Kung Fu Panda 4

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.

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!

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.

After many years, '' Kung Fu Panda Four '' returns with Po 'maturing' and ready for new adventures.

First of all, I did find this movie better than the third one. It was nice to see the old villains back (which makes this movie difficult to watch if you haven't watched the previous ones, as many of the jokes and the charms of the movie will be lost), and there were enough funny moments to keep things light.

And, sure, the plot of the movie was predictable, but it was, overall, enjoyable, and the characters lovable, even the new ones. The villain was interesting, moreover, but too basic in the end.

Probably the weakest of the franchise. Don't get me wrong, I had a lot of fun watching it. Four movies in, the charm is still there, and the chemistry between Po and Zhen were great. The charm might be there, but the emotion is missing. The villain was very weak and brought the movie down to me. What the first three were able to do were truly special with how they were able to bring humanity to the villains by connecting them to our heroes we love so much. That wasn't there for the Chameleon, but that being said. It's a new story, and it's time to let go of the past, don't worry it'll always be there.