Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, generated a lot of attention, generating over $8.8 million on its opening day. This film has set a new record for becoming the highest-grossing film to debut on Labor Day, a holiday that is traditionally unfavorable to the film industry.
Because of the fantastic battle sequences, cast performance, and some significant alterations made from the comics, the Simu Liu starring has deserved every bit of praise it has received from fans and reviewers alike. While viewing this film, one can not help but be reminded of another stunning Marvel picture released in 2018. It is none other than Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther that we are talking about.
Both films have a terrific soundtrack, second to none in the MCU, and emphasize the significance of family dynamics. They also focus on a cultural reset in terms of African and Asian representation. While watching the fascinating land packed with culture and weaponry unlike any other, we could not help but recall how we first learned about vibranium and how it played such an important role in the remainder of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Without further ado, let us take a look at what Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings have to offer, as well as what this means for the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the future.
The following video includes major Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings spoilers. Before continuing, we strongly advise you to watch the film.
Plot summary
The film opens with actor Fala Chen, who plays Shang-Chi’s mother Ying Li narrating the story of Shang-Chi’s father Wen Wu, played by Tony Leung. We see him riding into battle and fighting off an entire army single-handedly using the power of the Ten Rings as Li talks about how he used them over and over again through the years to capture and defeat many such armies and even topple over governments.
His conquests are brought to a halt in 1996 when he visits the village Ta-Lo to expand his power after hearing about the many mythical creatures and warriors that reside there. He is stopped by Li and the two engage in a battle that seems less fierce and more like a dance of two lovers, flowing in the beautiful rhythm of one another. Impressed to meet the first person to have ever defeated him, Wen Wu falls in love with her and gives up the Ten Rings, ready to grow old with his family.
Li’s villagers object to the marriage, afraid that the doings of Wu’s past will one day come back to haunt him and destroy Ta-Lo in the process, causing Li to leave behind her village and the Great Protector’s magic that was powering her fighting. Wu and Li end up having two children Shang-Chi, played by Simu Liu and Xialing, played by Meng’er Zhang, the former of whom Li is seen to be narrating this story to. She gives her children identical necklaces that they both never take off even after growing up.
Unfortunately, like Li’s villagers said, Wu’s past did come back to haunt him. On a fateful night when he is out, the Iron Gang murders Li while a helpless child Shang-Chi watches. Feeling regret over ever having taken the rings off, Wu puts them back on and takes Shang-Chi along with him to a Mahjong bar where he kills each member of the Iron Gang present, except their leader.
Soon after, he begins his son’s training while his daughter is side-lined for the mere reason that she reminds Wu of Li. Shang-Chi’s training continues every single day with utmost discipline until he has learned every possible way to kill a man. When he turns 14, Shang-Chi is sent by his father to kill the leader of the Iron Gang and avenge the death of his mother.
Although he carries out his father’s instructions, the guilt of murder causes him to run away from home, leaving everything including his sister behind. Xiang spends 6 years waiting for her brother to return before she gives up hope and she too, runs away to Macau where she starts her own empire of an underground fighting ring.
Ten years later, we see Shang-Chi, living under the false name Shaun in San Francisco and working as a valet with his long-time friend and confidant Katy, played by Awkwafina. The two spend their time engaging in fun activities like karaoke nights and occasionally catching up with their “settled down” friends Soo and John, played by Stephanie Hsu and Kunal Dudhekar respectively, as they both tell Katy and Shaun to get their lives together and start doing something worthwhile.
Amidst all this, it seems that even though he has left his father’s household and values behind, Shang-Chi continues to work out and train every day to remain fit. Lucky for him, this is put to good use when he faces off against the men sent by Wu to steal his necklace. It is here that we see the epic fight scene ensue between him and Razor Fist, played by Florian Munteanu, on a moving bus.
He is able to fight them off and save the passengers while Katy’s driving skills are put to some serious use, but he is not able to protect his necklace. Suspecting that the men are headed for his sister next, Shang-Chi takes off to Macau in order to warn her, and Katy tags along after listening to who “Shaun” really is. Using an address on a postcard he believes is sent by Xialing, Shang-Chi arrives at the fight ring that is run by her, not knowing the same.
