Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)

By: Mike Ward on Thursday, March 07

PG Running Time: 94 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

There’s a reason Kung Fu Panda 4 exists - a loyal and almost generational fanbase who are likely just as excited for this as they are any other recent family or children’s movie.
Jack Black is very clearly having the time of his life here.
Full of energy, visually impressive, fun banter between Black and Awkwafina and lots of callbacks to Kung Fu Panda 1-3 make this a somewhat entertaining escape at the multiplex.

NO

Underwrites its villain, wasting a fun Viola Davis, and simply appears to have pushed the story well past the finish line.
Black is carefree and cutting loose…because he has to do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to having this matter much.
Loses its way, rendering the attempt at an inspirational message muted and buried.

OUR REVIEW

I can no more justify the existence of Kung Fu Panda 4 then you or anyone else can. But, alas, in 2024 we find ourselves revisiting the ongoing saga of oversized panda bear Po (Jack Black) and his now sudden need to find someone to become the next Dragon Warrior.

Since 2016’s Kung Fu Panda 3, we have had an Amazon Prime series and a separate Netflix series spin this franchise off into multiple directions. We also have a popular Universal Studios Hollywood theme park ride, appearances in other characters’ movies and shows and an apparent fanbase large enough to create demand for this fourth trip to the Valley of Peace.

What becomes very obvious, as we watch Po take his Dragon Warrior fame and try to spin it into opening a successful noodle and dumpling restaurant, is there isn’t much more to do with our lovable kung fu panda bear. The always serious Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) is somewhat frustrated at Po’s aim for celebrity, so he demands that Po relinquish his Dragon Warrior status and assume the role of Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.

In a way we are rebooting things, but I think we are also hoping that enough of the gags, jokes, and witty dialogue can carry us into a new path for the series. We get mixed results. Awkwafina arrives as Zhen, a fox who is also a fast-talking, cynical thief. The scenes she shares with Black’s Po are funny, but Awkwafina seems to have one approach when she voices animated roles and Zhen is essentially the same character we have seen her perform numerous times before. That said, there do create moments of levity and great chemistry exists between them.

The cast list is full of familiar names. Bryan Cranston and James Hong return as Po’s father figures from the previous films, and we also add recent Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan and bring back Ian McShane, reprising his role as Tai Lung from the first film. These names and others are Impressive on paper, sure. Yet their work here is mostly forgettable.

Po and Zhen eventually find themselve at odds with the villainous Chameleon (an underused, but engaging Viola Davis), who shapeshifts into anything necessary to try and vanquish her foes. Director Mike Mitchell (The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part) and co-director Stephanie Ma Stine have something to work with in Davis’ character but ultimately do very little with it. Chameleon wants Po’s access to the Spirit Realm and when she gains possession of his Staff of Wisdom, she attempts to eliminate Po from power by any way possible.

At times, the film feels lazily constructed even with five credited screenwriters. Amusing in fits and starts, a lot of the jokes and gags feel like recycled bits we have seen before or they largely miss the mark completely.

Like most of Mitchell’s films, Panda 4 has energy in spades. And even I admit I cannot dismiss this entirely. The film has a vibrant, detailed color palette, some a really nice visual presentation. And there are some moments which are fun. Black is having a ball and this is all too well-intentioned to bash with any severity. When watching the inevitable fight sequences and set pieces play out before me, I tried to suppress that inner voice inside my head that tried to shout “shameless money grab” at the big screen.

Point is, there is a an apparent heart beating here and Kung Fu Panda 4 wants to say something meaningful about how staying grounded and finding inner peace is integral to being able to conquer hard things, overcome obstacles, and accept inevitable change.

Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves though: this is Kung Fu Panda 4.

Even with Jack Black’s band, Tenacious D, delivering a killer, end credits rendition of Britney Spears’ “...Baby One More Time,” which makes zero sense in the context of the movie but should probably sit at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for multiple weeks in a just and perfect world, I cannot quite match Black’s enthusiasm for his furry alter-ego this fourth time around.

CAST & CREW

Starring: Jack Black, Awkwafina, Viola Davis. Dustin Hoffman, Bryan Cranston, James Hong, Ian McShane, Ke Huy Quan, Ronny Chieng, Lori Tan Chinn, Seth Rogen, Jimmy “Mr. Beast” Donaldson, Harry Shum Jr.

Director: Mike Mitchell
Co-Director: Stephanie Ma Stine
Written by: Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, Darren Lemke; David Lindsay-Abare, Lillian Yu (additional screenplay)
Release Date: March 8, 2024
Universal Pictures

There’s a reason Kung Fu Panda 4 exists - a loyal and almost generational fanbase who are likely just as excited for this as they are any other recent family or children’s movie.

Jack Black is very clearly having the time of his life here.

Full of energy, visually impressive, fun banter between Black and Awkwafina and lots of callbacks to Kung Fu Panda 1-3 make this a somewhat entertaining escape at the multiplex.

Underwrites its villain, wasting a fun Viola Davis, and simply appears to have pushed the story well past the finish line.

Black is carefree and cutting loose…because he has to do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to having this matter much.

Loses its way, rendering the attempt at an inspirational message muted and buried.