-up Sept. 10
William Matthews process to get the Contributing Reporter vaccine. After signing On September 10th, Henderson held another vaccination clinic in the Garrison Center. The Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC) had three stations set up to deliver shots to students and faculty inbetween classes. This was mainly as a follow up to the street fair clinic that happened during the Henderson Welcome Week Street Fair. On that day, AFMC treated several students and fair-goers to their first vaccine. Those students and pedestrians needed a second shot of the vaccine three weeks after their first and that is what happened today. In case someone had not gotten the first shot on that day, there was no exclusion to anyone that needed one. In fact, several of the people getting shots today were getting their first one. It was a very fast
papers your name is called where you will then receive the vaccine. Afterwards you wait the mandatory 15 minutes for safe measure. Right before every patient got their vaccine card, they were asked if they wanted a lottery scratch card (as long as one was over 18) or a certificate for an Arkansas Game & Fish license. These were the incentives that Governor Hutchinson promised for anyone that gets the vaccine in hopes it would raise the number of people aiding in the fight against COVID-19. If you weren’t able to attend this vaccination clinic, you can visit vaccines.gov to find the next nearest vaccination clinic to you. You can also visit healthy.arkansas. gov for a schedule of all the AFMC across the state for the month of September.
Photo by William Matthews
Garrison building of Henderson where the first and second dose of vaccinations were held.
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Wednesday September 15, 2021
J.T. Dickens Contributing Reporter “Certified Lover Boy” Drake After being announced in 2020 and being postponed twice, Drake released his sixth studio album amidst a beef with Kanye West, who released his newest album a few days prior. Even though this is my first time listening to an entire Drake album, this project is not the best. If you know what a generic Drake instrumental sounds like, you’ll be getting that multiple times throughout. The lyrics on this album can’t even be saved either, as they all feel extremely repetitive. Sure, it’s okay for artists to talk about similar things especially on the same album, but when you’re in
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your mid thirties talking about things like strippers on the track “TSU” and generally the same things you’ve been talking about since the beginning with almost nothing new, you’re really trying to live in the past. One prominently controversial lyric on the track “Girls Want Girls” has garnered criticism for fetishizing lesbians, and I say it’s very well deserved. All in all, if you’re already a fan of Drake, you may like this one, but if you’re more of a casual listener, you may want to look elsewhere. “Blonde” - Frank Ocean After much anticipation from his past album, Frank Ocean released Blonde in 2016 the day after he fulfilled his contract with Def Jam Recordings with the visual album Endless. This album is what many would consider
to be a masterpiece in instrumentals and lyrics, and while I personally wouldn’t use that word to describe this project, this album has an interesting concept and even greater tracks. The entire album focuses on duality, which is even represented in the name of the album and the name on the cover. It goes even deeper with the runtime being one hour and a beat switch occurring during the track “Nights”, which happens right at the midpoint of the album. Besides this concept, the album also deals with themes of relationships, depression, drugs, and loneliness. The track “Pink + White” deals with mortality, has references to Hurricane Katrina, and even features Beyonce as a backup singer of all
the world, with the main character being dropped into that violent world where they must escape. This game will be no different, focusing heavily on guerilla warfare found in the Caribbean island of Yara. For Nintendo players, Metroid Dread will be released October 8, 2021 on the Nintendo Switch. The game is a direct sequel to the highly popular “Metroid Fusion”, which was released all the way back in 2002. It will be a return to the classic 2D dungeon crawling gameplay of the original games as it was in “Metroid Fusion”. Back 4 Blood will be released shortly after on October 12, 2021. The game is a spiritual successor to the critically acclaimed
“Left 4 Dead” franchise, which infamously has not had a new installment since 2009. The gameplay is identical to its inspiration, where a group of four players team up to make their way through a hoard of zombies, picking up supplies and stopping at safe houses along the way. For Xbox players, the game will be available to play through Game Pass as soon as it is released. Riders Republic is a new game featuring various extreme sports gameplay. The game will cover events such as downhill biking, skiing, snowboarding and much more. What makes this game unique when compared to others in the genre is its use of mass multiplayer. Players will be able to try their best
NW10. Overall, if you’ve been itching for more Gorillaz, this is definitely one to listen to. Donda - Kanye West After what feels like years of waiting, Kanye is back to the standard that most know him for. Coming off of his underwhelming 2019 gospel album “Jesus Is King”, this very much feels like a return to form from the sound that came from previous albums like “The Life Of Pablo.” There’s plenty of references to scripture and Kanye’s late mother Donda, who the album is named after. There’s a lot of guests to go around on this project including, but not limited to, Jay-Z on “Jail”, Playboy Carti on “Junya”, and Roddy Ricch on “Pure Souls.” However, this album does run extremely long, clocking in at close to two hours. If I can be honest, I did mentally check out on my first runthrough because it
does feel bloated, though I can’t really pinpoint any tracks to take off besides maybe “Tell The Vision” as that’s just an alternate version of a Pop Smoke track. If you can get past the long runtime or if you decide to cherry pick for the best tracks, you’ll definitely enjoy this comeback from one of the greatest rappers of the past decade. It’s good to know that Ye’s gotten back to some form of normalcy and contentment in his life, even if that may not be what we call normal. Afterburner - Dance Gavin Dance If you’ve ever listened to this posthardcore band before, you know exactly what you’re getting into with their most recent album from 2020. However, this album does have some interesting turning points in terms of sound. On the track ”Calentamiento Global”, clean vocalist
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Photo by The Come Up Show
Drake performing at the 2016 Summer Sixteen Tour in Toronto.
