Psychological Shades of Grey - Shang-Chi: Why Villains MATTER! - Therapist Reacts! 

Notice when Wen Wu is in a good mood, he calls him "Son." When he's angry, it's "Boy."

The best kinds of villains are the ones where you can understand why they're doing bad things and even empathize with them, but at the same time you understand that they are indeed doing bad things and need to be stopped. Wenwu knocked that out of the park.

Wenwu's fighting style, as made obvious by the movie, is rooted in strong, aggressive, and powerful attacks, whereas Ying Li's style is more calm and flowing. She was the one to calm him down and help him lead a life that wasn't all about conquest.

I think that is why Tony Leong was a perfect casting for Wenwu because he is so good at showing emotions just through his eyes and face without actually saying anything. Such a nuanced villian that I would love to see more of in Marvel films

I didn't cry during the movie, but I DID cry watching your reaction to it.

I would like to add just a little bit of Asian culture explanation into the death scene. Emotional messages from parents to children are usually less conveyed through words in Asian culture, especially Chinese. Things like their love, pride, and apologies. It’s changing over the course of time but majority of these relationships have an unspoken understanding with each other. When Shang-chi receives the rings, he knows that his dad still loves him and that he is sorry all through a gesture. It is changing as 1st generation immigrants and the following generations convey the need for a more verbal need.

I'm glad you emphasized the villain's motivations in your video. This movie actually borrows ideas from the Chinese Legend of "The Cowherd and the Weaver girl". Their story is carried on to this day and celebrated as the Chinese version of Valentine's day. It's about a mortal man who fell in love with a goddess, and they lived together and had 2 children. However, the rules of heaven dictated that gods cannot be with mortals, and the empress goddess took away the Weavergirl. The Cowherd gathered his children and went after Weavergirl and never gave up trying to get her back. In her fury, the empress goddess removed a hairpin from her head and cleaved the heavens in 2 which resulted in the silver river in the sky (milky way), and separated them forever. I think the gate may represent this barrier. To this day the stars Vega(Weaver girl) and Altair(Cowherd) sit on either side of the milky way, and they can only meet once a year on the 7th month of the 7th day* of the lunar calendar. It's the idea that Cowherd never gave up on his love despite going against impossible odds and celestial powers, so why should we give up on our love either?

Growing up in a relatively traditional family, I really can connect with Shang Chi's emotion when he is facing Wen Wu in the climax Sometimes the hierarchy in the family and also the thought that parents must be have more knowledge than their children, prevents parents to listen on what their child really want compare to what they think the child want

I've watched this movie 5 times in the theaters, and I swear, each time I get to the moment when WenWu has his flashbacks of his son, I cried each time ! This movie is magic !

Wenwu may be the best villain story told in the MCU, by far the best Father/Son story told. I think any child, parent, or spouse could understand and relate in some way. And I loved this character in particular, because unlike similar storylines, I never doubted whether Wenwu loved his family. Loved the review!

I loved this villain, too, and Tony Leung's performance is so amazing. There's the interesting contrast that just before he met Li, he used the rings to break out of the car and let his henchmen die. He could have done the same when the Dweller came out, but it never occurs to him. He uses his rings to save Shang-Chi at the expense of his own life. However, I don't think he ever intended to outlive his children anyway. He told Shang-Chi that if he wanted the rings, he had to prove he was strong enough... which implies that he had planned to give them up and die at some point. (Whether he could have actually done it in a less dire situation is open to question, but it does seem to have been his plan.) And when Shang-Chi says that he's going to "do what he trained me for. I'm going to kill him," it made me wonder... was that literally what he trained his son for? If so, that's both messed up _and_ tragic. I've also thought about when Wenwu would have come of age. A thousand years ago, values were very different. If they were in Western China--and the look of the high New Zealand mountains that they chose does recall the Himalayas more than the other mountain chains--then a thousand years ago would have been about when the Tibetan empire fell and the whole region fell into chaos, with fighting warlords. He had more power, but I doubt his life philosophy was, at that point, quite as out of sync as it is now. And he'd spent centuries with it being a successful strategy. So it's completely understandable that his first reaction was, "I never should have given up the power. Power means protection." (Which brings up another question--had he initially sought power to be a protector? That would jibe with how he returns to the use of the rings.) I'd be interested in your thoughts on how Shang-Chi and Xialing chose their own coping mechanisms over the years.

