Kung Fu Panda is quietly one of the best animated franchises out there, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we NEED Kung Fu Panda 4 (now streaming on VOD services like Amazon Prime Video). Creatively, no movie. 4 is when properties like this come dangerously close to running out of steam, but discussing the creative motivation for a Dreamworks Animation product is patently ridiculous: this movie exists to make a few hundred million dollars. Not that a movie greenlit on corporate counters can’t still be enjoyable, of course; The idea of series mainstay Jack Black teaming up with newcomer Awkwafina, even in a voiceover context, is very promising, and you’ll almost certainly see some carefully rendered footage with veteran director Mike Mitchell (trolls, Shrek Forever After, The Lego Movie 2) at the helm. But whether it’s a worthwhile excursion or just a waste of time, there’s some split hair to be had here, so let’s sharpen our sword and get to work.
KUNG FU PANDA 4: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The essence: EVIL HAS RETURNED. Specifically, Tai Lung, the burly snow leopard voiced by Al Swearengen himself, Ian McShane. But wasn’t he, you know, dead? If memory serves, yes. Patience, grasshopper: soon everything will be explained. Cut to the Valley of Peace, where our panda hero Po (Black) helps his two parents, Ping (James Hong) and Li Shan (Bryan Cranston); Remember, the first adopted him, the second is his birth father, he introduced. in KFP3 – open a new restaurant. Po is very happy to be the heroic Dragon Warrior, kicking ass and loved by everyone, and nothing will interrupt that satisfaction. nothing I say to you! Except Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), who tells his chubby charge that it’s time to graduate from warrior to spiritual leader and find his Dragon Warrior successor. Now, if you think Po is an unlikely kung fu practitioner, being a guru guy is an even bigger stretch. I mean, he’s a total idiot. But a life without major challenges isn’t a great life, right?
At this point, I should be talking about the rise of a new villain, The Chameleon, voiced by Viola Davis, and the introduction of the ninja-like thieving fox Zhen (Awkwafina) into the plot, and how the friends of Po in The Furious Five are doing things and stuff, so we won’t hear the voices of Angelina Jolie and Seth Rogen and that team in this movie. Instead, I feel the need to point out how KFPs, through the character of Po, always subtextually addresses ideas of personal growth through simple but profound philosophical principles. They have addressed notions about inpiduality and collectivism, about everyone’s roles in society, about where you are from, where you are now, and where you are going. It’s a series of films in which a dim-witted protagonist with a nonsensical catchphrase, “Skadoosh!”, ends up exploring slightly profound fortune cookies with modest depth. This kung fu is not for kung dummies.
Still, in his reluctant attempt to come to peace with his new role, Po struggles mightily to meditate. His many inner voices keep interrupting him and I felt that pain. Clearing your mind to achieve a zen state is actually very difficult. But being an animated film for children and the moderately bewildered adults who accompany them, it doesn’t consist of quiet moments in which Po learns to find inner peace. No, Zhen shows up to wreak a little havoc and then befriend our protagonist as he travels from his rural valley to bustling Juniper City to address the Chameleon situation. Of course, Po is in a series of martial arts action sequences, because this movie has certain expectations to live up to.
What movies will it remind you of?: Here, finally, and without any demand from anyone, is the definitive classification of the KFPyes:
4. Kung Fu Panda 4 – It’s aggressively good!
3. kung fu panda 3 – This is the point at which not much new is brought to an otherwise very good series.
2. Kung Fu Panda – The first one gave the world the Skadoosh, which seemed significant at the time.
1. kung fu panda 2 – I’m still convinced that this is at least a minor masterpiece of the computer animation era (in particular, along with How to train your dragon 2). It’s visually beautiful and quietly packs an emotional punch.
Performance value Looking Audience: If you want to hear any major celebrity deliver a litany of villain monologues, Viola Davis is definitely a top candidate.
Memorable dialogue: Two Po lines that stood out:
First, the funny thing, when he realizes his fame hasn’t spread to Juniper City: “Oh wow, have my adventures really been like that?” regional?”
And the deep one, when he tries to get out of a situation with words instead of letting his fists and feet fly: “Whoever resorts to violence now will only find more violence later.”
Sex and skin: None.
Our opinion: We are officially in year 16 (!) of the Kung Fu Panda Experiment and, although it is still enjoyable, we probably won’t feel the slightest need to see Kung Fu Panda 5. For a film in which its hero fights the pains of personal progress as much as he fights bad guys, he feels too safe within the KFP formulaic, and not particularly memorable. It’s also ironic that it’s apparently about avoiding violence to achieve inner peace, but you can’t get to that point without first creating multiple incidents of violence. I mean, you can’t de-escalate without initial escalation, right? That’s just logic… movie logic.
Should we worry about these contradictions? Well, the movie pretty much insists that we shouldn’t: “You’re really going to take a Kung Fu Panda Seriously movie? All of that rings in our faces. And that’s why I didn’t do it and therefore I mostly enjoyed it. It’s got a pangolin voiced by Ke Huy Quah, some goofy monkeys, a fish character who lives inside the stretchy throat of a dead-eyed pelican, a trio of bunnies who are equal parts adorable and bloodthirsty, an all-instrumental version crazy Ozzy. Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” backing a lively action sequence and Black singing Britney Spears’ “Hit Me Baby One More Time” over the credits for no good reason. It seems a small miracle that the film makes sense despite such a description. It’s tightly plotted, moves quickly, and delivers a handful of laughs, whether they’re sight gags or one-liners (which mostly seem improvised). The story and its structure are predictable, but combined with a visual aesthetic inspired enough to at least keep our eyes interested. The world will not be significantly altered by Kung Fu Panda 4but you’ll have fun for 90-odd minutes, and sometimes that’s enough.
Our call: Kung Fu Panda 4 It is completely acceptable. Now, Dreamworks, it’s time to stop while you’re no longer ahead and give Po the peace he’s learned to appreciate. TRANSMIT IT.
John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic living in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
