- Starring
- Jack Black, Awkwafina, Viola Davis
- Directors
- Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Stine
- Rating
- PG
- Genre
- Animation, Action, Adventure
- Release date
- March 8, 2024
Overall Score
Rating Overview
Rating Summary
CGI cartoons have a rich history dating back to the 1970s when experimental computer-generated imagery was first used in films like “Futureworld” and “Star Wars.” However, it wasn’t until the 1990s that CGI cartoons gained mainstream popularity, with films like “Toy Story” and “Shrek” revolutionizing the animation industry. Since then, CGI technology has continued to advance, leading to visually stunning films such as “Kung Fu Panda 4,” the newest sequel in the beloved series known for its captivating blend of humor, action, and heartwarming storytelling.
Kung Fu Panda 4
The time has come for the great Dragon Warrior to retire and focus on the spiritual health of the residents of Jade Palace and the Valley of Peace. Unfortunately, Po is having as much trouble letting go of his role as the great protector as he is finding a suitable successor.
Kung Fu Panda 4 Review
The original Kung Fu Panda was a delightful underdog story with a terrific mix of self-deferential humor and hopeful optimism. With some beautifully animated homages to classic kung fu films and an engaging score, its story of exceeding one’s self-imposed limits was brought to life by some incredibly talented vocal performances, especially that of Jack Black’s quirky and sincere Po.
Unlike its more novel and energetic progenitor, Kung Fu Panda 4 is rather domestic and unimaginative. Po isn’t melancholy, but he lacks much of the excitement and wonder that he had for Kung Fu in the original. Now that he’s an experienced Dragon Warrior with countless battles and trials under his belt and no longer the bumbling, self-doubting fool, the filmmakers seem at a loss as to what to do with Po.
He’s neither an aging warrior who has begun to lose his fighting edge nor a wizened Mr. Miyagi-like mentor looking to pass his wisdom on to the next generation. Instead, he’s more or less along for the ride in his own movie, one that only pays lip service to his search for wisdom.
What little heart this film does offer is manifest in a tacked-on and relatively meaningless sidequest by Po’s fathers, who feel the inexplicable need to “rescue” Po before he’s even in danger. Rather than infusing the quest with any depth, the filmmakers have chosen to make it an extended and unfunny joke about Po having two fathers. I wonder why?
Then there is Awkwafina. Can someone please explain her appeal? Eleven years ago, she released a popular crass YouTube video in which she rapped comparisons between her vagina and yours. Now, audiences have to be subjected to her talentless 3-pack-a-day voice in every new animated feature.
It’s not that she is distractingly bad, so much as her performance lacks range and depth. Even when compared to Jack Black’s relatively phoned-in turn as Po, Awkwafina stands out as amateurish and second-rate.
Second-rate is an excellent descriptor for most of the film. Locked into cruise control from almost the beginning, both its plot and its villain are unimpressive and underdeveloped. As a last hurrah as the Dragon Warrior, Po decides to venture on a quest to a far-off land to defeat an evil sorceress with ambitions of nigh-godhood. However, her motivations are shallow and mundane, and her origins beyond cliché and lazy. The two have no personal connection, and the result is a movie that feels like a mostly boring journey that ends in a meaningless boss battle.
Although the technical excellence of animation is obvious, much of the panache has been lost. The stylized nods to Wuxia and anime have been watered down into a more easily digestible, run-of-the-mill aesthetic.
Ultimately, Kung Fu Panda is a middling entry into the franchise and a huge missed opportunity.
PARENTAL NOTES
Important Information for Parents
Our Parental Notes flag the material parents may want to know about before pressing play, including profanity, blasphemy, adult content, extreme violence, frightening intensity, hyper-stimulating sequences, and other family-content concerns.
WOKE REPORT
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James Carrick
James Carrick is a passionate film enthusiast with a degree in theater and philosophy. James approaches dramatic criticism from a philosophic foundation grounded in aesthetics and ethics, offering insight and analysis that reveals layers of cinematic narrative with a touch of irreverence and a dash of snark.
Wow, so they replaced the man with a female character for this. Reminds me of that other movie that did that? Or was it a TV show? Or a comic? Or was it all of them?
I have zero difficulty believing Awkwafina playing a character who can incapacitate people with her powers. I have, after all, heard her speak. It’s not hard to imagine a villain holding his ears and yelling, “Okay, okay, I’ll stop being evil. Just please shut up!”