the point you made about wenwu projecting his guilt about ying li's death onto shang-chi was a really great analysis! i always got angry at wenwu for saying that, but now i realise it also comes from pain - no different from his other actions

Tony Leung's acting really conveys the character's emotions on screen. He's so great! Could you also do an analysis with Shang-Chi/Shaun's character as well? Love your content!

Tony Leung have that subtle art of acting with the eyes which is just beautiful to witness in this movie

This is such a great channel 🙏

As a psychology-major Marvel/DC fan, I can’t express how much I love your channel! This video, in particular, is one of my favorites, loved your reactions! Thank you so much for all these content ❤️

Also, noticed how Wenwu wanted his son to become a killer or become stronger is because he doesn't want to lose him when hes not there

I had the same reaction to that scene. I saw it going back to the beginning when he sees Shang look at the rings, and tells him if he wants them to be his someday, he must show that he is ready. In that scene I saw all that you mentioned on top of Shang chi’s time to take up his fathers place. It was beautiful 🥲

Also I watched the film countless times in theaters, more than half of the time I heard sobbing and sniffling when Wenwu and Shang Chi have that last moment together. And it wasn’t just my sobbing or sniffling ;)

And there's that moment when Wen Wu realized his wife lives on his son...when ShangChi mirrors his mother place during the final battle. I think this is a beautiful moment that deeply amazed his father.

I had SO much the same reaction when I watched this move!!!! Well...except for the tears...UNTIL NOW! Georgia, you get me every time! (Changing the subject momentarily while my eyes stop watering) LOVE your subtle notes of cosplay for this...the red with the black fighting ready jacket...the NECKLACE! Okay...The love simmering between Wenwu and Ying Li during their fight...even without speaking a word!!!! And Wenwu telling Shang Chi of his love for him with his eyes....and his sacrifice/not entirely a sacrifice because he JUST wanted to be with his wife...and his sacrifice facilitated that. Please do MORE from this movie!

9:40 Wen Wu shows and proves to Shang Chi that, yes, you can choose the rings AND family at the same time. It's your choice and how you use them. This is a call back to every choice in the movie being between two polar opposites only. Even when Auntie Nan who tells Shang Chi he is the product of all the good and bad of his family, he still thinks the only way to solve this is to kill his father. So in their initial battle, Shang Chi tells Wen Wu that choosing the rings over the family that needed him, he was still giving him an impossible choice. And when Shang Chi cast the rings aside, he was trying to prove himself right. But it's Wen Wu who made the pivotal choice: use the rings to save his family. So when Wen Wu finally gives Shang Chi the rings, Shang Chi knows he can and must use them. 10:01 I just find it funny how right you are but also that this is such a cultural thing. As a 1st generation Asian American in a fairly traditional family, I don't need to hear my dad say he's sorry or express other emotions to know what he's trying to convey. It's in how he talks or acts or choices he makes. It might not be healthy, but I honor and accept how he does it. And yet, as a father myself, I express my feelings of sorrow or love or joy openly to my children. For one, the culture is different for a more assimilated generation, and for another, I don't want to impart any trauma to my children who are not as well-versed in the traditional ways.

Your emotion is an asset to this channel, thank you for sharing it.

This is Tony Leung super acting skills that also provide this character to have this depth!

would love to see a video centered around Shang Chi himself or his sister, Xialing. She is secretly the most layered character in the movie

Shang Chi and Black Panther were both able to tell a story through the villain’s eyes so beautifully and made me empathise with them especially when they died and they made me wish that I could have seen their stories grow but alas it was bittersweet and I feel like they were still able to redeem themselves.

