How many people has Po killed? That was the first question to cross my mind while watching Kung Fu Panda 4, a film in which the titular panda is faced with the sins of his past while trying to secure the future of kung fu.That’s a little dramatic, but it is kind of what’s going on in what feels like a conclusion to Po’s journey. At the very least, theaters are desperate for a new family film, so the return of Po will be a balm for the struggling box office outside of Dune: Part Two.
Po (Jack Black) has settled into his role as Dragon Warrior, just in time for his master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman, who is in all four of these movies) to tell him he now must choose his successor and become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. After some lackluster auditions, Po tries to bail on the whole process, only to be interrupted by a tricky thief invading the temple. Zhen (Awkwafina) is a fox from the big city trying to steal Po’s magical staff in the hopes of defeating a mysterious villain who can take any form. The Chameleon (Viola Davis, having the time of her life) is a vengeful shapeshifter planning to summon all of Po’s vanquished foes in order to absorb their kung fu abilities and take over the world. Po must team up with this fox to save his home and accept his new position.
If you’ve seen the previous films, you pretty much know how this goes. Well-choreographed action scenes, silly animal jokes, lots of gorgeous looking meals. There’s nothing wrong with a formula, especially when Po’s goose father (James Hong) and panda father (Bryan Cranston) have seemingly gotten married between films. The Furious Five are not missed, as they mostly end up extraneous beyond Tigress anyway. Better to write them out than just throw them in cages, though I’d much rather hear Angelina Jolie’s voice than Awkwafina’s. As always, Viola Davis is the real star, making a meal out of her cruel mob boss lizard performance. It’s also nice to have Ian McShane back, helping the film pay respects to the original without feeling too pandering.
Kung Fu Panda 4 is slight, but fast paced enough that it shouldn’t be immediately disregarded. Looking at the state of American animation, we might not have many DreamWorks movies left. Though I’m sure the sequel train will keep rolling, the fourth film in this long-running series is enough of an ending to satisfy a narrative arc and give Jack Black a bit of a break. At least until they do “Old Man Po” or something.
Kung Fu Panda 4
2024
Dir. Mike Mitchell
94 min.
In theaters everywhere Friday, 3/8