It’s interesting that when the woke write stories, if the victim is male who was refused training by the mentor, like Kylo Ren, the man is still responsible. However, with the same deal with a woman, she’s just an innocent princess who was swayed by events not of her own making, and had no choice.
This is misogyny of the highest order. Women are equally as capable as men of making their own choices and should be held equally responsible. Writing women this way only shows how little they think of women.
If someone can be turned to evil by being denied power, regardless of gender, then it shows that that being isn’t worthy of power. If it was given to them without adversity, there’s every reason to expect they’d abuse it.
I think it should lose a few points for child suitability. The trailer clearly exulted in showing children scream “Violence makes our tummies tingle!” and “[Kill him] slow and painful!” My children repeat everything I didn’t want them to hear other kids say. I don’t need any more calls from their schools.
Especially in the woke school days where a child pointing with thumb and index finger extended is a level two lookalike firearm.
I never saw any of the Kung Fu Panda movies or accompanying television series. I heard a few good things about the first movie, but nothing specific enough to warrant actually watching it yet.
I understand the appeal of creating sequels. The audience is already there. But in order to justify a sequel, the movie has to tell a new story in its own right. By the time most franchises get to the fourth sequel, the heroes have already completed their journey and overcome all their obstacles. They’ve gotten to a point where nothing challenges them, and that makes them boring. To justify a sequel, either a new challenge has to present itself, or the hero has to suffer a setback, or something that clearly demonstrates that circumstances have changed. Otherwise, the franchise starts limping and repeating itself.
Passing the torch is a perfectly good story to tell. At some point, the hero realizes that his talents are better suited taking a different role, and that’s a challenge by itself. But it’s also important to find a worthy successor. The new hero has to earn it too, and not merely inherit an unearned legacy. Or waste the legacy by mocking the fore-(panda)bears.
You damn right I’m woke I’m woke to yours and trumps bs. Stay WOKE
Thank you for showing everyone what the typical woke individual acts like. Many people think we engage in hyperbole when we describe them.
I would love to see how you respond to some of the stuff in the Member Content section.
We already know all you wokey wokes have the mental maturity of a toddler, you don’t have to go out of your way to remind us.
Cool, these people are ruining my childhood. God, I hope Hollywood burns to the ground. These people have been given too lich leniency and “power”.
I don’t want Hollywood to burn to the ground. I want it to stand as an eternal monument. Centuries from now, I want children to ask their parents about Hollywood, for the parents to tell them honestly, and for the children to ask how anyone could make such obvious mistakes. As such, it can serve the purpose of good by being an example of what never to do.
but how sexy is the panda?
I think the two dad thing is actually understated. It’s repeated so many times!
The funny thing about it is, if kids who watch this movie later hear that someone has two dads, they’ll probably think that it’s a biodad and stepdad who don’t love each other, as is shown here.
I’ve just come back from seeing this with my 5 year old. Truth be told, I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the story was solid enough, albeit not overly deep, with a decent message about embracing change and accepting the next phase of life. I think that’s something most new parents and many kids can relate to. However I do agree the main villain was not fleshed out enough to make the final confrontation as dramatic as it could have been.
Woke-wise, it was fine. There were occasions where the woke alarm started ringing in anticipation of woke nonsense but it generally never went over the line.
SPOILER SECTION
Did it expressly state that Zhen lost the first fight on purpose rather than taking advantage of his good nature afterwards? If so I didn’t hear that, and Po defeated her when she was holding the staff and making an exit, so surely there was no reason to deliberately lose and get locked up. The final fight also pleasantly surprised me, when it transpired Po was deliberately letting her fight alone whilst also landing the final blow himself. I fully expected a ‘girl-boss proves she’s better than male hero and saves the day’ scene but again ended up better.
Granted, their fight on the steps should have ended with Po defeating her and imparting a final lesson that came back into play in the final battle, but this is the only major plot issue I had and even then, she’s clearly shown as needing to learn moral lessons from him. This could just be a writing decision but admittedly could have been a decision motivated by not wanting the male mentor to mansplain, or whatever. Also have to say I loved Jack Black’s credits song.
So basically, on the face of it the plot looks like it’s going to fall into all the usual woke tropes (female apprentice replacing male hero), but it dodges most if not all of them and gives a pretty good film that doesn’t put down Po. I find Dreamworks is far better than Disney/Pixar for kids stuff these days.
Ps. Love the reviews, this is one of the first places I look when I’m considering new films for my kids.
Great job! Your analysis is thorough. This post is informative and well-written. Thank you for the actionable tips. Excited for more content from your blog!
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