Review by Susanne Nielsen
Kung Fu Panda 4, Dreamworks’ delightful movie, again featuring its hero Po, the cuddly Panda boy is bound to entertain little and big fans from the very first scenes of this 4th installment of the Kung Fu Panda series.
Po hurls himself through the air and glides in on a manta like Aladdin on a flying carpet! His piggy audience is full of giggles and cheers, but off he goes for more serious business, to join his fathers, Panda and Goose, for an important ceremony at the Jade palace! Po has been asked to become the new spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace and say goodbye to his aspirations as Dragon Warrior! Now he has to select and train a new Dragon Warrior - a task that will keep him busy trying and us guessing what's going to happen through another turbulent adventure!
And he meets a new villain, the Chameleon-sorceress (Viola Davis) who plans to re-summon all the villains (we know them well thanks to three previous Panda films), and take their combined Kung Fu moves to dominate the Kung Fu Panda kingdom.
Po (voice of Jack Black) first opens a sushi fast-food restaurant where he hopes to keep his dads happily occupied while he saves his world with all who are dear to him, sent off with wisdom and advice from Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), the little red panda, headmaster of the Jade Palace and mentor to Po. And this time he gets assistance from a smart little fox-thief, new friend and Dragon Warrior-in-the-making, helper in his quest to free all his friends from the evil shapeshifting sorceress.
Wonderful landscapes surround everyone, a tree filled with fluffy pink cherry blossoms, hills and valleys and on a mountain peak a tavern that wobbles considerably as those inside keep trying to balance it again and again.
While on his journey, Po practices wise words, though like much of everything he does, it takes a bit of added effort to get it right. Nice try when he offers to settle disputes peacefully, but then "kicking but" comes in handy to everyone's delight. The little fox named Zhen is full of surprises (great choice of Awkwafina for voice) and the villains bring back the moves and voices of films past to the delight of audience members who have likely seen them many times. And, of course, Papa Panda and his sidekick, the goose, like all good parents, can't stay out of their boy's life. Kung Fu Panda 4 is again full of fun and over-the-top action, the kind of slapstick humor for the entire family, and some cute kid-style wisdom - to take away with us and put a big smile on everyone's face!
Additional Film Information:
Voice Cast: Jack Black, Awkwafina, Viola Davis, Dustin Hoffman,
Directed by: Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Stine
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure
MPAA Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hr. 34 min.
Opening Date: March 8, 2024
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Released in: Theaters