Georgia gets emotional in nearly every video I've seen, & it never fails to get me choked up too! She doesn't need to apologize for having & sharing her feelings, but she does owe me one for making me cry too!!

I also cried! I think Tony Leung's performance made Wenwu feel like a real person. We could feel his emotions with just one look. It was easy to have empathy for him. And that moment when he gives up his rings really hit me, so many things to say and just one simple action... wow

If you want them to be yours one day, you have to show me that you are strong enough to carry them.

this movie makes me cry every single time i watch it for all the reasons you’re discussing. it’s the best movie marvel has ever made in my opinion. truly a tragic story. im tearing up now just watching you discuss it

this may sound cheesy but you have a beautiful soul..your ability to find compassion and sympathy at such a strong emotional level brings light to this cold cruel world

Hi Georgia, love your video. Just a fun fact: The way Wenwu and Shang Chi interacted with each other is purely Asian based. We never said 'I love you' often, we rarely have words, all pure gestures. Sometimes we might rebel against our elders because of too much expectations being set upon our future by parents, yet we love them. Asian parents rarely apologize to their children for their wrongdoing, but if they realized it, they will always make up to it, no words, just actions.

i guess you are so heartfelt at such moments, which is what motivated you to learn psychology and become psychotherapist in the 1st place. The curiosity of the emotions and love and awe.

Also the part where he told him he'd give him his rings when he was strong enough. After all his hard work, the power he acheived, Shang-Chi was his crowned jewel.

I love Wenwu as a character so much.

You have your own dragon eye like Shang-Chi and Xu-Xialang.

Thank you for breaking this down for us. Now, I fully understand why eyes were watery for Wenwu. I don't think I have ever shed a tear for any villain in movies or real life. But, I also think that Tony Leung's acting has a lot to do with it as well.

Georgia, love your analysis of the characters, and your empathy warms my heart :)

Perfect analysis as always this is why I subscribed to your channel.

I don't see him as a hero or as a villain, not even an antagonist. He's just a tragic figure.

YesGeorgia! Everything you say and then some! I feel this movie explains so well how epigenetics work. How we carry información from both sides of our family that when activated from the Shadow side in ourselves (unconscious behaviors) disempowers us. But when we claim EVERYTHING that is ours as ours and we own it, we literally ignite it from our own light ( so the rings change colors and allow a new perspective to be had) That’s growth and it’s powered by our wholeness. Our owning up of the story that came before us, but THAT WE ARE NOW WRITING.

Oh I cried 4 times when I saw the movie. Very emotional

I appreciate you for doing this. Wenwu is such a greatly overlooked character, and definitely one that isn't just surface level "evil". He actually has a motive rooted in something we all can relate to. Like how everyone understood Thanos' reasoning for doing what he did, we can all feel for why Wenwu did what he did. And in the end, he died protecting Shang Chi and showed him that he did indeed cherish him as more than a weapon, but loved him as his son.

If you watch the D+ Assembled Series where they talk about the making of the film, the producer Jonathan Schwartz and designers Andy Park and Chris Townsend talk about the thoughts that went into designing the dad, Wenwu. They mention how his veins begin to glow whenever he activates the rings as a metaphor for drug abuse. That Wenwu is so addicted to the power that the rings give him, that he has a hard time giving them up. So when his wife passes away after he puts them up, the event is so traumatic that it causes him to relapse and begin using again.

As a father... well, ok, I wouldn't have murdered armies and ganked a bunch of gangsters in front of my kids and raised them to be assassins but... if I had magic power rings and gangsters had killed my wife, well.

people who are super empathetic make very great therapist because they don't have to go through what you go through. they can feel the pain that radiate of you. they try to see things in your eyes.

Georgia I love how you keep going while you are on your emotional ride. It shows the place where you are drawing your therapist's talent from.

So far Kilmonger and Xu Wenwu are the best MCU villains. They have their own stories and it is sad at the same time them being wrong.

