Kung Fu Panda 4

You can REALLY feel the writers and actors strike with this one. It wasnt *terrible,* but it was just really lame and a major step down from all the previous KFP movies. Yes, even the third one. Not as much of a step down as megamind 2 mind you, but its definitely there. Firstly they ditched a lot of the voice actors from the original series, and so what they did was they either shoehorned them out of the story with some lame excuse, or just not gave them lines and just had them appear silent. The emotional depth is there, but again, its just a step down from what we've grown to expect from kung fu panda. The movie has a lot of filler and pointless subplots, po is reduced to a whiny baby in the first 10 minutes of the movie, the pacing is off, and the villain, OH MAN the villain was weak. Again, not the worst thing in the world, but her motives were purely contradictory from things that were established in the movies universe, shes never portrayed as a real threat. (remember back in KFP 2 when it was stated that lord shen literally killed a king fu master early on? The worst thing the chameleon does in this movie is push a guy down a flight of stairs. Oh no.) the action was there i guess, it had some creative and somewhat exciting action scenes, the animation was pretty good overall, especially with the chameleons morphs (Probably just because there isnt an "animators strike" going on as well) its definitely kung fu panda, but it just feels like they forgot a couple ingredients for the stew, so to speak. It just ended up being a step down from what we were expecting. Not terrible, just disappointing.

I think the title of my review says it all. If I had to come up with a word to describe the film, it would merely be, "passable." I chuckled a couple of times and my kids (6 & 7) loved it. At the end of the day, I suppose that's money well spent. That being said, I am a huge fan of many DreamWorks franchises, including the first 3 KFP films, with the 3rd installment being the weakest of them, but still a good time. Compared to KP4, which didn't really add anything to the franchise, the 3rd film is a masterpiece. I found the pacing and the humor of KP4 all over the map. It felt like the film was rushing the audience along without time to really feel any of the emotions it wanted us to feel. It felt like a Saturday morning cartoon rather than a memorable addition to the KFP film canon.

So, in the end, I'm glad my kids loved it because I am promptly going to forget everything about this movie. When I think of KFP, scenes like Po finding inner peace in the ruins of his village in KFP 2 will always readily come to mind. I will continue to laugh at the jokes in the first 3 films, but even now I'm struggling to recall the best jokes of KFP4 and I just saw it not even an hour ago. The best, most enduring part of this movie is callback to villains of the previous films. Otherwise, it was one big colorful, fast-paced "Meh."

The kids will enjoy it though.

This movie did not respect the background of the previous ones or the development of the characters, everything is very predictable and basic. Comedy is getting worse and worse; even if I prefer the humor of the first two movies, the third managed to get some laughs out of me, this one didn't. I wish the directors understood that what made the first two films successful was how deep the story was and how well the characters were developed, something that was lost in this one. Yes, it's a movie for kids, but the previous ones were also and they still managed to touch on dark themes and be enjoyable for adults; I'm currently 22 years old and I never got tired of watching Kung Fu Panda 2, laughing, crying and getting emotional like when I was 11. But this one is just forgettable.

Gorgeous visuals, fun combats, and lots of variety in characters; I feel children, especially those who belong to the age bracket of 5-10, will have a great time with it.

However, teenagers or matured adults may have reservations about the film, particularly those who have grown up with this series and hold the franchise in high regard. They would notice the diminishing charm, the losing essence, and the fading magic of the storytelling that was once prominent but now are gone.

The franchise has regrettably become a cash-cow, which serves nothing but one lone purpose: to mint money for the studio and their executives. I think they should stop now!

My wife and I caught Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024) in theaters last night. The storyline introduces a new villain, a chameleon with shape-shifting abilities, aiming to take over the world. The chameleon seeks to use the staff Po received in Kung Fu Panda 3 to open a gateway to another dimension, summon kung fu masters, and steal their powers to become unstoppable. Simultaneously, Po must find his replacement to train as the next Dragon Warrior. Can Po save the world and find his apprentice simultaneously?

Co-directed by Mike Mitchell (Trolls) and Stephanie Stine (Major Motion Picture debut), the film features the voices of Jack Black (School of Rock), Viola Davis (The Help), Awkwafina (Crazy, Rich, Asians), Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie), James Hong (Big Trouble in Little China), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), and Ke Huy Quan (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom).

The animation, animal universe, and the introduction of the new villain were excellent, as always. Viola Davis was a great addition, but Awkwafina's presence felt awkward and annoying. The absence of the Furious Five was noticeable, and the two-father subplot was just okay. The film strikes a good balance between lessons and comedy, and kept us laughing throughout. While the ending was rewarding, it didn't quite match the brilliance of previous films in the series.

In conclusion, Kung Fu Panda 4 offers a fun, above-average animated experience but stands as the weakest link in the series. I'd score it a 6/10 and recommend seeing it once.