Kung Fu Panda 4 Movie Review - Better Off Before
Yeah, didn’t think Dreamworks was gonna make a fourth installment, did you? Neither did I. But hey, if you’re now finding out about this, good news! Dreamworks has the potential to have this franchise conceive a sixth installment. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?
Why do I sound upset and sarcastic, you inquire? Allow me to explain. I cannot express how much I adore the first two Kung Fu Panda movies, especially the second one. Dreamworks created two outstanding pop-culture recipes for success that served as great Western homages to Chinese martial arts films and entertaining, captivating family movies that proudly wore their strengths on their sleeves, such as their complex combination of both hand-drawn and three-dimensional animation, fantastic kung fu sequences that’ll blow one’s mind, and powerful morals that both kids and adults can get behind.
Once Kung Fu Panda 3 rolled around, it was the first time I realized that something was off about the franchise. The narrative had a complete disregard for what the 2011 predecessor promised to set up and failed to meet those expectations, Po’s characterization has decreased making him more of a goofball than ever; learning absolutely nothing from the first two movies before just for the sake of cheap laughs, a lame villain voiced by J.K. Simmons, and the story felt like such a departure from the first two in terms of quality, topped off with a message that contradicts what the original films established. While it isn’t a bad movie, Kung Fu Panda 3 was a colossal step backwards.
After eight long years, despite wishing we’d end with a trilogy, Dreamworks’ CEO Jeff Katzenberg has unleashed a fourth addition to the franchise, Kung Fu Panda 4—God knows why. Now that I have finished watching it, I have to say I’m surprised with how little I hate the film. Maybe it’s because I wanted to get the sour taste of Kung Fu Panda 3 out of my mouth, but that doesn’t mean this movie is good. Kung Fu Panda 4 is one of those sequels that makes you ask yourself: “What was even the point of this?”. It’s nothing but a sequel that serves as background noise for your children for 94 minutes before shutting the film off when they’ve taken a nap not knowing what even happened. You mean to tell me that it took Dreamworks eight years to get this conceived, and this is the best they could do?
In this fourth chapter, Po is off defending the Valley of Peace and other nations of China from fierce opponents, while the Furious Five are off handling other matters of their own off-screen. After his heroic errands, Master Shifu tells Po that his time as the Dragon Warrior is coming to an end he must choose a successor (which doesn’t make much sense, since Po is still in his prime and willing to fight and defend innocents no matter the circumstances). Refusing to make a decision, Po receives word that Tai Lung (the villain from the first film) has returned somehow to cause more chaos. While investigating how Tai Lung’s return is even possible, he realizes from a young thief named Zhen, that it was the power-obsessed sorceress, The Chameleon, who was disguised as Tai Lung the whole time, and that she has plans to rule over China by sapping all of the skills out of the most powerful fighters that were sent to the Spirit Realm. With the help of Zhen, Po must find The Chameleon before she takes over China.
Apart from the fact that the animation from Dreamworks still looks solid—though it’s not as vibrant or experimental as its prior outings—if there’s anything commendable that I can state, the voice acting is still salvageable with Jack Black as Po being grand as always and Viola Davis voicing her part admirably as The Chameleon despite her dreadful material as the main bad guy. Gone are the days of complicated, even sinister villains like Lord Shen and Tai Lung, instead we have one of the most forgettable villains that Dreamworks has ever conceived from their filmography. Nothing about her makes any kind of sense from a motivational standpoint. What is the point of stealing all of the abilities of Po’s kung fu master predecessors, including his past enemies, when she can just transform into them without needing to open the spirit realm? and all of her sorcery and skill-stealing abilities amount to her transforming into a monster? Why can’t she steal Po’s skills? Why does nothing about her make any kind of sense?
Other recurring characters return like Mr. Ping (Po’s adoptive father who’s been present in the whole series) and Li Shan (Po’s biological father from Kung Fu Panda 2 & 3) who travel together to look after Po for some bizarre reason—despite Po being capable of handling assignments on his own—all at the expense of face-palm-a-minute comedy. Oh, as for Tai Lung himself, he’s in this film for about three minutes tops, and Ian McShane performs his lines as if he’s here to enter a sound booth for a few minutes, take his money, and walk.
The quality started to decline with the third chapter, now it is getting worse from the fourth even while acknowledging that I feel less frustration than the last time. The storytelling has gotten weaker and Dreamworks is failing to come up with a better excuse to continue the journey of The Dragon Warrior. If you want to have the best experience watching this franchise, just watch Kung Fu Panda 1 & 2 and skip the rest. Believe me, you’ll be all the better for it.
Rating: 1.5/5
