American Born Chinese, Disney+, review: Marvel could learn from this heartfelt action series
“Marvel fatigue” has well and truly set in. The thought of sitting through yet another Disney+ supernatural/superhero/action series – all one-dimensional characters, sappy jokes, predictable fight sequences with an inevitable victory for the Good Guys – almost broke me out in hives. What a relief, then, to discover that American Born Chinese is less saturated with multiverses and dodgy CGI and more filled with genuine heart and humour.
Based on Gene Luen Yang’s 2006 graphic novel, the series is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (he of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the only entertaining MCU film released in the past two years) and Charlie’s Angels star Lucy Liu, and features a raft of leading Chinese-American talent.
The story centres on Jin Wang (Ben Wang), a shy teenager whose life is up-ended when his family move house; his new school is full of the usual American teen bildungsroman tropes, from bullying jocks to pretty girls ready to fall in love with in chemistry class and overbearing teachers. Jin thinks he’s got a ready-made ticket to the popular kids, though, thanks to a previous summer spent playing with members of the varsity soccer team – but it all goes to pot when a teacher matches him up with fellow new kid Wei-chen (Jimmy Liu), “since you two have so much in common”. Hint: they’re both of Chinese heritage. Wei-chen’s confidence masks his own secret: he’s the son of the Monkey King (Daniel Wu), and has been sent to Earth on a magical quest that involves (to his horror) Jin.
And so the action commences. Over eight breezy episodes, Wei-chen looks to Jin for guidance as he fights off attacks from the Bull Demon (Leonard Wu) everywhere from their school corridors to the football field. But Jin’s personal problems – his parents argue constantly, he’s the subject of a cruel, racist viral meme at school – take up most of his time, and he often neglects to be a friend to Wei-chen at all. Luckily, the latter has the Goddess of Compassion (played by Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh) on hand to get him through.
Yeoh isn’t the only star present from recent awards darling Everything Everywhere All at Once. Ke Huy Quan also appears as Freddy, an actor who once starred in a fictional ‘90s sitcom filled with offensive, racist stereotypes and now struggles to find jobs that don’t require him to portray “nerds, neighbours, and sometimes ninjas”. It’s a striking parallel with Quan’s own experiences in Hollywood – he’s said in the past that, following his formative younger roles in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies, he was forced to quit the industry because he was so depressed about the lack of nuanced roles for Asian actors.
Sometimes, the wholesome teen angle can hold the series back – its representations of racism and emotional upheaval feel too Disney-fied, sterilised, brushed under the carpet rather than fully explored. It’s a disappointing omission, given the fact most of the series’ viewers will be young Gen Zers – hardly a generation known to shy away from facing ‘problematic’ politics head on. If the serious parts of the series had received a more adult spin, this would be a brilliant show; instead, it’s merely a good one.
