Kung Fu Panda 4

Originally published March 22, 2024

Having sat with the movie for a few weeks, Kung Fu Panda 4 has become, to me at least, the DreamWorks equivalent of Disney’s Wish; I initially enjoyed both movies enough on first viewing, but after some time to reflect, as well as learning what could’ve been if not for studio interference, both movies have become exponentially worse. If I had to place the blame on two elements in particular for Kung Fu Panda 4’s quality, it would fall on the tone and pacing. The story moves way too quickly, favoring action and comedy (of which both are primarily “meh”) in lieu of the compelling drama which lay at the core of the previous movies. I feel for Zhen what I do for most of Awkwafina’s roles: mildly tolerant indifference. For as good an actress as Viola Davis is, the Chameleon’s weak writing and lack of threatening presence sets a new low for this series’ otherwise fantastic villains. The animation also felt a bit jarring at points, though it still has more effort in it than some other recent DreamWorks sequels… *cough* Megamind 2 *cough*.

As few as they are, there are elements still worth praising. The majority of the voice acting, namely Jack Black, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Ian McShane, Dustin Hoffman and Ke Huy Quan, is up to snuff. The same can be said of Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack. Finally, I must admit I never knew I needed a Tenacious D cover of a Brittney Spears song, yet here we are. 

Some might say Kung Fu Panda 4 is only mediocre at best, but that makes it sting all the worse for how much its predecessors meant to me. I can only hope DreamWork’s next work won’t disappoint me as gravely as this.

Rating: 4.5/10