Wikipedia

Nearly two decades after the release of the first movie, kung fu master Po has just returned to the big screen.

With the first installment being released in 2008, the trilogy followed the story of giant panda Po, who—despite his lazy and slothful tendencies—dreamed of being the next kung fu master. After he was chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy under the teachings of the wise Master Shifu, he spent the culmination of three films defending his home and its people against whatever bad guys came his way. When a fourth addition to the childhood quintessence was released on March 8, I jumped on the opportunity to go watch it. 

Following a fourth addition to Po’s kung fu journey, the villain in this film, called the Chameleon, is a shapeshifting—you guessed it—Chameleon who desires to steal all the kung fu from every master villain that came before her in hopes of conquering China and, eventually, achieving world domination. With a 1 hour and 34 minute run time, the majority of the plot follows Po’s tumultuous expedition to stop her from doing so. 

While the plot seems enticing from the summary, the execution of the storyline felt almost incomplete by the end of the movie. Compared to the endings of the other movies—which, by the end, all efficiently closed off yet another of Po’s adventures while still leaving room for future interpretation—the final moments of the movie seemed anticlimactic. Leaving the theater, it felt as though there should have been another 20 minutes of run time to make up for the unfinished mood it adjourned on.

That being said, there remained some much appreciated elements in this film that appeared in the films prior. Jack Black, who voices Po, brings the same level of humor and enthusiasm that make his character so loveable and fun to watch. The animation team also brought back the same vibrancy of their artistic visuals, with every shot either swimming in dreamy pastels or attention-grabbing neon shades. While such incorporations can easily be overlooked, they make the atmosphere of the film appear much more enthralling than it would be otherwise. 

In addition to reprising the same nostalgic feel that the first few movies encapsulated, this film also brought about some new, fresh adjuncts that incorporated a more contemporary feel to the plot. Alongside Jack Black is actress Awkwafina, whose witty spirit entraps the audience as she portrays the newly added sidekick, a corsac fox named Zhen. 

The script is also more modernized than in previous years, which brings about both its positives and negatives. While it is certainly comical, some of the dialogue came across as cringy and forced. Some of the jokes targeted cheesy humor from a few years ago, like a random pun about a “Karen” in the movie that felt out of place and unnatural. However, when not trying to appeal to 2020 social media comedy, the jokes landed well. They were very reminiscent of the same jests that were so enjoyable to watch in the first, second, and third installments of the now tetralogy. 

While some new components brought a refreshing ambiance to what could have been a film held captive by history or overshadowed by what came before it, there were also some constituents from previous films that, to much disappointment, did not make the cut. Probably the most notable of these throwaways was The Furious Five, a kung fu quintet that appeared in prior films, who did not make an appearance in this film. 

When all is said and done, it is important to remember that the Kung Fu Panda series, including the first few films, is better enjoyed through the eyes of the demographic they are marketed towards, which is primarily children. While it is easy to scrutinize the film for some of its subpar cinematic plot holes or wary plotline direction, as one grows older, it is more enjoyable to zoom in on the nostalgia that comes with watching a childhood classic such as this series. While it was not a motion-picture masterpiece worthy of an Oscar, it was certainly a fun watch.