KUNG FU PANDA 4 -- No Inner Peace

Review by Adam Donato

(from left) Po (Jack Black) and Zhen (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4, directed by Mike Mitchell.

Dreamworks has seen success recently in their Puss in Boots sequel, which has led to further franchise expansions. A new theme park section for Dreamworks properties, a live-action How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, and a Shrek reboot, among others, are all a go for Dreamworks. It's been almost a decade since the last Kung Fu Panda, and Jack Black is arguably as popular as ever. The first three Kung Fu Panda movies are all quality animated films, so there's plenty of hope for a fourth installment. Will Dreamworks face the same backlash the Toy Story franchise had when they continued despite a perfect ending to the franchise?

Toy Story 4 won an Oscar. It's not a problem continuing the franchise if there are stories that demand to be told. Kung Fu Panda 4 has Po finding a successor to the dragon warrior mantle. It feels just like Cars 3. Imagine remaking the most mid movie in the most mid Pixar franchise. Kung Fu Panda 4 is just that, mid. It's not offensively bad, but it doesn't justify its existence in any way besides franchise recognition at the box office. Before the press screening, there was an ad for the Peacock original, Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate (syndicate — a word that children definitely understand and know how to say). It was quite poetic because Kung Fu Panda 4 also feels like the pilot movie for a spinoff series. This makes it very easy to be cynical about a fourth installment. 

Adding to the cynicism is the choice in casting. Fans of the franchise will immediately notice that the Furious Five is not in the marketing for the film. They're explained out of the story right away, which is unfortunate because the litany of fun side characters is part of what makes the franchise so great. The villain can shapeshift into anybody, which allows the movie to bring back Po's former villains. Only Ian McShane returns as Tai Lung and is given an unnecessary amount of lines to justify bringing the actor back. It's easy to assume that the only reason these characters are brought back is to further connect these films with the first three in a way that appears meaningful. All this does is remind audiences of the better films in the franchise. ​

(from left) Po (Jack Black) and Zhen (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4, directed by Mike Mitchell.

The two significant additions to the cast of Kung Fu Panda 4 are Awkwafina and Viola Davis. Think of the amount of blackmail that Awkwafina must possess to get her to star in every single movie known to man. These days, she feels like a Kevin Hart type. Actors work for a living, and she's just doing her job, but she may be hurting her career in the long run by over-saturating the market today. On the other hand, Davis is a welcome addition, as she's always great. Her character leaves more to be desired, though. She's an intimidating presence and has cool powers, but she doesn't have the emotional connection that Tai Lung and Shen had in the first two movies. Po is more motivated to defeat her as not only does she threaten the Valley of Peace, but there's also the added connection of her shapeshifting into his past foes and even himself. 

The animation and jokes in this sequel are a major step down. The third movie has a recurring joke where the villain is constantly disappointed that other characters don't know him and his legacy. That joke is spammed in this installment and is even less funny this time around. The shticks of all the characters feel like they've run dangerously thin. There's a subplot where Po's dads follow in Po's wake to try to help/save Po. Everywhere they go, they make the same joke about pretending to be an intimidating presence when, in reality, they're just silly dads. This whole subplot feels like filler and doesn't lead to anything substantial. One of the things that made Puss in Boots: The Last Wish so good was that the animation was not only more advanced than its predecessors but also stylized in a way that made the franchise feel fresh. Kung Fu Panda 4 doesn't have more advanced animation, nor does it attempt to mix up the visual style. 

While Kung Fu Panda 4 is unnecessary and disappointing, it's still a mildly enjoyable experience. It will probably be skipped during rewatches of the franchise, but it was good enough hanging out with Po for another ninety minutes. The new additions are hit or miss, and the missing pieces leave this installment feeling empty. It's the worst film in the franchise, but kids will probably enjoy it and not be aware of how painfully predictable the story is. It's a movie that feels like it'sa Peacock original, and it would probably be a better experience waiting to stream it anyway. ​

Kung Fu Panda 4 hits theaters on March 8.

Rating: 3/5