Right before it is his turn to go in the cage and fight an unknown fighter, we see Abomination a.k.a Emil Blonsky, played by Tim Roth going up against Wong, played by Benedict Wong. The two characters are famous names from films The Incredible Hulk and Doctor Strange respectively and it seems here that they are even fighting buddies.
Soon it is Shang-Chi’s turn in the ring and he is defeated badly by his opponent who is none other than Xialing. When they meet up in her office they realize that the postcard was actually sent by Wu in order to get his two children together where he can make them both come back home.
Yet another great fight scene is given to us at this moment as we see the Ten Rings operatives going up against Shang-Chi and his sister as they team up, putting aside their differences. They fight outside the glass walls of the building with the constant risk of any of them falling straight to their deaths.
Finally, Shang-Chi goes up against Death Dealer, played by Andy Le, and he is almost able to defeat him which shows how much he has grown since he was back at the Ten Rings compound as it was Death Dealer who would teach him how to fight brutally.
All is brought to a halt when Wu himself arrives, taking both his children and Katy back to his compound and showing them why he took their necklaces. Placing each necklace on the eyes of a dragon sculpture, Wu opens up a water bent path showing the way to enter Ta-Lo so as to rescue their mother Li.
Thinking that their father has lost his mind, the children remind him that Li had died many years ago right in front of Shang-Chi. Wu informs them that there is a cave in Ta-Lo from behind whose gates Li has been calling out to him, asking him to save her. He believes the villagers have been holding her as a prisoner there as punishment for having married Wu against their wishes.
Although Xialing and Shang-Chi briefly seem to believe their father, they are quick to call him out when Wu claims that he will burn down the village if they refuse to let Li go. Hearing the dissent, Wu locks up his children and Katy in a cave-like prison and it is here where they meet their fellow prisoner who is none other than Trevor Slattery a.k.a the fake Mandarin.
He informs them that after his orchestrated breaking out of prison he was almost killed by Wu but allowed to live as a prisoner when he put on plays such as Macbeth for his entertainment. Slattery has also made a friend in captivity named Morris, a creature that is made up of brown fur and has shiny blue wings but no face. It is one of the many mythical beings that reside in Ta-Lo and was captured by Wu the last time he was there.
Morris informs them that it can help them get to Ta-Lo without having to wait for the forest path to open up like it does once a year. Thinking that this will allow them to get there before Wu does and warn the villagers of what’s coming, Shang-Chi and company break out of the prison along with Morris and make their way to Ta-Lo.
Here, they meet Ying Nan, played by the talented Michelle Yeoh, who is Li’s sister and the children’s aunt. They tell her and the villagers what Wu has planned and how he believes that Li is still alive and they prepare to defend themselves against the Ten Rings. Meanwhile, Nan tells the kids why Wu believes Li to be alive.
Many years ago, the settlers of the village had managed to defeat a great soul-sucking monster with the help of the Great Protector, a dragon whose magic runs through Ta-Lo and even powers their weaponry and fighting. Using the dragon’s scales, they managed to build a gate that kept the monsters trapped inside as they would have the potential to destroy the world if they were let out.
The same monsters are now calling out to Wu, using his greatest desire because they know that he has the Ten Rings and that they have the power to break down the gate. Shang-Chi asks Nan to teach him his mother’s way of fighting as she was the only one to ever defeat Wu and she does so, giving him the magic of the dragon the same way Li once harnessed.
Wu soon arrives along with the Ten Rings and as a visual delight of a battle unfolds between the villagers of Ta-Lo with Guardian Lions by their side and the operatives of the Ten Rings, Shang-Chi pursues his father and the two engage in a fight of their own. When an almost fatal blow lands Shang-Chi deep in the waters, Wu uses the opportunity to start breaking down the gate of the cave and as the dragon scales start crumbling, the soul-sucking creatures begin to emerge. Razor Fist and Nan defeat the very first creature and decide that they will only survive if the Ten Rings and the Ta-Lo villagers joined forces, causing them to fight together while Shang-Chi comes face to face with the Great Protector underwater and the same emerges to fight alongside the humans.
Once again, Shang-Chi faces off against his father, and this time, he uses the magic-powered fighting that his mother had taught him and that Nan reminded him of. In a surprising turn of events, he is able to capture the rings from Wu, who had been their wearer for more than a thousand years, proving just how powerful Shang-Chi is without even having any superhuman traits.
