It’s been a long time since we’ve had a “Kung Fu Panda” film. Jack Black lends a certain charm and panache in his role as Po, the unlikely Dragon Warrior. Watching the rotund panda bear attempt to learn Kung Fu and thwart the enemies of his village has been fun. Black has been busy doing other animation work. He voiced the villain in the “Super Mario Brothers” (2023) film and won acclaim for the title song. “Peaches”. Now he’s bringing his manic energy back to the Valley of Peace.
It’s been 16 years since the original movie and eight years since the last sequel. Bringing back many of the original characters with the welcome addition of Awkwafina as the thief, a corsac fox named Zhen, “Kung Fu Panda 4” is fun for the whole family. There are silly fart jokes for the kids and a few ribald jokes for the adults. Awkwafina’s character, Zhen, and Po have a great chemistry together.
The long wait has likely helped the franchise; it’s built up an anticipation for another film. The timing was also perfect as the animated film was a nice choice for families and didn’t compete with the audience for “Dune 2”. Both films have been doing great box office numbers and continue to draw audiences.
Like the past three Kung Fu Pandas, this one is rated PG. This time it’s described by the MPA as having “martial arts action/mild violence, scary images and some mild rude humor.” The new entry, which continues to pack the punches and puns, does contains some mildly scary moments. Most of the more adult humor will go over kids’ heads but there are a lot of weapons, characters in peril and a scary villain, the Chameleon (voiced menacingly by Viola Davis).
There are some fast-paced fight scenes–many involve weapons, but no bloodletting/stabbing/death scenes. The battles are often more battles of wit and will. Zhen does play dead for a moment, until it’s revealed that she was manipulating Po. There’s a trio of cute bunnies that love violence. They are highlights in the film.
What makes the film enjoyable for adults is the beautiful backdrops. The main action happens in Juniper City, a densely populated city inhabited by a wide array of animal characters. The city features bustling avenues, seedy alleyways and artfully rendered signs: both for the local businesses and for wanted criminals. It’s a lush visual experience.
Director Mike Mitchell (“Trolls”) keeps the action lively even during the traveling sequences and exposition. The unusual characters are all fully realized from a female boar running a gambling joint to a fish pilot who lives in a pelican’s mouth. It’s fun to try to guess what actor is voicing a character and it’s a delight to have Dustin Hoffman back as the sarcastic sage, Master Shifu.
You’ll be forgiven for forgetting that Po has two fathers. Bryan Cranston voices his biological father and James Hong voices his adoptive father, a Chinese goose. They lend the film a sweetness as they care so much about the well-being of their son. This film shows us that Po is more than a panda ruled by his appetite, he’s grown on his journey. He’s no sage but he’s kind and works hard to protect his village. Plus, Jack Black gets to sing another fun song for the soundtrack. Tenacious D belts out a cover of Britney Spears “Baby One More Time”. Maybe we’ll get another “Kung Fu Panda” film. Hopefully this time, it’ll be less than eight years to wait…
Drinks With Films rating: 2 cups of Chinese tea while stuffing your mouth with moon cakes (out of 5)
Drinks with films 