DreamWorks has added another spectacular movie experience to its belt with the release of “Kung Fu Panda 4.”
DreamWorks has been doing a fantastic job lately in creating awesome new movies that are putting Disney to shame. While not every movie has done it for me, DreamWorks’ newest movie, “Kung Fu Panda 4,” is everything that I love about the franchise and DreamWorks as a whole.
The movie follows Po as he takes the next step in his journey as a kung fu master. Po has been doing his typical Dragon Warrior duties when he is informed by Master Shifu that he must pick a successor so that he can step into the role of the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace. Po also learns of the evil sorceress, the Chameleon, who is plotting to conquer the land. Determined to stop her, Po teams up with the sly corsac fox thief, Zhen, to put an end to the Chameleon’s schemes.
Arriving in Juniper City, Po and Zhen sneak around authorities and eventually infiltrate the Chameleon’s palace. After a confrontation, the Chameleon, thanks to Zhen, gets her hands on Po’s Staff of Wisdom. The Chameleon then uses the Staff to summon kung fu masters from the Spirit Realm so she can steal their fighting abilities and take over everything.
After a pep talk from his dads, Ping and Lee, Po fights an even more powerful Chameleon, with Zhen tagging in to help. Po entrusts Zhen with his Staff, and she finally defeats the Chameleon. Upon returning to the Valley of Peace, Po decides that Zhen will be the next Dragon Warrior and begins training her to live up to the status.
The voice acting was on point, as usual. Jack Black brings such fun and flair to Po, but also sincerity when it counts. While this movie is not as emotionally loaded as the last one, Black still delivers a stellar job in every scene he is in. Viola Davis once again steals the show as my favorite performance in the movie. As the Chameleon, Davis is cunning and delightfully evil and such a fun villain to see on screen.
Awkwafina as Zhen is sassy and charming, bringing a sincere and sweet edge to her character. It is not often that I see Awkwafina play characters like Zhen, as I am more used to her in traditional comedy roles, but she did well and I would be excited to see Zhen in a future installment.
Ian McShane revises his role as Tai Lung, the villain from the first movie and I was so excited to see him return. Tai Lung was a fun and fantastic villain, and I am so glad that they were able to bring him back and actually see him acknowledge Po as a fighter.
The animation is amazing in every aspect. The “Kung Fu Panda” franchise has always been a shining example of DreamWorks’ talent. Even in the older movies, the animation still holds up, and it gets better and better with every movie. I adore the stylized elements reminiscent of anime in all the fight scenes. They give a delightful pop and spice things up to give the viewer a fresh and interesting experience when watching.
Naturally, one of the shining parts of the movie is the kung fu. Po is better than ever in this movie, and it is so exciting to watch. Every fight scene had me on the edge of my seat, squealing with excitement. Every movement is sharp and you can feel the weight behind every impact. This movie arguably has the best kung fu display in the entire series.
I adore the “Kung Fu Panda” movies and “Kung Fu Panda 4” is another great addition to the series. I am glad that this movie could deliver everything it promised, and I cannot wait to see what else Po might have in store moving forward.