He defeats Wu, all the while reminding him of how he chose the Ten Rings over his children after their mother died and that it is time for him to come back to his family again as they need him rather than chase after his delusional obsessions. It seems like Wu does have a change of heart, but it is too late as the giant soul-sucker is able to break out of the cave and the first soul he claims is that of Wen Wu.
In his dying moments, he finally chooses his family as he gives Shang-Chi the Ten Rings, nodding to the fact that it is now up to him to defeat the monster. Xialing arrives, riding on the Great Protector and saves her brother before the monster can get to him and the two children fly away into battle as they see their father’s soulless corpse, not getting any time to grieve.
The villagers and Ten Rings operatives continue to fight against the monsters while the Great Protector and the mega soul-sucker engage in battle mid-air. Just as the monster is almost about to overpower the Protector, sucking out its soul, it is Katy and not Shang-Chi who saves the day. Having been in Ta-Lo and practicing archery for a day, Katy is able to pierce the monster through its neck with an arrow made of dragon scales, completely killing and destroying it along with its mini-versions.
As the film progresses towards its conclusion, we hear that Xialing has returned home to dismantle her father’s criminal organization while Katy and Shang-Chi are back with their friends Soo and John who they tell their extraordinary tale to.
As they struggle to believe a single word of anything they hear, in a comedic turn of events, a magical portal appears behind them and from it emerges Wong from Kamar Taj, asking Katy and Shang-Chi to come with him.
In the mid-credits scene, we see the three of them trying to understand the nature of the Ten Rings and its origins with the help of two very well-known avengers and in the post-credits scene we learn that Xialing has not dismantled the Ten Rings and instead taken over it, changing up a few things such as women fighting alongside men and street art covering the walls that were once all black.
Intricate details throughout the MCU that marked to the leading up to this film
The first trailer for this film had been released a few days before the airing of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s season finale, making fans wonder if there is a connection between the two. TFATWS teased fans heavily with regards to who the Power Broker might be and seeing the cage fights in the Shang-Chi trailer, many wondered if the warrior prince had found his way to Madripore himself. Many theories similar to this have now been debunked as the film was confined pretty much entirely to the storyline of Shang-Chi and his family.
In its heart, this film is about family and what it means to come from a certain legacy, but as a bonus, we get to peek into the hero’s past and how he ended up becoming the fighter he is today, and let’s just say, you do not want to mess with him or his relatives. The film has made some key changes, one of the most prominent being the Ten Rings. In the comics, these rings are worn as just that, but here we see them being worn as size-changing bracelets.
The first indication of the existence of the Ten Rings organization was given to us all the way back in Iron Man (2008), the film that is to be thanked for the beginning of the MCU. Beloved hero Tony Stark was kidnapped by a terrorist named Raza, who seemed to be running a faction of the Ten Rings organization.
We saw a glimpse of them once again in Iron Man 2 as a man with the Ten Rings neck tattoo was seen giving Vanco the means to get to Tony in order to kill him. In Iron Man 3, we are introduced to the Mandarin and Marvel revealed him to be nothing more than a joke, an actor named Trevor Slattery getting pulled into becoming the face of the Mandarin for the world just as he was trying to make a career.
For many, the Mandarin being fake was a joke that marked the beginning of a series of similar jokes Marvel has cruelly pulled on its fans (remember Ralph Bohner?). In Ant-Man we once again see a man with the Ten Rings tattoo trying to buy Pymtech, proving that they have been lurking in the shadows throughout the MCU, collecting weapons from all over and building an empire we only get to see now, in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
It wasn’t until Marvel released it’s short named All Hail the King that we get to know that there is, in fact, a real Mandarin and he has had enough of hiding in the shadows. We see him send one of his men to break out Slattery from prison as he would like to “meet him” and the next time we would see the actor would be now, as a prisoner who acts like the real Mandarin’s jester.
Some key differences between the comics and the film
Marvel introduced Shang-Chi’s character in the comics in 1973 for the very first time, banking in on the growing popularity for martial arts films starring Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. It almost seems like poetic justice now that we get such a visual treat in the form of some amazing martial arts in the Shang-Chi film, minus much of the racial stereotypes the comics had because it was, unfortunately, a product of its time.
