«Kung Fu Panda 4» - Movie Review by Kinoafisha
The weakest "Skadoosh" of the franchise.
The trilogy about Po, who started as a noodle shop assistant and rose to become the Dragon Warrior, had a beautiful conclusion. The main character gracefully embraced his destiny, became a teacher to the youth idols - the Furious Five, learned about his origins, and found a family. The journey seemed sufficient, yet the producers decided to milk their highly profitable panda once again.
Eight years later, Po enjoys his fame in the Valley of Peace: posing for portraits with fans, opening a new restaurant, and signing autographs. However, Master Shifu insists that Po must move on. Now, the panda must assume the role of the Grand Master, which means finding a new Dragon Warrior. Unwilling to change, Po rejects all talented candidates. Luckily, a new threat emerges on the horizon, giving him an excuse to delay his transition.
A chameleon villain wants to steal the Staff of Inner Peace and acquire kung fu knowledge from the villains of previous parts. A new heroine, a fox named Zheng, helps track down the chameleon. From her first appearance, it's clear that she will be the new Dragon Warrior. Predictable plot twists heavily impact the film's drama and character growth: the audience always knows what will happen in the next scene and several scenes ahead.
With the Furious Five absent in this new installment, all attention is on Po, his successor, and the villain. Since the relationship between the two main characters is overly predictable, the focus shifts to the formidable villain. The chameleon was supposed to be the most menacing antagonist of the franchise due to her remarkable shapeshifting abilities. Not only can she transform from a small lizard into a huge elephant, but she also successfully absorbs the powers of her previous enemies. However, the writers fail to give this formidable force a name or a thoughtful backstory. Her motivation is too similar to Tai Lung's from the first installment but lacks the same energy. While previous "Kung Fu Panda" villains appealed to both children and their parents (remember the peacock Nazi from the second part), the new film is solely aimed at a younger audience.
The target audience is most evident in the humor. Instead of the Furious Five, Po's fathers take on supporting roles. Their comedic attempts to rescue their son are endearing but lose their edge after resolving the conflict in the previous part. Po himself is amusing in his awkwardness, but he repeats the same jokes about his love for dumplings and hatred for stairs. The number of new good jokes pales in comparison to the amount of action, and the characters' psychology barely has time to develop on-screen.
However, action has always been one of the franchise's strengths. Expertly choreographed kung fu moves unfolded against detailed backgrounds. Animators worked in different visual styles, always offering something new to the audience. In the fourth installment, there's a small experiment with anime and the same meticulous work on costume design. However, the action moves from rural settings to city streets and fails to utilize them fully. While the aesthetics of China still charm, the fast pace of the film prevents viewers from fully enjoying them. Reflections on inner peace not only used to reveal the characters but also allowed more time to appreciate colors and textures, to see a petal fall gracefully. In this film, there's simply no time for the power of chi.
The voice acting remains top-notch. Zheng, voiced by Awkwafina, is a bold heroine who contrasts Po with her sarcastic tone. Jack Black is once again incredible, fully dedicating himself to voice work. For the "Super Mario Bros." movie, he co-wrote the song "Peaches" nominated for a Golden Globe, and here, he delivers a spirited cover of Britney Spears' "Baby One More Time." While everyone may enjoy the song during the credits, the voice acting, one of the film's genuinely strongest aspects, unfortunately gets lost in dubbing.
When Black's character, with his raspy voice, criticizes the villainess for her inability to accept the changes and move forward, it sounds like a meta-commentary on the film itself. The new installment completely repeats what has already been shown, failing to create anything new or fulfill its ambitions. Since the release of the last film, the franchise has gained many potential fans - for these kids, the fourth part will be an excellent entry point. However, their parents may not feel the same childlike joy they once did with the beloved "Skadoosh".
