REVIEW: Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)

Movie Reviews

My appreciation for the Kung Fu Panda series is no secret. I remember being shocked by the simple but moving meaning in the first movie when I found it. I don’t love Kung Fu Panda 2 as much as most people; I think the original is still the best. But it is a solid sequel that develops the story and its protagonist in meaningful ways. That last part is what most sequels miss. Kung Fu Panda 3 was a significant disappointment for me. Despite starring J.K. Simmons as its villain and tying the trilogy up, it was the least emotionally affecting and just felt less than the previous two. This month saw the release of an unexpected 4th film; DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg originally planned six films, but the third one was refashioned as an ending. But here we are, so of course, I checked out the newest addition, Kung Fu Panda 4. I was worried because I’m getting tired of Awkwafina; she just isn’t funny, and I only really liked her in The Farewell, which wasn’t a comedy. Would she drag down the Kung Fu Panda, or was she just the unexpected ingredient the noodles needed? Let’s find out.

A villainous sorceress named the Chameleon (Viola Davis) is on the loose, running a protection racket and stealing from poor locals. What’s worse, she wants Po’s staff to open a portal to the Spirit World so she can revive Tai Lung and steal his power. Po (Jack Black) befriends a crafty fox named Zhen (Awkwafina), who claims to be able to help him find the Chameleon. Meanwhile, the Furious Five are out on various missions, and Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) insists that Po choose a successor to the title of Dragon Warrior.

I have mixed feelings about Kung Fu Panda 4’s cast. The absence of the Furious Five is palpable, especially Tigress, who has an essential relationship with Po. I think leaving them out was a mistake. On the other hand, that’s also a lot of the star power in this franchise. Maybe they didn’t want to pay them and replaced them all with Awkwafina. It’s a no for me, dog. (Do you get it? A fox is a canine. I’ll see myself out.?) Anyway, I like Viola Davis as a villain, and Ke Huy Quan is a fun addition as Han, a pseudo-father figure to Zhen. But in retrospect, this movie feels empty to me, and I think casting is a big part of that. Of course, Jack Black is fun, as always, as Po, but I think Shifu also isn’t given enough to do here. Things like this make me feel like they’ve made too many movies and need to let these characters rest.

I don’t love the Chameleon. The design and concept are good, and you know Viola Davis shows up and does her job. Her backstory even sounds good. But I just told you what the problem is: they tell you what her problem, motivation, and goals are in words. One of my favorite scenes in this franchise is in the very first movie when Tigress decides to tell Po exactly what Master Shifu’s problem is. Sure, she is verbally telling us the story of Shifu and his golden student, his surrogate son Tai Lung. But we also get to watch their life together play out, and the delivery of Tigress’ lines is just perfect. I’m not a fan of Angelina Jolie, but she absolutely ate that dialogue up. The love in Shifu’s eyes and the eventual disappointment and betrayal felt by Tai Lung elevate a simple moment of exposition to one of the emotional cruxes of the story. Po isn’t just fighting to prove himself; he must redeem his master and face his former and favored apprentice. There are layers here, too; Tigress is so bitter and condescending because she knows Shifu is capable of real, unconditional love and encouragement. He gave it to Tai Lung, but not her, and now, Po wants it – someone she has no respect for and who, in her eyes, doesn’t deserve it. Po just wants to show his worth and succeed at something besides serving noodles, but it’s easy to see how one in Tigress’ position takes it as an insult. She has been trying her hardest at something her whole life, and it’s still not enough for Shifu. What right does a fat guy with no background in combat have to stumble in and become the Dragon Warrior? It’s complicated and emotional. It’s everything Kung Fu Panda 4 isn’t.

The idea of Po passing on the mantle of Dragon Warrior is a good one. Passing the torch to the next generation is an important narrative to address, one of the inevitable truths of life. We will all die, and we can accept that and teach what we’ve learned to our successors, or we can leave the world in chaos with nobody to clean up the mess. Po is also an essential protector of society, and it makes sense for him to choose the next Dragon Warrior. But I don’t like how they did it. It’s very obvious that Zhen is the choice; she shows up as soon as Po has been tasked with finding his successor. She’s a thief and a liar with remarkable combat skills; she has no powers, but she is nearly a match for the Dragon Warrior. The path to redemption and greatness is plain as day. The two even have some good moments together. But overall, I feel that Zhen and their relationship is played too much for laughs. And it takes her way, way too long to do the right thing. As it stands, she doesn’t deserve this post or Po’s respect.

However, this could have been much worse. At some point in the movie, I became concerned that Kung Fu Panda 4 would be shanghaied into “The Legend of Zhen” or some such. They don’t do this; she has to stand up to a former authority figure, but she doesn’t outshine Po or kick his butt or anything cringe like that. But why does her name have to be Zhen? It’s too close to Lord Shen from the second movie. That’s a major nitpick, but I found it weird. Speaking of Shen, he and Kai don’t get to speak! I personally still like Tai Lung the most out of this series’ villains, but I would have absolutely loved to hear Gary Oldman and J.K. Simmons in this. Why give Tai Lung so much dialogue and ignore them despite including them in the movie? It’s weird, and I’m certain it was to save money. Lame. The movie’s score is by Hans Zimmer and Steve Mazzaro, and wow, I really missed John Powell here. There’s nothing like “Hero” or “Peach Tree of Wisdom” here. The animation is mostly very good, and I appreciate the use of light and shadow, especially during a particular fight sequence.

I enjoyed watching Kung Fu Panda 4, and right out of the theater, I felt it was better than the third movie. But it actually has many of the same problems and some new ones as well. I don’t hate this movie, but I’m disappointed overall.