The credit for getting rid of much of this problematic aspect from the comics mostly goes to director Cretton, who voiced his concerns regarding them from the moment Marvel signed him on. Reports also confirm that Marvel’s team was more than willing to rid the hero’s story of these stereotypes themselves and only wished to preserve one thing and that is the family dynamics of Shang-Chi.
Needless to say, the whole team has done so brilliantly, portraying the characters of Shang-Chi, his sister Xialing, his mother Ying Li, his aunt Jiang Nan and his father Wen Wu a.k.a the real Mandarin. Another huge difference between the comics and the film is seen in the form of the dragon (yes, you heard that right). In the comics, the Ten Rings were stolen by Fu Manchu (changed to Wen Wu in the films) from the all-powerful dragon Fin Fang Foom. Many fans believed that the reason the rings are actually worn as bracelets in the film is that they would actually end up fitting like rings on much bigger fingers that belonged to the dragon.
Unfortunately, not much history is given regarding how Wen Wu obtained the rings, but only what he did with them. We do not get Fin Fang Foom in the films either, but the makers did not completely deprive us of the chance to feel like kids again as we delve into the fantasy of dragons, thanks to the Great Protector. The trailer showed us a glimpse of this dragon, but it is so much more majestic when seen out of the water, using its air and water bending abilities and taking on the bad guys.
What are the Ten Rings?
In the comics, the Ten Rings were stolen by Fu Manchu from a crashed alien ship and was made up of alien technology that gave its bearer God-like powers and made them almost impossible to defeat. Each of these rings is to be worn on specific fingers and has different powers.
On the left-hand goes:-
Ice Blast- This ring can lower an object or person’s temperature to a freezing degree and can even freeze the air in its path. It is to be worn on the little finger.
Mento-Intensifier- Effective only at a short range, this one allows the wearer to expand their psychic energy in order to mind control someone. It is to be worn on the ring finger.
Electro-Blast- With no known upper limit, this ring allows the wearer to blast quantities of electrical energy as a weapon and it is to be worn on the middle finger.
Flame Blast- As is evident from its name; the ring can ignite molecules of air, causing fire out of practically nothing as it emits infrared radiation. It is to be worn on the index finger.
White Light- Used frequently as laser beams, this ring can emit various types of energy from the electromagnetic spectrum and is to be worn on the thumb.
On the right-hand goes:-
Black Light- Quite the opposite of white light, this ring absorbs all forms of light, creating an area of absolute darkness and it is to be worn on the little finger. It is believed that this ring draws its energy from the Dark force.
Disintegration Beam- Perhaps the only ring that needs a recharge time, this ring has the ability to destroy bonds between atoms and molecules which allow it to pretty much cause anything to literally fall apart. It is to be worn on the ring finger.
Vortex Beam- This ring allows the wearer to levitate or jump inhumanly high as it creates a vortex by swirling air at high speed. It is worn on the middle finger.
Impact Beam- This ring, worn on the index finger can project the force of around 350lbs of TNT, along with intense sonic vibrations and magnetic waves.
Matter Rearranger- As the name suggests, this ring can rearrange atoms or molecules or even slow down their movements and is to be worn on the thumb.
In the comics, the alien Makluan tech is what the Ten Rings are originated from, but in the film, no such indication is given yet. The mid-credits scene shows us some very prominent MCU faces trying to decipher the origin of the rings and it seems as though fans might have to be a little more patient to get some real answers. More on that later.
We also know that Eternals, another Marvel project that is lined up for release in October this year was initially supposed to hit theatres before Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. It is possible that this film might have some answers for us as to the origin of the rings as it introduces some very powerful characters that have originated from other dimensions, similar to the soul-sucking monsters that were trapped in the cave at Ta-Lo.
In addition to this, Shang-chi has set the stage for some higher forces that earthlings may have to battle in Phase 4 of the MCU. Episodes 1 and 4 of the Marvel series What If that is currently airing weekly on Disney+ has given us a peek at some of these beasts as well.
