There’s no denying that the Kung Fu Panda series is a massive hit, especially with the younger generation. The series is able to connect with both young and older audiences alike, while presented in an easy-to-digest format that appeals to any and everyone. Kung Fu Panda 4 retains much of that same charm, but with little of the substance that made the initial entries so timeless.
Kung Fu Panda 4 follows Po (Jack Black), now an incredibly experienced Dragon Warrior of Kung Fu, as he reluctantly begins the search for his predecessor. He captures a thief, Zhen (Awkwafina), who informs him of a new enemy, The Chameleon (Viola Davis), a shapeshifting sorceress who seeks to capture the powers of all the villains in China and use their Kung Fu to defeat Po and overtake China. Po agrees to allow Zhen to take him to Juniper City to defeat The Chameleon.
Noticeably absent from the film are the Furious Five, who Po explains via dialogue are off doing other things. It’s a shame, though, that the actors couldn’t return for this one. They would’ve only elevated the plot incredibly. Instead, we get a predictable buddy comedy-esque journey with Po and Zhen (and later Po’s fathers Mr. Ping (James Hong) and Li Shan (Bryan Cranston)) which makes the film weaker in my eyes.
Couple that with the absolute breakneck speed the film seems to constantly be operating at, and it moved so incredibly fast. The speed at which the plot moves makes for little time for the brand new relationship between Po and Zhen to develop properly. Any time that could have been used for this is instead moved to scenes of Po’s Fathers following him on his journey together.
And that’s not even getting to Kung Fu Panda 4′s actual plot. It’s rehashed, and even mentioned in the script as such. The villain, while cool and expertly voice acted by Viola Davis, is little more than all of the previous Kung Fu Panda villains combined. Her desire to take over China because she was turned away from Kung Fu basically combine the plots of the first two films. It’s nothing new, and it’s obvious that writers Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger are running out of steam with this franchise.
Po, while clearly a master, is still made out to be a buffoon at times too. It seems unlikely that after 4 films, multiple shorts and tv shows, that he is as incapable of operating at a normal level as he is made out to be in Kung Fu Panda 4. I know it’s mostly played up for laughs, but the laughs in the movie really aren’t even that funny for anyone over the age of 8.
But, that’s not to say the film is all bad. The acting is mostly rock solid, with Jack Black and Davis rising above to give great performances. While it may just be personal preference, I’ve not enjoyed Awkwafina’s performances in recent films much, and that continues here.
The action sequences and animation are also really well done. This is certainly the best looking movie of the series, thanks to incredible advances in animation technology. Having seen the original just before this one, it’s incredible the difference in animation from 2008 to now. This allowed for some of the best looking action sequences of the franchise, which I also appreciated immensely.
Final Thoughts
It may finally be time to retire the Kung Fu Panda franchise. Kung Fu Panda 4, while enjoyable, showed that the series is on it’s last legs. Families with young kids will certainly find entertainment in this one, but anyone looking for it to echo what previous films had done so well will be disappointed in short order.
