My Movie Review on Kung Fu Panda 4

Greetings and salutations, my friends.

This is your top-of-the-line film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.

Today, for my 310th film analysis, I'm gonna give you guys my take on "Kung Fu Panda 4".

Here's the rundown of this tale:

After three death-defying adventures, defeating world-class villains, and becoming Master of the Jade Palace, Po is enjoying life as the Dragon Warrior. He continues to protect the Valley of Peace from various dangers, and his celebrity-status has practically skyrocketed.

One day, though, Master Shifu tells Po that he must advance to being the Valley of Peace's spiritual leader. Not only that, he has to retire from being the Dragon Warrior and find a successor to take his place! Along with feeling disappointed over giving up the job he knows in favor of something entirely new to him, Po wonders if being a spiritual leader is something he'd actually be good at in the long run.

In the midst of this, a new threat makes itself known: A shapeshifting-reptilian sorceress called the Chameleon, who dabbles in the dark arts and is capable of changing into any creature she wants, including specific individuals. With her tyranny in Juniper City threatening to make its way into the Valley of Peace, Po quickly decides to step up and stop her before she enacts a full-scale attack. And along with going on one last mission as the Dragon Warrior, he recruits the help of a quick-witted corsac fox named Zhen, a wanted thief from Juniper City who knows the town like the back of her head and has a great deal of knowledge about the Chameleon.

Can Po & Zhen stop the Chameleon before she strikes again? Or will she have the world in her claws?

More importantly, can Po & Zhen learn to put aside their differences and actually be a team?

In all honesty, I was originally going to save reviewing this sequel for much later. But, after I acquired a DVD copy of the film by preordering it from Amazon, I realized that I wanted to analyze "Kung Fu Panda 4" sooner than I planned, so I decided to do just that.

Some of you probably know that I previously saw "Kung Fu Panda 4" while it was in theaters; and that I expressed a positive reaction towards it. In preparation for reviewing this sequel, though, I saw it two more times. I wanted to be absolutely certain over what I thought of it, and ensure that the thoughts in question were detailed and consistent.

So, what do I think of "Kung Fu Panda 4" in words? Especially after seeing it two more times on DVD?

Well, I'm proud to say with genuine confidence that "Kung Fu Panda 4" is TOTAL AWESOMENESS!!! And there are several reasons for why I think so too, which really makes me wonder why some people apparently don't like this sequel.

For instance, the animation was astonishing.

Among the things I couldn't help but note was how the visuals looked based on being created under a low budget. Compared to this sequel's three predecessors, each of which were made under a budget of 100 millions dollars, "Kung Fu Panda 4" was made under a budget of 85 million dollars.

In my opinion, the animators made fantastic use of their resources and the budget they worked with. The overall visualization looked like it was done on a greater scale than likely implied, and I could tell that the animators were very passionate and committed towards making this sequel stunning to the eye. The animation for the old characters matched perfectly with how they looked in the previous three films, and the new characters were splendidly visualized. The settings were beautiful to look at as well, and they held no signs of being created by computer at all. The best part was that the animators managed to maintain the Chinese comic book appearance that made the previous three KFP movies so visually-appealing and distinct, and they even incorporated some nicely-done hand-drawn animated moments.

Along with this, the direction by Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Ma Stine, and the story by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, and Darren Lamke, were outstanding.

Considering the fact that this is the first time someone outside of Aibel and Berger wrote for a Kung Fu Panda film, I was amazed by how well Lemke's writing style matched the former two. Then again, Lemke previously co-wrote "Shrek Forever After", so his experience working on that sequel was obviously of great benefit to him. Combined together, Aibel, Berger, and Lemke came up with a narrative that was thought-provoking and well-worked to a tee. Everything tied together with finesse, and there certainly wasn't a dull moment.

Of course, it was the direction by Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Ma Stine that brought out the best in the script.

When I first learned that Mike Mitchell was gonna be this sequel's director, I got very excited. Not only am I a fan of Mitchell's directorial work for "Shrek Forever After" and "The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part", but I felt that he'd be a fitting choice since he was involved in the previous three films in different capacities. To my joy, I found that he and Stephanie Ma Stine were able to successfully transform "Kung Fu Panda 4" into a rollicking fun time.

Mitchell and Ma Stine turned every joke and comedic moment into something hilariously entertaining, with even the most unusual ones being worthy of a laugh; and they executed every dramatic and emotional scene with genuine gusto. They helped this sequel be something with heart as well, and they didn't shy away from making it unpredictable and engaging. Not to mention the action sequences were amazing. They were lively, absorbing, and ran at a pace that'd be a little fast yet easy to take in.

Plus, the themes and morals were nicely-worked.

In retrospect, I've noticed that several animated films & TV shows from recent years have delved into themes revolving around change, and they'd address how people should grow & adapt to situations that are new & different to them. "Kung Fu Panda 4" certainly isn't the first movie to tackle these subjects, but it delved into the topics and executed the messages surprisingly well. It didn't feel like they were causing any takeaway from what the previous films' messages were either, which were about self-improvement and developing for the better.

