“Kung Fu Panda” movies have always been a reliable name when it comes to animated series. The secret to success is often its unique style, star-studded voice cast, and Jack Black, who voices the energetic, dumpling-loving dragon warrior Po.
Or at least it was. “Kung Fu Panda 2” was also nominated for the 2012 Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
It's been eight years since we last saw our old friend Po in 2016's Kung Fu Panda 3. The new Kung Fu Panda 4 is co-directed by journeyman animation directors Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Marr Stein. Her feature debut.
Franchise writers Jonathan Abel and Glenn Berger return, with Darren Lemke rounding out the writing team. The film follows elements that have worked before, including Black's vocal appeal and the series' signature style, which draws inspiration from a variety of Chinese art, from painting to music to film. . It's still a fun and beautiful animated world to experience, but the hectic, rushed story, overcrowded with plot and characters, is cut short thanks to its short 94-minute running time.
The film also falls prey to some well-worn tropes, such that what was once fresh and singular now feels like a sequel to another anime. There's a cute killer bunny and a giant monster writhing in a climactic battle. Awkwafina plays the voice of a sassy supporting character — could casting Awkwafina in an animated vocal role be considered a metaphor in this day and age? He has voiced characters in films such as “The Bad Guys'', “Raya and the Last Dragon'', “The Angry Birds Movie 2'', and “Storks''. With all due respect to her for keeping her employed, it's all too predictable to see her gravelly Queens-esque tones in an animated film at this point.
Jen, the fox, is voiced by Awkwafina in DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 4.
(DreamWorks Animation)
This character, Jen, is a little more grounded and well-developed than usual, courtesy of Awkwafina. She plays a thief fox who catches Po stealing an artifact. He throws her in her prison (even her valley of peace is a genocidal state), but when he promises to help her find her power-hungry mob boss, Chameleon (Viola Davis) release her. The two set out on a journey to Juniper City in search of Chameleon, who takes the form of various fallen warriors and demands monetary tribute.
Poe finally gets to explore beyond the rural beauty of the Valley of Peace and we get to see some urban landscapes. However, as soon as they arrive in Juniper City, the two are chased into a criminal basement, and then spend the rest of their time in Chameleon's mountaintop palace. There she ends up using Po's Wand of Wisdom to steal kung fu from all the powerful warriors he sends. To the spirit world. Also, Po's two fathers, Li (Bryan Cranston) and Mr. Ping (James Hong), are worried that their son has left their merry Valley home, and are eager to get their son back. I'm chasing.
A chameleon voiced by Viola Davis in a scene from DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 4.
(DreamWorks Animation)
In addition to this chameleon business, Poe must deal with nagging orders from his mentor, Sif (Dustin Hoffman). Sif has given instructions to appoint a successor to the Dragon Warrior. Poe is reluctant to do so, but the right candidate is readily apparent. They must go on an unexpected journey together to truly get to know each other before the wand of wisdom and the requisite “skadoosh” are passed on, while Poe retires to a life of writing proverbs.
The story is barebones, often plodding along, and relying on beats so familiar that it's hard to muster the energy to care about anyone's motivations. These could have been used as shortcuts to tug at the heartstrings, but like Po, “Kung Fu Panda 4” just wants to ride the wave of past successes and create a vibe. It'll be a fun diversion for young children, but for those expecting the greatness of previous films, this dumpling is a little too light on the inside.
“Kung Fu Panda 4”
evaluation: P.G.
when: Opening Friday, March 8th
where: wide release
Execution time: 94 minutes
2 out of 4 stars
Walsh writes for The Associated Press.