As for the organization Ten Rings, we know from previous movies that it is a criminal organization and Shang-Chi has confirmed the same and given us a rather horrific glimpse into what Wen Wu has done in order to build that empire and keep it going for a thousand years. For anyone who is confused, it is the power of the rings that have allowed him to not age for so long until he briefly chooses to put his family before his empire and power-lust after he meets the love of his life and Shang-Chi’s mother Li.
Cast performance and the underdog that stole the show
Simu Liu might have been the best choice Marvel has made to introduce to us as its first-ever Asian superhero. The actor has surpassed all expectations and made a great role even better with his amazing performance. Liu’s dedication to his work is reflected in not only the ground-breaking fight scenes he has trained so hard for but even the little moments of comedic timing along with co-star Awkwafina.
Even Meng’er Zhang, who plays the role of Xialing has wowed fans with her performance of a cold yet loving heart of a daughter who misses her mother, fears her father, and fiercely loves her brother. When it comes to fighting, we already know that it runs in the family, but what makes each of them so mesmerising to watch is their unique style and the characters they portray with such sincerity.
While Tony Leung’s Wen Wu is a conqueror, a king of an empire he has spent years building, his wife Ying Li, played by Fala Chen is graceful yet fearsome in her fighting. We see the two cross paths very early on in the film, but even within those few moments, it is clear that we are seeing the contrast between two great fighters who are staying true to their warrior side yet simultaneously falling for one another.
Michelle Yeoh’s character Ying Nan is more rooted in Ta-Lo’s traditional fighting, giving Shang-Chi a heart-warming reminder of who his mother was and where she came from. The training scene we see as Shang-Chi learns from his aunt the secrets of his mother’s fighting abilities makes the viewers feel that they are looking at the bond that an adult Shang-Chi never got to share with his mom as he lost her when he was too young.
Coming to Awkwafina, who plays Katy, the only non-fighter fighter, the one that does not fit in. We have previously seen the actor do many supporting roles as the comedic sidekick which is why fans did not expect to see something new this time around as is expected to do the same with Liu’s character. But boy did she outdo herself, and no, we are not talking about her taking down a literal giant soul-sucking Lovecraftian-like monster, but every single moment we got to watch her on-screen.
From her overexcited self that is happy to drive a sports car, to her being more than just impressed with Xialing’s empire that she created at just 16, Awkwafina has truly been the star of the show that no one expected. Luckily for us fans, we know that she is now too deep in the “circus”, as Bruce Banner puts it, to not be seen in upcoming Marvel projects and we cannot wait to get more of her quirky, Hotel California singing self.
The beauty of each fight scene along with the final battle that made it all come full circle
To start this off, it is only fitting that we talk about the fight sequence that is shown to us in the film as well as given a good enough peek at in the trailers. Shang-Chi vs Razor Fist and other Ten Rings operatives on a moving bus with failed breaks. This scene is the heart of how Shang-Chi first made its way to Marvel Comics as it pays homage to classic Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee fights in ways that are not easy to pinpoint yet stare us directly in the face.
We see our superhero trying to defeat Razor Fist in a rather claustrophobic space as he simultaneously tries to protect any fellow passengers from harm. This is also where Katy learns that “Shaun” is certainly hiding some big secrets. While the two fighters go head to head, there is a certain rhythm to the way Shang-Chi moves. Syncing along with the music that plays in the background of the scene and lining up the punches and kicks as he shows off the skills his father had trained him for so that the men “could not kill him if they tried”.
To lighten the mood, considering it is too early on in the film for anything serious we have Katy driving the bus and we know from one of the previous scenes of her going crazy with a sports car how much she loves to drive. The scene comes to a halt with her having to drive over some very expensive cars as she links the bus to a trash truck driving next to her and informs the driver that they make a good team.
Another great scene was choreographed by the late Brad Allen and it was mesmerizing, to say the least. When Wen Wu faces off against the first person to ever defeat him in battle, he does what any sane person would, he falls in love with her. Ying Li and Wu’s fight scene was nothing short of a dance between two lovers as the two take moments in between to gaze upon one another lovingly.
It is clear that the hardened criminal and the great conqueror could not hide how much of a soft corner he developed for her within a matter of seconds. The scene involved a lot of spinning, not just horizontally but vertically as well and this proved especially difficult for actor Fala Chen who said she is new to this in comparison to the very talented and experienced Tony Leung. In an adorable interview, she also claimed that it was very hard for her to keep calm and remember her moves while her gorgeous co-star was making constant eye contact with her.
