Fourth time around, kung fu fighting animals still make for a fun outing
The Kung Fu Panda franchise has been a reliable family-friendly brand since the first film was released in 2008, spawning three sequels and a few television series. What could be more thrilling than adorable animals displaying kung fu moves if you’re a child? And for adults, kinetic animated action sequences and efficient running times are welcome. Despite the noticeable absence of some major characters, Kung Fu Panda 4 continues the series’ consistent level of fun, once again embracing its charismatic central protagonist while featuring abundant colorful fight sequences.
When Kung Fu Panda 3 ended, our beloved panda hero, Po (Jack Black), had reconnected with his long-lost panda brethren, including his biological father, Li (Bryan Cranston), and earned himself the Staff of Wisdom, which has the power to open a portal to the spirit realm. When Kung Fu Panda 4 begins, Po is informed by Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) that the time has come for Po to select his Dragon Warrior successor. Reluctant to relinquish his title, Po takes one more dangerous challenge by teaming up with a criminal fox, Zhen (Awkwafina), to track down a powerful sorceress, The Chameleon (Viola Davis), who is stealing kung fu powers from vanquished master villains in the spirit realm to rule all of China.
The glaring difference between Kung Fu Panda 4 and its predecessors is the absence of the Furious Five, consisting of Masters Tigress, Monkey, Crane, Mantis, and Viper. Whether due to scheduling conflicts, budgetary concerns with A-list voice talent (Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, David Cross, Seth Rogen, and Lucy Liu), or if the filmmakers chose to go in a different direction, those characters are only glimpsed in the new film, and referred to as being on missions elsewhere. New voices to the franchise, including Oscar winners Viola Davis and Ke Huy Quan, Awkwafina, Mr. Beast, and others, can’t fill the void. Unfortunately, Po’s camaraderie and banter with the Furious Five was one of the funniest features of the previous films, and their unique action chemistry is missing as well. Awkwafina’s performance is of an expectedly fast-talking nature, but her character arc is predictable. Meanwhile, Viola Davis gives a charismatic vocal performance, which helps imbue The Chameleon with some effective menace.
Though the plot isn’t anything new or unexpected, and the filmmakers don’t play with blending animation styles as they did successfully in Kung Fu Panda 2, the new film is still 95 minutes of slapstick comedy and energetic fights. None of the films in the series run over 95 minutes, a commendable dedication to efficiency. The fights are varied and playful, from a tavern brawl to an epic city cart chase, with animal kicks and sight gags flashing across the screen in rapid succession. While perhaps some of the jokes and generic positive messaging (always do the right thing, the importance of family, etc.) have deflated throughout four films, as long as a Jack Black-voiced panda is tumbling through colorful environments and an assortment of animals face off against each other in elaborately staged kung fu bouts, there’s still some skadoosh left in the tank.
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Kung Fu Panda 4 is in theaters on Friday, March 8th.
