Directed by Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Stine, Kung Fu Panda 4 marks the franchise’s 16th year in existence and thankfully, the film hasn’t lost touch with its core audience.
In the fourth installment of the Kung Fu Panda film series, Po (Jack Black) is back and is the protector and central figure in the Valley of Peace. Having accepted his popularity and local fame, he’s rocked when Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) tells him it’s time to get out of his comfort zone and assume a new role. To Po’s chagrin, he’s tasked with finding a successor to become the dragon warrior and fending off a new villain simultaneously.
The Chameleon (Viola Davis) is an evil sorceress who needs to work through some childhood angst (she was always told she was too small for kung fu). She aims to conjure all the villains Po defeated from the spirit realm and take their fighting styles. The Chameleon is a shapeshifter who has eyes on taking over Juniper City before conquering the world.
The film has a handful of great qualities going for it. First off, there’s enough backstory and references to past characters that you won’t feel completely out of place if you haven’t seen the first three films. Secondly, the film doesn’t try too hard. At no point will you feel like dialogue or scenes were added for shock value or feel like a reach was made to appeal to kids or adults. Lastly, there were a handful of secondary characters that added an extra layer of humor that worked smoothly through the film. For example, at the Happy Bunny Cafe, the rabbits weren’t happy at all (through no fault of their own) and there’s a hilarious sequence involving a few employees who had to “keep stirring the pot!” The restaurant was run by Granny Boar (Lori Tan Chinn), who had her fair share of one-liners along with her staff of ne’er-do-wells and thieves. Continuing the hare-raising theme (see what I did?), a trio of adorable bunnies in Juniper City would use the appeal of youthful innocence and charm to exact violence of some kind.
I’ve seen a lot of films with Awkwafina and I must say, this was by far my favorite. Her voice as the fox Zhen was perfect and made for good chemistry with Jack Black during the film.
“Every step leaves a footprint, no matter how small.” -Zhen
A big part of the fun are the fight scenes. They’re elongated, elaborate, and more importantly, entertaining to watch. Whether Po is taking on reptilian guards or bulls in police uniform, the fight scenes are the best!
Kung Fu Panda 4 gets an 8 out of 10. It’s a fun film that the whole family can enjoy and sports a “PG” rating. The only two things that might raise questions from kids are the fact that Po has two dads (one by birth, one adopted) and the consistent references to the “spiritual realm” and the afterlife (and hey, they might not question either). Outside of that, it’s kung fu fun and good times in this feel-good family film.
Kung Fu Panda 4 hits theaters Friday, March 8.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of Dreamworks