It's been eight years since the last Kung Fu Panda movie (the same amount of time that passed between the first Kung Fu Panda and Kung Fu Panda 3), but Kung Fu Panda 4 proves it can still be an entertaining watch for the kids while delivering enough for adults to sit through with them. However, the series is starting to lose some of its pop with weaker storylines and villains that Jack Black's energetic voice work and strong animation can only do so much to cover.
In Kung Fu Panda 4, Po (Black) is happy with his position in life as the Dragon Warrior, getting to kick butt and protect the Valley of Peace. However, Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) informs him it is time for his next step: becoming the valley's spiritual leader and passing on his title of Dragon Warrior to someone else; something Po is reluctant to do. However, when a new threat emerges in the form of the Chameleon (Viola Davis), Po must team up with the thieving but cunning fox Zhen (Awkwafina) to stop this new opponent from gaining the powers of Po's vanquished foes.
Starting off with the good, Jack Black feels made for voice work. After being the standout in The Super Mario Bros. Movie as Bowser in 2023, he returns to Po, which has easily become one of his most memorable roles. Animation gives Black such freedom to be as wacky and exuberant as he wants, though he also delivers the emotional moments when called upon.
The only issue with that in Kung Fu Panda 4 is Po's emotional journey doesn't work as well here. Po's forced transition from Dragon Warrior to spiritual leader feels like the creators shoehorning a story angle in rather than it feeling natural, especially as Hoffman's Shifu is still there serving as Po's mentor, removing the feeling of urgency in Po's journey. The key beats are all in the story and Po does show growth, but it feels more hollow than in previous entries.
Also coming up short is the Chameleon as the main villain. Nothing against the work by Viola Davis, she's a constant pro and gives a suitable performance, but the character's impact on the story is thin. We barely see the Chameleon for the first half of the movie, her presence in Juniper City doesn't seem as bad as the characters make it out to be and what we learn about the character in the second half feels like too little too late. It's not great that Tai Lung, the villain from the first movie once again voiced by Ian McShane, brings more a feeling of menace and he's only in it for about 10 minutes.
Some other weak areas of the movie are the Ping (James Hong) and Li (Bryan Cranston) storyline, though they offer some comic relief and Hong continues to be one of the under-the-radar MVPs of the franchise. Also, it's a shame Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, David Cross and Lucy Liu were left out of the movie, as they were fun foils for Black. Awkwafina does an OK job as Po's new companion Zhen, but isn't able to fully make up for the others' absence.
To be honest though, these are little things in the grand scheme of what you need to know about Kung Fu Panda 4, because at the end of the day the most important things is will the kids like it? My gut tells me yes, kids (and perhaps even some older than that who have grown up with the franchise) will still find Black's Po endearing, the action sequences thrilling and the jokes funny.
Is it the best Kung Fu Panda movie? No (though how many fourth entries in an animation franchise are?). But despite some things that could have been better, it's a more than passable moviegoing experience for kids and adults.
Kung Fu Panda 4 releases exclusively in movie theaters in the US on March 8. It arrives in the UK on March 28.