things. “Solo (Reprise)” features just Andre 3000 of Outkast as he goes from talking about police brutality, consumerism, and ghostwriting in the music industry all in the
span of a minute long verse. Overall, if you want to hear what is possibly one of the best albums of the late 2010s, this is definitely one for you.
5 upcoming video game releases
Brett Thompson Staff Reporter
The video game market, like everything else, was slowed down due to covid. However, most companies are back in full swing. Since we are nearing the holiday season, many game companies are preparing to release their new games for the year. Here is a list of five interesting titles coming out within the next few months. Far Cry 6 is the next installment in the open world, first person shooter franchise and is set to release October 7, 2021. The game series has always focused on radical political views that mimic those found in real life in more rural areas of
Photo by Freepik.com
A young, excited woman playing on a new video game console.
at races, competitions and events that pin them against a big group of competitors. The game releases October 28, 2021. Lastly is Halo: Infinite, the long awaited potential finale to the Master Chief storyline, which will be released on December 8, 2021. This is yet another first person shooter,
dealing with different intergalactic races and the wars between them. However, this will be the first installment that has an open world to explore. Since this is an Xbox title, it will be playable on Game Pass on day one. The game’s multiplayer will also be free to play for anyone on Xbox or PC.
Gorillaz and Kanye West music review
J.T. Dickens Contributing Reporter
“Meanwhile EP” Gorillaz A surprising drop coming from the world’s famous virtual band. Coming off the surprise success of their Song Machine Season 1 series and album, this album does feature some old sounds from the past while also keeping the same quality that the multimedia project brings. A melodica plays in parts of “Jimmy Jimmy“ as a sort of reference to the track Tomorrow Comes Today from their self-titled album. The title track definitely feels like something that would feel right at home on their second album Demon Days, with lyrics that talk about and pay tribute to Notting Hill Carnival, a festival that takes place in London. This EP also has a live track called “Deja Vu”, which was played at
Photo by Freepiks.com
The band Gorillaz performing in Barcelona, Spain at the Sonar Festival in 2018.
Tilian Pearson talks about a woman’s body solving the world’s problems all in Spanish while unclean vocalist Jon Mess screams at the top of his lungs about feeling bad for putting responsibilities aside, all with a Latin vibe to the instrumental. The guys also take a complete turn on the last track “Into The Sunset” as it has a more chilled out instrumental than their other final tracks on previous albums. Of course, the same serious and occasional
off the wall, catch you off guard lyrics are ever present, just like on past releases. The constantly contradicting post-chorus, themes of letting fame get to your head, and Mess referencing “e-girls” on one of the pre-choruses in “Lyrics Lie” is a good example of this. All in all, if you’re looking for some progressive rock that has intricate instrumentals, insane vocals, and just a little fire to the mix, this is definitely one to check out.
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‘American Crime Story: Impeachment’ Reintroducing History
Brett Thompson Contributing Reporter
With more than twenty years since the Clinton/ Lewinsky scandal, the story of Bill Clinton and his affairs are getting reintroduced to a newer generation. ‘American Crime Story: Impeachment’ aired last Tuesday on FX receiving critical ratings for the first episode alone. The story is not solely based on Producer of the series Monica Lewinsky but based on Linda Tripp and her hunger for the removal of President Bill Clinton. President Bill Clinton served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Prior to his presidency Clinton served as the Governor of Arkansas from 1983 to 1992. Since his political affiliations, drama seemed to follow him. Paula Jones made an accusation against Clinton, whilst the Governor of Arkansas. Jones claims
Clinton invited her to his hotel room in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1991 just to sexually assault her. During the first episode of Impeachment Jones’ allegations against Clinton were getting recreated and as well as the famous press conference Jones made. Impeachment is one of the most talked about shows on social media recently after the release of its first episode. Due to the fact that everyone bullied Monica, Paula, and the women who were fooled by Clinton. It’s 2021 and it’s about time America started to believe women over the men in power. America can finally judge those who actually did wrong, Bill Clinton and Linda Tripp. The scandal created more room for people to slut shame women in the early 2000s because no one allowed Monica to breathe after the affair was made public. The story of Monica could somehow be relatable to many others
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Photo courtesy of Executive Office of the President of the United States
Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton pictured side by side in the mid 1990’s.
who had a friend who back stabbed them for their own selfish advantages. Which was the type of person Linda Tripp was. Due to the recent death of Linda Tripp who lost her battle to cancer in April 2020, many viewers find it difficult to speak on Linda even when she
sold out Monica Lewinsky. Producer Monica says she reframed her scandal for exactly how it happened. There was certainly not any sugar coating during the first episode. H o p e f u l l y Impeachment can bring up the ratings it lost to show America how dirty
they treated the women of Clinton’s scandal and women in general. With more episodes coming weekly there is no doubt more point of views will be seen from the scandal. American Crime Story: Impeachment airs every Tuesday on FX and next day on Hulu.