8:55 I feel part of the reason for Shang-Chi's "lack" of communication skills in that scene stemms from the fact that at that point he was still in the mindset of killing his father, or at the very least was still in the process of getting over that thought. Or perhaps his somewhat provocative and almost childish way of saying "no" was meant as a retort to Wenwu calling him "boy".

so cool that you focussed on wenwu 😍

I'm glad that the RU-vid algorithm brought me to this awesome video of yours. Subbed!

Wonderful video, Georgia! And, you don't need to apologize for feeling emotional. I think it's great how empathetic you are. You have a good heart and I appreciate how you help us understand the characters even more in your reaction video. I've seen the movie twice now, but I wasn't as deeply moved until I saw your video. You gave a lot of great insights too. Wenwu is also one of my favorite MCU antagonists too, particularly since his motives are understandable. Wonderful job again, Georgia. I hope you have a great week! :). Take care.

I cried like...three times. Fantastic video.

The moment when Wenwu passes on the Ten Rings to Shang-Chi is a bit of a callback to what he told his son earlier that the rings would only be his when he was strong enough to wield them. In his final moments, we was expressing his faith in his son by telling him that we was now strong enough to be entrusted with the rings.

You're very in touch with your emotions and those of others. I bet you're a fantastic therapist.

I cried tooo!!! Yes, Wenwu was a shitty father but damn, how conflicted I was when I cried xD I loved Wenwu portrayal in the movie

Every movie and everything in it is brought to a new level with your analyzing. Great job!

I was looking for a video exactly like this!! I was looking for more analysis of grief and how everything Wenwu said and done was him in his grief making sense of stuff. I love Wenwu as a character and how the legend Tony Leung plays him... Even according to Tony, after he reads the script he was so confused because he didn't feel that Wenwu is a villain and he can understand Wenwu. I love your suggestion on how Shang-Chi or his sister can try to convince him, but in a way that's trying to understand him and work things out as a family. So sad, all wenwu needs was a counselling. :( (also, Tony himself was 'abandoned' by his own father as a kid so he tends to avoid roles like this because it hits too close home for him, but in the end he's such a perfect Wenwu)

Wow, never knew i needed this channel until now.

The title may be Shangchi but this movie most of all is about Wenwu/Mandarin and that's why I love to see Tony Leung as Wenwu again as an origin story .. by the way Shang Chi is one of the amazing movie

This movie was so beautiful and your analysis of it is perfect

The scene where he's punching the "door." I agree. If someone I truly loved, whom I had pledged my life to, even had a glimmer of a chance that they were still alive and held captive. There's nothing I wouldn't do to get to them. I'm honestly surprised he was punching at the wall so slowly. I'd be hitting that thing with my all and with an extreme tenacity that could threaten to give me a heart attack. If it's someone I truly care about, I'm not letting anything stop me.

Tony Leung's face acting that's why, just his facial reaction speaks

10:05 Witness the power of acting. Wenwu didn't have to say he was sorry - it was expressed in his eyes.

Can't wait to see you analyze 'Hawkeye", when it starts. This is going to be fun!

People often judge others for the decisions they made without necessarily looking at the opinions they had

@GeorgiaDow - The wistful moment needn't just be him remembering how much he loves his son, it's finally accepting that while the love of his life is gone, the best of her lives on in their son. He's an immortal warrior who has only met his match with her, he's hardly not gonna be reminded of her when their son demonstrates mastery of the only style that beats him - hers. So letting go of power he has no use for, in a life without her and preserving the last bit of her in their boy is true to his love for her

Really nice psychological analysis.

Since you’re in a roll with a lot of marvel content you think you can do an analysis/in-depth look on the netflix Punisher series? You may need to see a few Dardevil episodes since he first appeared on that show.

You know, Georgia, if you see something that affects you, and you feel like crying, or you're getting emotional, then the movie is doing what it was intended to do: make you feel. Some of the best pieces and expressions of art have survived over the years because the invoke those emotions in us. You are very sweet and thank you for your insightful look into all these characters we love.

Love this channel!

Dang it! Your reaction had me in tears too. Tony Leung's acting will do that to you. You should definitely check out and react to "In the Mood for Love." It's one of his finest films and one of the finest films in general.

