The world of movies is always changing and evolving as new films are produced. Movie franchises are consistently growing, including the “Kung Fu Panda” franchise.
Earlier this month, the fourth installment of the series hit the big screen.
“Kung Fu Panda 4” marks the return of the beloved “Dragon Warrior”, Po, in a funny and heart-warming adventure that delivers kung-fu skills as well as character development across the board. Directed by Mike Mitchel and Stephanie Ma Stine, this series addition continues to make audiences laugh and smile with the movie’s combination of humor, action and a heartfelt story.
The story is set in the beautiful Valley of Peace where life is quiet and calm. The once peaceful valley begins to shift as danger arises. The Dragon Warrior is known to protect the valley in past films but is given the duty of training a new dragon warrior. Po must find a way to work together with his new cohort to defeat the powerful villain Chameleon.
As Po and Zhen’s journey begins, the two are headed to Juniper City to take down Chameleon. Along the way, Po discovers his side-kick is a wanted criminal, and the two are quickly arrested in the city. This may have stopped them, but the pair found a way to escape and make their way to Chameleon’s lair. In Chameleon’s lair, Po thought he had a partner who would help him battle the evil Chameleon, but Zhen was not who she said she was. The story seems to have taken a turn for the worse, but the question remains if Po can turn things around and win the battle.
I enjoyed the plot of the film, I liked watching the intriguing story of the Dragon Warrior unfold, along with the eye-catching animation. The animation is what brings the story to life. The beautiful characteristics of China are depicted in the rolling hills, along with the intricate animation of the action scenes, creating a visual performance for viewers.
The movie isn’t just about Po fighting bad guys, but the film dives deeper into the emotional side of its characters. We see Po’s journey of self-discovery blossom throughout the film as he struggles with questions of who he truly is. Po is known as the Dragon Warrior, and he thinks that’s all he is, but we slowly find out that Po is so much more than that. Voice actor Jack Black does a great job of creating the funny side of the character. He also shows the more serious side of the character, allowing the audience to see the character’s struggles and triumphs.
When my friends asked me to go see this film, I was hesitant as I thought it was a children’s movie. But after viewing the film I would give it three out of five Loper stars. The film was fun and intriguing and brings you back in time to watching the first film. It may be a light-hearted children’s film, but I recommend grabbing a friend and heading to your local theater.
