Finding himself with a bit of free-time on his hands after having saved China from a trio of its most terrifying threats, Kung Fu Panda 4 finds (Jack Black) more concerned with milking his status as the Dragon Warrior dry than refining his skills as a martial artist.
The film opens with him opening a new restaurant with his biological panda father, Li Shan (Bryan Cranston), and adopted goose father, Mr. Ping (James Hong). With various forms of Dragon Warrior merchandise available to purchase therein, it’s clear that Po has sold out.
However, his entrepreneurial aims come to a screeching halt when Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) attends the restaurant’s opening ceremony and informs Po that not only is it his time to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley Peace, but also that he must choose a successor to take up the Dragon Warrior mantle in his stead.
Meanwhile, a new villain, The Chamelon (Viola Davis) seeks to make-up for her own lack of kung-fu abilities by reviving the former masters and stealing their abilities, all in service of taking over every city she can possibly get her skinny little reptilian fingers on.
Seeking one last big adventure as the Dragon Warrior, Po resolves to put a stop The Chameleon’s plans himself.
However, to do so, he’ll need help locating her. Enter Zhen, a sneaky corsac fox and wanted thief who happens to know precisely where to find the villain.
Before we go any further, there’s one awkward topic we have to get out of the way regarding Kung Fu Panda 4: The Furious Five – or rather, its lack thereof, as apart from the end credits, the de facto team just outright does not appear in the movie.
And while this makes sense in many ways, particularly in light of the elevated pay demands and busy schedules of their high-profile voice actors as well as the fact that their addition into a story about Po’s next logical life progression would have felt forced, their absence seems to have extended to the film’s writers room.
During The Chameleon’s big speech before she fights Po, she reveals that she was considered too small ever to be taught kung-fu – which is a peculiar bit of information given that Mantis is one of the Furious Five.
If writers Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, and Darren Lemke really wanted to keep this theme of ‘I was told I couldn’t do something because I was different’, they definitely could have it explained it in a way that didn’t dismiss the series’ lore.
For example, the masters could have known ahead of time that The Chameleon’s shape-shifting ability would be too dangerous to combine with kung-fu, or maybe they just considered her too slimy and/or evil to be taught. Instead, the trio delivered a quip that stands in stark defiance of the series’ own history.
Further, Aibel and Berger have co-written and co-produced Kung Fu Panda 1-3, so it seems odd that they would make such a baffling error when they’ve been familiar with these characters for over 15 years.
With that out of the way, in terms of the overall film itself, its theme is ‘wanting things to remain the same while being in denial about change’.
Po wants to cling to being the Dragon Warrior forever and refuses to choose a successor. Part of it comes down to not letting go of what he’s worked so hard for, but it’s also about purpose. Po finally has meaning as the Dragon Warrior, but he also needs something to offer as a Spiritual Leader.
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In terms of its characters, while Kung Fu Panda villains admittedly peaked with Shen in Kung Fu Panda 2, but Kung Fu Panda 4 offers a remarkable evolution for Tai Lung (Ian McShane) and the introduction of The Chameleon. We’ve missed Ian McShane’s voice in these films, and he eats up every line given to him.
The Chameleon’s bubbly and bulbous transitions between shifting forms are somewhat unsettling. In particular, her little lizard base form becoming an elephant, like a family-friendly version of the T-1000 flailing about in molten steel at the end of Terminator 2, is a sight to behold.
Captain Fish, a pelican in full-on captain’s gear who does all his talking through a fish in his mouth, has limited screen time in the third Kung Fu Panda sequel, but he is such an amusing character. Voiced by Ronnie Chieng (M3gan, Godzilla vs. Kong), Captain Fish drinks himself stupid, which only makes his no-guff dialogue more hilarious.
As for Po’s dads, they’re the comedic highlight of the film. Initially allowing Po to pursue The Chameleon without much hesitance, after being made aware of the villain’s nasty reputation, the two fathers set off to try and save him. Ping is sassier than ever, while Li Shan’s attempts to act macho are incredibly entertaining.
Sadly, the action choreography here isn’t as fun as in previous Kung Fu Panda installments. There isn’t as much homage to classic martial arts films in this one, which is a huge bummer considering how the final fight between Tai Lung and Po at the end of Kung Fu Panda feels like a gigantic nod to Jackie Chan films (However, the Happy Bunny Tavern sequence in Kung Fu Panda 4, especially when the wolves are rushing Po and Zhen, does definitely feels like it’s referencing the bamboo fight from Jackie Chan’s The Legend of Drunken Master).
Further, the sparring aspect in fights, which once consisted of long sequences in which each punch, kick, block, and counter was presented for the viewer to see, are now fights that seem to be over after a few hits or a simple throw. The silhouette fight in the fog is incredible, but it is over far too soon.
Kung Fu Panda 4 isn’t the best Kung Fu Panda film, or even the best of the series’ three sequels. However, as a fourth film in a franchise, it’s a ton of fun.
And though it’s action isn’t quite as entertaining as its predecessors and it’s unfortunate to see Awkwafina playing yet another thief (Jumanji: The Next Level says hello), for the most part, Kung Fu Panda 4 happily skadooshes its way to animated greatness.
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Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024), Universal Pictures
PROS
- Po's dads are hilarious.
- The Chameleon transitions.
CONS
- Action is slightly downgraded.
- Story is mostly predictable.