This is the therapy I need. Thank you.😊

Loved your analysis on this. I just wished you also reacted on Wenwu-Xialing relationship.

Why I'm crying 😭😭 I remember I did not cry at this movie just feeling sad but damnnn~ Edit: love your reaction and explanations you deserve my SUB 💓💓🔥

Most of the villains in MCU were bad because they wanted power and ruled the World, some are just villain to stay alive (as Ghost in Antman and the whasp)... Wenwu was a real villain, thirty for power for thousand years and then, his goal changed when he met his wife and he became again villain but for another reason, he's just so in love he wanted her back...

Awesome as always ! I was wondering if you could react to "Mr. Robot" scenes, more particularly, the main character Elliot

Wow....such a great breakdown

When I saw the gate, I figured there was no way she was behind it. A gate is normally meant to be opened, but they clearly walled it off. The only way to get past it would be to take it apart. It seems like it would be too hard open it long enough to force Ying Li through it without those monsters escaping. It seems like a lot of work and risk just to spite Wenwu. Besides, Ying Li is dead, not kidnapped. They saw her body, Shang-Chi watched her die. The flashback showed that. Was he expecting her ghost or something?

love this!

Gawdabit woman stop making me cry almost all of ur videos make me cry AND I DIDNT EVEN CRY WATCHING THEM

Also what sucks is that shang chi saw his mother die and he was powerless, he could have done something but it wouldn't have worked. Now he had to watch his father die too and he was also powerless, he could have done something but again, it wouldn't have worked. Shang chi watched both if his parents die and he was powerless.

Thank you so much for your videos. I click on them as soon as I see you upload

That's Tony Leung for you. He can't transmit so much with just his eyes.

This is why Shang Chi is the best Marvel movie

Even when Wenwu told his people to burn down the village, they were all armed with non-lethal weapons. They didn't kill anyone and only restrained them. Even in his most "bad guy" moment, he hadn't planned to kill. And I think the central rift in the whole conflict in this movie is that Wenwu's kids want him to just be a good father, but Wenwu makes the mistake of thinking that he can't be a good father without his wife. That's why he is willing to physically fight his kids to find his wife - all the hurt and all the problems between them will be gone as soon as he finds their mum. That and of course he's literally hearing her voice. Like Georgia said, how could anyone not act the way he does if they heard their loved ones' voices talking to them directly like that? And imagine if he does find their mum behind the dragon-scale seal? Then he would have been the hero of the story. It is tragic.

If you notice the fighting style with wen wu he is always holding on to the rings because he can't easily let go of things in life and even when he does let's go of the rings for an attack he pulls them back in quickly

You made me cry too 🥺😢

Wenwu is definitely one of the best MCU villains.I didn’t cry watching the movie but that’s just because I never cry generally.That doesn’t mean I didn’t find it moving though,he definitely was a compelling and sympathetic villain.

She really needs to watch Train to busan. I would love to watch her dissecting the people in that movie and her reaction to the climax.

U know what's the problem of us human beings, regardless of who we are... We all say sorry when we become or getting emotional when we should never ever do that. That's what makes us human. Great reaction, Great breakdown. Take care.

Not to get too in to it but the forest fight scene is derived from a Chinese genre known as Wuxia (literally "martial heroes"). I could barely begin to explain the complexity of the genre here, it's well worth reading up on if you're interested.

I also cried with her 😭

Wenwu is my favorite mcu character.

Georgia Dow's got tons of empathy... she helps me see the characters through new eyes

I'd love to hear your take on Katy, Xialing, and Shang-Chi as well.

I was crying my ass off on this one

LOL don’t feel too bad about the ending. Although in most Asian cultures family is such a large significance, it is a large thing in most Asian cultures that family members don’t communicate their feelings but we can just sense and understand what we mean. Ofc I’m not speaking for every Asian but mainly my Thai cultures and some of my other Asian friends culture.

Can Somebody please give Georgia a Hug .

I think you should do analysis of the Punisher in Daredevil. It does a really good job portraying at how anyone can become a monster