Rating: 4.5/10
“Kung Fu Panda 4,” released on March 8, marks the next movie in the iconic animated film series following 2016’s “Kung Fu Panda 3.” Unfortunately, the film did not keep up with the same level of consistency and quality that the series is known for.
The movie follows Po (Jack Black), who must find a successor for his role as the dragon warrior. However, as a new threat comes around in the form of the Chameleon (Viola Davis), Po must trust a sneaky convict Zhen (Awkwafina) to help take her down.
The movie has a generic theme of making sure you do things for the right reasons, no matter your background.
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On the bright side, the animation is at an all-time high for the series. The new style is still very much similar to that of the first three films but far flashier and more fluid in terms of the movements and expressions of the characters.
Action scenes are one of the main aspects the series is known for, and “Kung Fu Panda 4” continues that tradition and even improves in that aspect.
The animation took inspiration from other recent movies, specifically Sony’s “Spider-Verse” films, as detailed in an interview from Total Film.
Black is the highlight of the film, as he is a great example of just how memorable a performance can be when an actor gives it their all.
Unfortunately, there is one major issue with “Kung Fu Panda 4”: the lack of subtlety.
Most kids aren’t clueless when it comes to understanding a movie’s message, especially when it’s a kids’ movie. However, it seems like the screenwriters for this film figured it would be better to throw the message in the viewers’ faces instead of letting them figure it out on their own.
Because of this, whenever the same message of “do the right thing” gets brought up, the movie feels dumbed down, even for the youngest of audiences.
The jokes are also very dependent on the kind of humor that the viewer finds entertaining, but there seems to be less of a focus on keeping all viewers engaged and more of an aim toward younger audiences with potty humor and food jokes.
This results in a film experience that feels like jingling a set of keys in front of the face of an infant.
The movie also sees issues with its pacing. The film’s first half is rushed, leaving no time for audiences to meet new characters and take in the world around them.
The film is at its very best when it slows down and takes its time to establish new settings. It’s a shame that it doesn’t do this enough and instead focuses on speeding through the story.
Unfortunately, this is mainly seen with the main villain of the film. Davis as the Chameleon does great with the work she is given — however, viewers don’t get nearly as much time as they need to care about her character and be worried about her actions.
“Kung Fu Panda 4” deserved better treatment than it received, which is likely to leave long-time fans of the series disappointed at what eight years of waiting had to offer.
