“Kung Fu Panda 4” still has plenty of heart and humor, and dumplings, but its derivative story fails to deliver a full emotional arc for the endearing Po.
At this point, it’s not a matter if a fourth installment of a popular animated film will happen; it’s a matter of when it will happen. The “Kung Fu Panda” film franchise is one of those films that continues to be heartwarming, funny, and beautifully animated but still cannot tell an emotionally gripping story. Rather than subvert the hero’s journey, the film doubles down on its contrived story and forces the endearing panda to go on another adventure outside of the Valley of Peace, where he will learn that the world isn’t so cut and dry and comes home a changed hero. Again.
It’s not as though we haven’t seen this before. After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po finds himself at a new phase in his life. He will have to hand over the title of Dragon Warrior to a successor so that he can become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. He refuses to accept responsibility as he claims he is not ready for the next step in life.
With the Furious Five all out on their respective kung fu adventures, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) believes that Po is ready to become the leader he is destined to be. So he must choose a successor immediately. However, Po is so determined to keep things the way they are that he loses sight of what ascending to the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace could mean for him and those who look to him as their defender and leader.
While Po is busy figuring out who should be his successor, trouble is brewing in Juniper City. A wicked, powerful sorceress named The Chameleon (Oscar® winner Viola Davis), a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creature, large or small, hatches a scheme to steal Po’s Staff of Wisdom so that she can open up the Spirit Realm, and steal all of the Kung Fu of all the villains that Po has defeated. Angry because she’s been rejected by kung fu masters who looked down upon her size and stature, she uses her shapeshifting powers to overpower her opponents and those who dare underestimate her. Which is why she is the leader of a crime gang.
This will be a long and challenging journey for Po, who, for the first time, has to face this deadly threat on his own. But the opportunity for help arrives when a small and crafty, quick-witted thief, Zhen (Golden Globe winner Awkwafina), arrives at the Valley of Peace. Her thieving skills will prove invaluable, especially if they must navigate through Juniper City, a big city whose hustle and bustle isn’t anything like the quiet village at the Valley of Peace.
The themes of trust and self-confidence should resonate with the much younger audience. The Po and Zhen odd couple dynamics make for a hilarious buddy road trip that doubles as a predictable hero’s journey. That’s apparent in how the film sets up the pair. While Zhen is initially introduced to us as a foil trying to steal something from the Valley of Peace’s treasure trove, Po believes that Zhen could be more than just an ordinary thief who hawks stolen goods on the black market. Of course, they go on this quest to stop the Chameleon while running into some interesting folks and discovering new worlds.
It’s a familiar story that is only slightly twisted because of the new circumstances and obstacles that our protagonists have to overcome. This is unfortunate because it is a sign that the franchise is running on fumes. Chameleon believes her feelings of rejection justify her actions and plans to conquer the world. Her big dreams were crushed by those who saw her as nothing more than a scrawny lizard. While it’s not exactly a villain we haven’t seen before, her stature provides a nice twist. This tiny, scaly creature is brought to life by Viola Davis, whose booming voice is a nice contrast to an unassuming and meek-looking villain. The complexity and juxtaposition of this tiny creature with big dreams and a big voice is an adequate attempt to bring more depth to the rogue’s gallery. Still, even with these new places to visit and the familiar stakes, one can’t help but feel that the scale of the movie feels small.
The latest installment plays up to the fact that this is one of the longest-running franchises in DreamWorks Animation’s library. Po recognizes those stairs that led him up to Master Shifu and the Dragon Warrior. They also revisit familiar landmarks like the Peach Tree that sits on top of a mountainous peak and bring back iconic rivals like Tai Lung (Ian McShane). Though the nostalgia works for those who grew up with the films, “Kung Fu Panda 4” doesn’t challenge Po in a way that would get us to sympathize with his inner turmoil. He evades his responsibility of finding a successor by being distracted by thoughts of food or saving other smaller villages. He runs out of excuses sooner than later and must accept that he can no longer be the dragon warrior. Luckily, Zhen presents him with an opportunity to go on one last adventure as the dragon warrior and bring down a villain on his own without the help of the Furious Five. Eventually, the film circles back to the idea that change is inevitable and necessary for progress. So, the only one who stands in his way of that growth as a being is Po himself.
“Kung Fu Panda 4” goes through the usual motions of Po being unable to accept change while witnessing its concept in action through his latest adventure. He meets new characters and worlds that open his eyes to new experiences. Of course, since there is a sense of urgency for our heroes to reach their goals, some of these ideas take time to sink in. It gets even more challenging to see the messages they want to convey because the sequel is bogged down by the world-building and amusing us with whatever humor is left that didn’t make it into the original trilogy.
With so many new characters to work with, there doesn’t seem to be a place for the Furious Five. So, Darren Lemke and the writing team of Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger’s script find a convenient way to push them aside by giving them their own quests and Kung Fu missions. By removing the Furious Five, “Kung Fu Panda 4” takes away the juxtaposition between hard training and bumbling antics and trades it in for a buddy road trip animated comedy with some kung fu action. At this point in the franchise, the less is more approach is better than just repeating what has been done in the previous three films. Then there’s Li (Bryan Cranston) and Mister Ping (James Hong), both of whom continue the exploration of co-parenting continues to enrich the exploration of family in the franchise. It’s fun to watch them subvert the idea of what a family is while also valiantly stumble to protect their beloved son, who is more than a dragon warrior to them.
With animation technology advancing rapidly, it’s exciting to see how the character designs, action sequences, and camera movements have evolved. Cute and cuddly rabbits with child-like appearances turn into rabid beasts. This helps emphasize the contrast between their innocent nature and the vicious wolf hiding beneath their skin. The dynamic camera movements make the action sequences far more cinematic. The hand-drawn pencil sketches for action sequences blend old-school techniques with new-school technology, showing us the power of combining generations of different art styles into one film.
Flaws aside, it isn’t to say that “Kung Fu Panda 4” isn’t a bad sequel outright, but it is a sign that the franchise needs a new approach to keeping things fresh and justifying more adventures. Those who grew up with these films may find the latest installment’s story lacking quality. There’s no hook to engage us. No surprise to catch us off guard. But it still has plenty of heart and humor. Jack Black continues to be the lovable oaf that audiences gravitate to. The actor has brought so much emotion to the franchise for the past 16 years and hasn’t lost a step. He’s still charming, delivering those “shadows” catchphrases and bungling proverbs to elicit laughter. Of course, the end of “Kung Fu Panda 4” leaves the door open for even more sequels. And if there is one, let’s hope they do a better job justifying extending Po’s journey because, at this point, it feels like there is nothing left.
7/10