With this being said, I can't help but favorably compare the way "Kung Fu Panda 4" tackled its themes and executed the morals to how they were done in Pixar's "Toy Story 4". Don't get me wrong, I think "Toy Story 4" is a great sequel, but...I just think "Kung Fu Panda 4" did a better job at handling the themes & morals both movies had. Everything came so much more naturally in KFP4, particularly in terms of how the subjects came to fruition and the story progression.

Moving on from that...

The voice acting, characters, and character development were splendid with a captial 'S'.

First off, I'm well aware that many people were unhappy about how certain characters were used in this movie, such as some not having as much screentime compared to others or not being featured at all. The most notable example I can think of is people complaining that Tai Lung wasn't featured in this sequel as prominently as expected, and that's in large part because I noticed the various internet memes referencing the matter.

Personally, though, I didn't think there was anything wrong with the sequel's character-usage. The Kung Fu Panda franchise hosts an incredibly diverse array of characters, so it was obvious that the filmmakers were thinking carefully over which ones would have the most purpose behind their inclusions and wanted to strike an even balance for the narrative. Heck, the Furious Five, Lord Shen, and General Kai were mainly featured in silent cameos for this sequel, but they weren't incorporated for the mere sake of it either; and beyond the cameos, they wouldn't have had much of a place in the story worthy of giving them dialogue for anyway.

In short, I thought the filmmakers' character-usage was creatively-wise, and they helped the characters be relevant & important enough to not become a forgotten memory as well. It was another thing about this sequel that I enjoyed compared to "Toy Story 4", because while the character-usage in "Toy Story 4" was passable, it seemed like the majority of the original characters from all three of its predecessors (including ones previously introduced in "Toy Story 3") were primarily included for the sake of it, never doing anything important or memorable. Basically, "Kung Fu Panda 4" wasn't as overstuffed or overbalanced with characters compared to "Toy Story 4".

But, enough of that. Let's talk about the 'Kung Fu Panda' characters themselves, shall we?

For starters, the supporting characters were fabulous.

Whether they were old or new, each of them were a pleasure to hang with. Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, and Bryan Cranston were terrific in their reprisals of Shifu, Mr. Ping, and Li Shan, and each of the three aforementioned characters were still as pleasant and well-developed as they were in the previous films. And, each of the new major side characters were welcomingly delightful & memorable in their own way, and the vocal performers portrayed their individual roles marvelously.

However, the real characters I'd like to talk about are Po, Zhen, the Chameleon, and Tai Lung.

For obvious reasons, I'm gonna start by talking about Po.

Honestly, I never saw anything wrong with Po's depiction or the direction he was being taken in. He was still the lovable big guy the last three films portrayed him as, and along with being as funny as ever, the innocent quality of Po's character was kept intact. It also amazed me how the filmmakers found a way for Po to further develop as a character, mainly considering how well his saga as the Dragon Warrior was wrapping up in the 3rd film. His character development throughout the 4th movie was mind-blowingly top-notch, and I actually found his situations relatable and wanted to see how he'd overcome his problems.

Jack Black gave a remarkable reprisal as Po, that's for sure. His comedic-timings were hilarious, his energy and passion for the character shined brightly throughout, and the way he'd get physically & emotionally-invested in the role like he's not just using his voice alone continually amazes me.

Likewise, Zhen was a welcoming new addition to the franchise.

I'm not sure what the majority of people on the internet are saying about Zhen, but, I thought that she was enjoyable in her own way. Regardless of her mischievous behavior throughout the movie, Zhen was someone who was both lovable & intriguing, and her sense of humor was absolutely riotous. Some people may say that Zhen's character arc & development is either underwhelming or terribly-done, but I didn't see anything wrong with either of them. Her background & standing as a thief helped Zhen's character arc be difficult to predict, in that people wouldn't easily tell why she was helping Po find the Chameleon and knew so much about her; and when the questions behind each of those things comes to light in the third act...the discoveries prove to be surprising and hard-hitting. What makes Zhen's character development & redemption so perfect is that she went through powerful changes throughout this sequel, and in the long run...it helps viewers care about her, and it makes you want to see her do the right thing.

Also, I thought Awkwafinia nailed playing the part of Zhen. The humorous side Awkwafina gave the character was incredibly fitting, and she incorporated all the depth & emotion needed to translate Zhen as a three-dimensional character.

In addition to this, I enjoyed the chemistry and growing bond shared between Po & Zhen. I loved how their relationship evolved from one of antagonism to a deeply close friendship, and the entirety of it developed so naturally that you can easily tell it was the film's heart and soul. Both Jack Black and Awkwafina did a wonderful job at further creating and capturing each of those things, which was no doubt benefitted by the two performers recording the interactions shared between Po & Zhen together.

With my thoughts on our two main heroes taken care of, I'd like to now talk about this sequel's main villain: The Chameleon.

For quite a while, I've noted that people on the internet were calling the Chameleon the worst antagonist of the KFP series. Some complained that she didn't have much screen-time; others said that she was underwhelming compared to Tai Lung, Lord Shen, and General Kai; and many called the Chameleon an underutilized antagonist.

