*Light Spoilers*
On March 8, 2024, the eagerly awaited Kung Fu Panda 4 was released all across America—and I have opinions about it. Much like me, millions of fans flocked to their local theaters to see the newest installment in the series… only to be disappointed, solidifying the movie’s 72% Rotten Tomatoes score. In my opinion, Dreamworks’s addition to the what-used-to-be Kung Fu Panda trilogy is a completely unnecessary film.
A large portion of the general public agrees that a lot of movies these days are just sequels and reboots of classic films that are being squeezed for every drop of screen time that they can produce—and Kung Fu Panda 4 proves just that. While the film still offers a good chuckle or giggle to its viewers, the movie still largely feels forced. After the last three movies, many fans would agree that the series felt concluded, both in terms of the narrative and character arcs. However, Dreamworks thought otherwise.
Po, the series’s main character, has been through many enemies in his time and has reigned as the titular “Dragon Warrior” for many years. This prompts the problem of Po needing to find a successor—the main driver of the movie’s plot—which is interspersed by a frankly boring antagonist. The main villain is the Chameleon, who wants to rule over the whole world by stealing the powers of various Kung Fu masters from the ‘spirit realm.’ Many people were excited to see Po’s old enemies come back in some way, but the film’s method of doing so felt anticlimactic. The old characters had very little screen time and felt like they were just being used to get people into the theaters as a cash grab. This was especially disappointing given the widespread popularity of the previous villains as genuinely compelling and threatening characters.
However, I am being quite harsh for a kids’ movie, because, despite my criticisms, I did still enjoy the film. As always, Jack Black did a terrific job as the voice of Po, and he brought a smile and laugh to everyone in the theater at some point. The soundtrack was also exciting, with Tenacious D’s (Jack Black’s band) cover of “…Baby One More Time” by Britany Spears being a noteworthy standout.
Despite my issues with it, Kung Fu Panda 4 is still an okay movie. It definitely is not necessary for the series and felt like a feeble attempt by Dreamworks to produce a narratively unsatisfying cash grab. But, I still enjoyed watching it and had some good laughs over the film’s 1.5 hour runtime. If you’re a fan of the series, I would still recommend seeing it yourself to pass your own judgment on the film.
