Kung Fu Panda 4 Doesn’t Lose It’s Flavor For Family Fun

The Kung Fu Panda franchise, which has spanned almost 16 years and grossed nearly $2 billion in global box-office success, continues to captivate audiences worldwide.  Does KP4 hold up the fun?  Will audiences still be invested in the adventures of Po?

After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po (Jack Black), is tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace, thus relieving him of his duties as Dragon Warrior.  There’s a couple of issues with all of this. First, Po knows as much about spiritual leadership as he does about the paleo diet, and second, he needs to quickly find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can assume his new lofty position.

Even worse, there’s been a recent sighting of a wicked, powerful sorceress, The Chameleon (Viola Davis), a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creature, large or small, who has set her beady little eyes on Po’s Staff of Wisdom, allowing her power to re-summon all the master villains  Po vanquished to the spirit realm.  So, Po’s going to need some backup and kinda finds it in the form of crafty, quick-witted thief  Zhen (Awkwafina), a fox whose skills prove invaluable for this comedic odd-couple duo.

Beautifully animated and carefully crafted by director Mike Mitchell, KP4 encompasses some good belly laughs and spit fire dialogue laden with quotes like, “Every pit holds the promise of a mighty tree'” “Hang on to the life you know and leave behind the life you don’t,”  or my personal favorite “It’s never too late to do the right thing.” Since its inception, the Kung Fu Panda franchise has demonstrated the perfect blend of comedy, action and heart, while touting a foot tapping soundtrack (Thank you Hans Zimmer) which brilliantly drives its animated action sequences that rival any superhero flick.

Jack Black and Awkwafina are the perfectly blended buddy duo pairing with Viola Davis providing just the right amount of vitriol to ensure The Chameleon is a memorable, despicable, villainous adversary. James Hong as Mr. Ping coupled with Bryan Cranston as Li provide many moments of hilarity.

In a time with doom and gloom lurking around every conceivable corner, it’s nice to have cinema that allows you to laugh and just have some corny, old fashioned family fun with heart and soul at its core.  Like Zhen says , Are my adventures really that regional, cause it doesn’t have to be a bad thing.  If they stay the same, they lose their flavor.”