Once again, though, I disagree. I thought the Chameleon was a tremendous antagonist!

Yes, she didn't have very many scenes before her meeting with Po, and that's particularly obvious because she only had two scenes prior to it (three if you count her impersonating Tai Lung at the beginning). But, I was actually okay with that. She had excellent buildup that helped her presence & role in the story be known in a good way, and her influence on Zhen was very much felt.

Outside of that, every scene featuring the Chameleon was enrapturing. Her shapeshifting and sorcery were given enough display to show why she's a force to be reckoned with, and I can tell the animators were having a field day with those aspects. She had a fabulous personality & sense of humor as well, and her motivations were incredibly solid. It was easy to see that her villainous persona and intentions particularly derived from years of being looked down upon, underestimated, and mocked for her size; the revelations in question were also ones I could see based on her expressions, body language, and actions. The Chameleon wasn't without character development & depth either, and she served as a perfect alternate-reflection of Po.

Plus, I really can't deny that Viola Davis killed it with her portrayal of the Chameleon. She gave the character an outstanding classic-villain feel while translating her as a three-dimensional individual, and it sounded like she was having a blast starring in her first villain role.

Lastly, I'd like to talk about Tai Lung, as well as his inclusion & role in this sequel.

Prior to "Kung Fu Panda 4" coming to fruition, I was interested in seeing Tai Lung return for a long time. When "Kung Fu Panda 3" introduced the Spirit Realm, it opened a boatload of possibilities, and I thought Tai Lung coming back was one of them. Naturally, the announcement that Tai Lung was going to appear in the 4th film, with Ian McShane reprising the role, was something that made me deeply enthusiastic; and when I saw the first trailer featuring Tai Lung, I was thrilled to see him back, shocked by what it showed regarding him, and curious to see what the filmmakers intended on doing with him.

And you know what?

While I agree that Tai Lung having more screen-time would've been extra cool, I was actually very pleased with how the filmmakers used the character. Similar to the Chameleon, the film provided superb buildup for Tai Lung's return in the 3rd act, particularly through the Chameleon posing as him and bringing up questions of why she was doing that. You can tell that the filmmakers had something specifically important in mind for Tai Lung, and when he does return, the revelation becomes all-the-more clear. Basically, despite not being around as much, Tai Lung was still relevant and crucial enough to not feel like's he's simply around to serve as nostalgia-bait, and he wasn't without some surprising character development either.

Additionally, Ian McShane stole the show with his reprisal as Tai Lung. Nearly 16 years since he voiced Tai Lung for the first film, McShane proved that he didn't lose his touch, and he sounded like he was having a ball being part of this sequel; including in parts where the Chameleon impersonated him. Everything about McShane's reprisal was 100% admirable, and he even turned some of the dialogue written for Tai Lung into meme-worthy quotes.

With how much I've been talking about Po, Zhen, the Chameleon, and Tai Lung, there's one more thing I'd like to say about each of them. That thing in question also relates to my experiences watching installments from the 5th Generation of My Little Pony, including ones I haven't reviewed yet:

Po the Panda is a far more funny, lovable, relatable, and three-dimensional protagonist & hero than Sunny Starscout & Izzy Moonbow put together. Zhen's character arc, development, and redemption are more compelling & well-done than that of Misty Brightdawn's. The Chameleon is a better antagonist than Opaline Arcana will ever be, and she certainly wasn't a pathetic joke like the latter character was. And, as a comeback character, Tai Lung was much more honorably used compared to Twilight Sparkle & Spike the Dragon, each of whom appeared in the 4th Generation of My Little Pony only to later be subjected to an unforgivable disservice in the 5th.

The main reason for why I'm saying these things is because, for me, each KFP character I talked about was quite honestly a superior version of all the MLP characters I mentioned, and they were better used & portrayed too. And believe me, for anyone who’s been following my reviews on the MLP (G5) installments, you’ll see why.

Finally, the music by Hans Zimmer and Steve Mazzaro was magnificent.

Returning from the previous three films, Zimmer showed that he's capable of rekindling the KFP franchise's musical magic while still providing something fresh, and the co-composing by Mazzaro helped the score be larger than people likely imagined. Every melody fit the Chinese settings, tone, & aesthetic like a glove, and they brilliantly captured the personalities & emotions of the characters. One of my favorite parts of the score was the material Zimmer & Mazzaro created for the final battle, because the music played during that part reflected the high stakes and unforeseeable outcomes perfectly.

Additionally, I really can't deny that the film's rendition of "...Baby One More Time" by Tenacious D was stupendous. Everything about the song was catchier and more delightful-to-the-ears than the actual version by Britney Spears, and Jack Black's singing was top-notch.

In conclusion, "Kung Fu Panda 4" is one of the most spectacular sequels I've ever watched. The voice acting and characters were awesome, the storytelling was superb, everything! The best part is that it even feels like a Kung Fu Panda film, and the amount of creative inspiration behind this sequel aided it in not coming across as some cash-grab.

So, I rate "Kung Fu Panda 4" a solid five out of five stars.