Kung Fu Panda 4 Movie Review: Jack Black's Return as Po the 'Dragon Warrior' is Silly, Unnecessary and Yet Entertaining Enough to Look Beyond Its Flaws! (LatestLY Exclusive)

Kung Fu Panda 4 Movie Review:  Po is back, but this time, there's no Furious Five to back his antics in a sequel that no one asked for (but when has that ever bothered Hollywood?). Kung Fu Panda 4 arrives some eight years after the third film, and, well, good news first: despite the irrelevance of its existence, the film is admittedly hilarious and entertaining, with Jack Black continuing to infuse the adorable dumpling-loving panda with his trademark humour. Kung Fu Panda 4 Trailer: Jack Black Returns as Po In This Action-Packed Flick With Viola Davis’ Shapeshifting Villain.

The Valley of Peace now lives up to its name, with Po joyfully fulfilling his 'Dragon Warrior' responsibilities while residing with his two fathers, Mr. Ping (James Hong) and Li Shan (Bryan Cranston). It's so peaceful that the Furious Five have been dispatched to handle issues elsewhere.

No Furious Five

I understand that some fans are disappointed about the gang's near absence in the film (they appear in two scenes but with no dialogue). But let's be honest for a moment: aside from Angelina Jolie's Master Tigress, did any others matter much? Sure, you have Jackie Chan voicing a monkey, but it's hard to recall one memorable scene revolving around the character, even though he appears in three movies. And for reasons best known to the makers, they didn't see Kung Fu Panda 4 as an opportunity to rectify this oversight by giving the other members of the Furious Five more to do here; instead, they've been entirely shunted.

Watch the Trailer of Kung Fu Panda 4:

Now, with the Furious Five out of the picture, Master Oogway (Dustin Hoffman) has news for Po: he must choose a successor, the next Dragon Warrior, and be promoted as the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace. However, Po is hesitant to relinquish his title as the Dragon Warrior.

So when he learns that Tai Lung (Ian McShane) has somehow returned from the dead, Po sees this as an opportunity to maintain his position and seeks out the Chameleon (Viola Davis), a powerful sorceress who has seemingly resurrected his former enemy. This time, he is assisted by a new ally, a wily fox thief named Zhen (Awkwafina).

Where Kung Fu Panda 4 Kicks Ass...

One aspect I appreciated about Kung Fu Panda 4 is how it balances Po's goofiness with his prowess as a warrior. He remains clumsy and lazy, eliciting plenty of laughter. Still, when the situation demands, Po can rise to the occasion and exhibit the fighting skills his title requires (even if it is brief, the foggy fight scene leaves a mark) without needing to be excessively invincible. There are plenty of humorous situations—observe closely, and you'll even catch a gag referencing the 'bull in a china shop' proverb—though most jokes are geared towards children. Sometimes, the film veers too close to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's brand of humour, injecting snappy one-liners into serious situations.

While the shapeshifting Chameleon makes for an interesting villain, unfortunately, she doesn't quite surpass previous antagonists like Ian McShane's Tai Lung, made more discernible with their presence in the plot. The movie also doesn't feel too stretchy, which was an issue with the previous sequels.

When Kung Fu Panda 4 Bites The Dust

The heart of Kung Fu Panda 4 lies in the bond between Po and Zhen, which is where I encountered an issue. Here, the film falls into the trappings of a lazy sequel attempting to embrace the passing-the-baton trope, a concept that has already been explored in films like Rocky, Logan, and even, dare I say, Cars 3.

Zhen's arc follows overly familiar paths from an annoying sidekick (Awkwafina's regular casting in such roles is becoming cliché) to a character with dubious allegiances to a potential redeemer. I know this is a spoiler, but it would be naive to expect otherwise from a film of this nature: when Po chooses his new friend as his successor, it not only does little justice to his other five friends but also undermines his own character development from the past. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Mutant Mayhem Movie Review: A Uniquely Animated and Extremely Well-Done Big Screen Adaptation.

In comparison, the subplot involving Mr Ping and Li Shan embarking on their journey to find Po is more amusing that I almost wish for a spinoff centred around the two. I said "almost wish," Hollywood, so please refrain from actualising it!

Final Thoughts on Kung Fu Panda 4

The weak main storyline is precisely why Kung Fu Panda 4 feels like a movie born out of the studio's desperation to prolong a franchise for financial gains rather than having the right material to do so. Fortunately, the film remains entertaining and humorous enough for us to overlook its flaws momentarily, though not enough to disregard them entirely, with Jack Black turning out a show-owning voice performance once again.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 14, 2024 04:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).