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” makes history for Marvel
Sydney Bowman Contributing Reporter
There seems to be no stopping the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) this year as Phase Four of the popular franchise is ever-expanding. So far, 2021 has seen the releases of “WandaVision,” “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” “Loki,” “Black Widow,” and the currently-running “What If…?” all to rave reviews from critics and fans alike. “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” joins the MCU’s lineup as the first Asian-led, directed, and majoritycast film of the franchise. Amid a scathing lawsuit from Scarlett Johansson over the release of “Black Widow,” “Shang-Chi” is a theater-exclusive, which many experts predicted to be to the detriment of the film’s earnings. Instead, the movie seems to be outdoing projections and is well on track to set a new box office record for Labor Day weekend. This is good news for the upcoming “Eternals” as questions have arisen regarding the possibility of delay. “Shang-Chi” tells the story of the titular martial artist (Simu Liu) as he tries to hide his identity from his powercrazed father, Wenwu (Tony Leung), after escaping his upbringing as a killer. Wenwu is the leader of The Ten Rings, an organization that has been present in the MCU since its inception in “Iron Man.” When Shang-Chi’s cover is blown, he and his best friend Katy (Awkwafina) must track down his sister, Xialing (Meng’er Zhang), and stop
Wenwu from releasing a primal evil upon the world. As a martial arts film, the action in “Shang-Chi” is absolutely unmatched. The fight choreography is leagues above that in anything the MCU has ever produced with its clever incorporation of various styles of martial arts, all without the quick cuts common in MCU action sequences. This is due to Liu being a trained stuntman, martial artist, and gymnast; therefore, he did not need a stunt double for the vast majority of the film. An early bus fight scene stands out in particular where Shang-Chi is attacked by assassins and must defend himself, Katy, and the other civilians on the bus. The action is energetic, exciting, and clever. Underneath the flashy presentation lies a strong emotional core that thoroughly explores the complex dynamics of ShangChi’s family. Wenwu is one of the better antagonists in the franchise. His motivations are very well-defined, and the audience can easily sympathize with him despite his darkness. Shang-Chi himself has complicated feelings regarding his father, paintingtheyoungprotagonist as a troubled man that desperately wants to repent for a dark past but struggles with truly hating Wenwu. All of this brings about the film’s themes of family legacy, moral ambiguity, and personal redemption. Shang-Chi’s relationship with Katy is a standout element of the film. Liu and Awkwafina have remarkable onscreen chemistry that lets them easily bounce off of each
other. Audiences will love the banter between the two best friends as well as their willingness to do anything for each other. Quite honestly, the pair have one of the most endearing dynamics of any two MCU characters. It will be in the series’ best interest if Katy returns with ShangChi in his next appearance, whenever that shall be. Xialing, Shang-Chi’s sister, is easily the least interesting character of the film as she is presented with an intriguing backstory but little personality to accompany it. However, the character serves an important purpose in Shang-Chi’s arc, so she is not entirely wasted potential as her presence is a constant reminder of his past failures. The MCU has been keen on developing its supporting characters in recent years, so it stands to reason that Xialing will have her chance to really shine in a future project. “Shang-Chi” is also quite comedic at times, owing mostly to Katy for her mischievous, light-hearted antics. Unlike predecessor “Black Widow,” the film actually handles these moments of humor quite well without breaking the dramatic tension of its major climaxes. Instead, the quips are enjoyable but largely harmless. Perhaps most important is the movie’s reverence for Asian cultures, especially that of China. The movie is primarily set in China, and there is even a location teeming with mythical creatures taken straight out of Chinese folklore. The vast majority of the cast is also Asian, as is director Destin Daniel Cretton. Even the film’s score takes inspiration from traditional Chinese music
Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios.
Shang-Chi cover poster.
with beautiful flute and string melodies. “Shang-Chi” takes a huge step in representing Asian people and culture in the superhero genre. The only glaring criticism to be made is the movie’s overreliance on CGI. For much of the film, it is extremely obvious when the actors are placed against a green screen, which happens for most of the scenes taking place outdoors. In addition, the film’s final battle devolves into a CGI-riddled confrontation. Audiences have come to expect heavy visual effects in MCU films, but “Shang-Chi” steps just a little over the line, much like “Black Panther” or “Spider-Man: Far From Home.”
Overall, “Shang-Chi” is an excellent addition to the MCU library and serves as an important representation of Asian culture. With superb action, sympathetic characters, and show-stealing performances, “Shang-Chi” will likely become a fan favorite. The future is certainly bright for the franchise’s newest hero. Once again, Phase Four has produced a winner, and with “Eternals,” “Hawkeye,” and “SpiderMan: No Way Home” still set to be released this year, the MCU will undoubtedly attract moviegoers for a while yet. “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is now in theaters.