From Po’s humble beginnings in the original “Kung Fu Panda” movie to Po retiring the Dragon Warrior title in “Kung Fu Panda 4”, the beloved saga reaches a new chapter with the latest “Kung Fu Panda 4” movie. The premise is simple yet compelling: Po needs to hand over his Dragon Warrior title to a successor and become the Spiritual Leader, which was Oogway’s role before he died, or ascended to the spirit realm, in the first movie. However, Po is reluctant to give up the Dragon Warrior life he is familiar with. Meanwhile, the villainess “The Chameleon” is trying to take over land, including the Valley of Peace where Po lives. The movie has a superb balance of action, drama, and comedy that is guaranteed to win the whole family’s hearts.
Although “Kung Fu Panda 4” is not the magnum opus of the Kung Fu Panda series, it has several compelling elements. It is easy to jump into without watching the first three films; only some background information on the Kung Fu Panda world is necessary. Additionally, despite budget cuts, the animators paid great attention to small details. For example, one of the movie’s last scenes was Master Shi Fu meditating under a blossoming meditation tree. The mature tree represents Oogway, the predecessor of Po. Next to the large tree is a still-growing young tree, representing Po. As the camera pans out, a tiny seedling sprout is revealed, representing the newly chosen Dragon Warrior. The plot line is compelling, with a major plot twist and many minor subplots added to the movie, such as the subplot of Po’s dads journeying hundreds of miles to find their son. Finally, the movie hadmany traditional Chinese elements in the movie, such as Chinese architecture. Common Chinese foods, such as soup dumplings and noodles, also added to the authenticity of the movie’s China-inspired setting.
Unfortunately, certain aspects of the movie were sorely underdeveloped. The biggest point of critique is the villainess, The Chameleon. Her motivations for wanting to gain more land are unclear. On one hand, she seems greedy for money and power. On the other hand, she explains that her backstory was very similar to Po’s: she also wanted to learn kung fu, but because of her small stature, no one wanted to teach her. This motivation could have been developed further, along the lines of, “becoming more powerful and killing others is the only way to survive.” This motivation would explain her want for more power and land, but the movie never made that connection. Because of the underdeveloped villain story, Po’s glory over The Chameleon did not feel as satisfying or significant. Another major aspect that viewers critiqued was the absence of the Furious Five– Viper, Mantis, Monkey, Tigress, and Crane. These characters are iconic within the Kung Fu Panda world, and viewers were let down when they barely had any screen time or lines. Some other minor details that detract from the movie are the un-captivating opening scene and the slightly bland color palette, compared to the first three movies.
Despite its imperfections, “Kung Fu Panda 4” holds its own in the series. Although it is not the best Kung Fu Panda movie, it is still a worthwhile addition. “Kung Fu Panda 4” strikes a combination of action and comedy, and engaging storylines with heartfelt moments sprinkled throughout.
