Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – After Po is tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace, he needs to find and train a new Dragon Warrior, while a wicked sorceress plans to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm.

My Take – While ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ arguably remains DreamWorks Animation‘s best franchise, the ‘Kung Fu Panda’ series of films (and short films, specials etc.) easily come close behind.

Now, following an eight year long absence, and 15 years since the franchise first began, Po has returned to the big screen, even though he has kept himself busy on streaming platforms series’ Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny (2018–2019) and Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight (2022–2023).

Helmed by director Mike Mitchell (The Lego Film 2) and co-director Stephanie Stine, this fourth installment contains more of familiar slick, fast and beautifully animated fun fans (like myself) have be used to. And while it contains enough solid sequences to make it an acceptable new entry, the plot doesn’t come together like the franchise’s earlier heights.

In the sense, though it strikes a decent balance between action and comedy, and contains thoughtful lessons and insights to reflect on, it lacks the emotional heft that made the original trilogy so great, making it the weakest installment yet.

Yes, the fun and fast paced 94 minute adventure makes sure Po still grows as a character by the end, it didn’t quite match the brilliance of previous films in the series.

Set sometime after the events of Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016), the story once again follows Po (voiced by Jack Black), the Dragon Warrior of the Valley of Peace, who is instructed by Master Shifu (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) that it time for him to advance and become a spiritual leader. Which means Po can no longer be the Dragon Warrior and must find a suitable successor to take his place.

But unwilling to accept giving up his role as protector of the Valley yet, upon hearing about a new big villain on the horizon known as The Chameleon (voiced by Viola Davis), a powerful shapeshifting sorceress who can take on any appearance, including perfectly mimicking other people, Po abandons his apprentice search and instead partners up with Zhen (voiced by Awkwafina), a thieving fox, to head towards Juniper City and take her down.

Unknown to them, Po’s worried dads, Ping (voiced by James Hong), Po’s adoptive goose father, and Li Shan (voiced by Bryan Cranston), Po’s biological father, have decided to follow Po on his adventure, to see what help they can offer him.

Unlike the previous films, the canvas is a little smaller and works more like an action-buddy-comedy with the lean plot gives plenty of space for big comedy set-pieces, like a bar brawl in a tavern teetering on a cliff, or a police chase through a criminal city. Some adorable bunnies reveal themselves to be quite bloodthirsty sadists.

Yes, the pacing comes off a bit more frantic this time around, but still contains some memorable sight gags as well as more serious, exciting fight choreography near the end. Indeed, some of the new characters are fun, but they can’t fill the glaring void left by the Furious Five. Introduced in the first film and presented as valuable, powerful allies for Po, and their absence seems more force-fitted than organic.

It makes sense for Po to venture out of his comfort zone and make new friends, but non-speaking cameos by his former associates only remind us of what this film could’ve been had they been added to the mix too. Po’s grumpy master, Shifu is only around briefly to yell at Po and try to hammer in the film’s message about accepting change.

The new character and setting are lively additions, but there’s a lot of expository setup to get the pieces into place. My favorite new character, however, is a pelican drinking away so that the fish in her beak can thrive.

As always, the animators who are the real heroes here. From the thick fur on the pandas, to clay tiles smashing on roofs to rain splashing on stones, barroom brawls and petals wafting from cherry trees, this is a visual delight. Creating The Chameleon and her Komodo dragon guards gives the animators a chance to show a tiny lizard meta-morph into an elephant in a few seconds and they relish it. They also sometimes dip into different animation styles, giving a viewer a visual break.

But as villains go, The Chameleon is certainly a missed opportunity. The Chameleon is a little lizard who’s smaller than the other imposing animals, but can literally transform into larger forms and overpower them. The film asks viewers to take its word for it that The Chameleon is a threat, but she just operates in the background, occasionally threatening other animals, just waiting for Po to reach her.

The climax does allow her to change form in her battle against Po. It is worth it to see not just two animals’ face-off, but also Po facing every animal into which The Chameleon can transform. It’s just a shame she wasn’t more formidable throughout.

Voice performance, Jack Black once again imbues Po with the same energy and endearing quality that he has from the beginning. Awkwafina makes for an ideal counterpart and their chemistry is likable. Bryan Cranston and James Hong provide a good double act and bring solid humor.

Viola Davis brings a commanding presence, while Dustin Hoffman and Ke Huy Quan are likable in smaller roles. Ian McShane makes a welcome comeback. On the whole, ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ is a fun action-packed animated installment that stands as the weakest link in the series.