In Macau, we got to see something really weird and yes, we are talking about Wong and Abomination’s surprising friendship as they ride off into the sling ring circle together after Wong defeats him.
But soon after, we got a glimpse at the fierce warrior Xialing who claimed that she trained herself to be better than her brother because she was not allowed to train with him. Needless to say, she was not bluffing. The brother-sister duo is soon forced to put aside their differences when Razor first makes a comeback, this time with Death Dealer and more Ten Rings operatives in order to capture Wu’s children.
They fight them off on the side of a high-rise building, falling from which meant certain death. Here, we see Shang-Chi face off against the one who trained him as a child and it seems as though he has done some practicing of his own as he is almost on the verge of defeating Death Dealer when Wu interferes.
Coming to the crème de la crème of all fighting scenes in the film, let’s talk about that final battle scene between Wu and Shang-Chi. We see him put the Ten Rings to use like he does not care at all that his own son stands before him, but Shang-Chi peaks as he combines his years of training of learning how to kill a man is infused with everything his mother had taught him empowered by the magic of the dragon.
The Rings glow blue because of the powers that help Wu fight off any enemy that he faces off against while Shang-Chi’s magic glows golden-orange powered by his mother’s spirit, metaphorically. Just like his mother once almost did, Shang-Chi is not only able to defeat his father, but even take the rings and make them glow his own golden-orange with nothing but the harnessing of his chi.
This battle is even more of a visual delight because of Shang-Chi’s dragon scale costume that matches with the gate to the cave that is made up of the same scales while Wen Wu fights with his black and blue magic rings.
A brand-new avenger and how the cameos connect Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to the broader scheme of MCU
It is safe to assume that Shang-Chi is going to be way up there on the list of new Avengers that we will be getting throughout Phase 4 of the MCU and its mid-credits scene just confirmed the same. We already know that Abomination and Wong have made their cameo fighting each other in Xialing’s fighting ring, but the film’s ending showed us that Wong has more to do with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings than we imagined.
Taking Katy and Shang-Chi back to Kamar-Taj with him, Wong is seen analyzing the rings and trying to understand their origin. Shang-Chi informs him that his father had them for over a thousand years and is then told by *drum roll* BRUCE BANNER that the rings are definitely much older than that. Fans in the theatre screamed with excitement as Banner made a surprising return and this time in his human form, unlike the Hulk Banner form he was seen in Endgame.
His arm is still recovering after the brunt of the snap and it is possible that the sorcerers might have helped him return to his human form as it might have something to do with his healing. We saw Hulk interact with the Ancient One in Endgame where she pushed his human soul out of his Hulk body, this could mean that something similar might have been used by Doctor Strange in order to help a friend out.
After claiming that the rings are more than a thousand years old, Banner also says that they are not made of vibranium which means that it is possible that they have originated from alien tech. For this, he consults with a friend present who is none other than *another drum roll* CAPTAIN MARVEL a.k.a Carol Danvers. She says that it is not like any alien tech she has seen before such as the Chitauri.
Soon after this, Carol and Banner disconnect the holograph project conference call and Katy, Shang-Chi, and Wong take off to have a Karaoke Night. Before leaving, Banner tells Shang-Chi and Katy “welcome to the circus”, likely referring to the constant battles that heroes are fighting to keep the people on Earth safe. This could be an official nod to the fact that we have a brand-new avenger on board and we are more than excited to see him pair up with others.
It has already been confirmed that Abomination and the Hulk will be returning for She-Hulk, which means we might get some more answers once the Disney+ series starts airing. But seeing as how the soul-sucking monsters from this film along with the mythical creatures from Ta-Lo look so similar to other dimensional beings, we might get some of those answers much sooner than we anticipated with the release of Eternals that will bring to us knowledge of some other dimensions.
Speaking of which, Wanda Vision, Loki, Spider-Man: No Way Home as well as Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness has something in store for us with regards to the multiverse. It would be interesting to know if these pocket-dimensions, like the cave in Ta-Lo will add to the confusion and madness or perhaps serve as their solution.