Bear Luke, Campus Carrier photographer
Recently, the fourth installment in DreamWorks’ famous Kung Fu Panda (KFP) series was released to the public eye. KFP 4, while considered an enjoyable time by general audiences and fans, has also faced much criticism and ridicule from many other people, including hardcore fans of the series. I hold the first three movies in high esteem, with KFP 2 both being my favorite DreamWorks movie and one of my favorite movies of all time. While the 4th installment holds many faults, as a fan, it is still a commendable effort and a worthwhile installment within the franchise itself.
Character-wise, 4’s characters are strong, albeit lacking in some ways. Po, the main protagonist, is the same dorky and lovable self. He still exudes many of the same mannerisms and character traits that made him compelling to begin with, and his voice performance by Jack Black was stellar. Zhen, the other main protagonist of the film, is also quite likable. Her characterization is displayed very well in both her animation and voice acting. Her dichotomy with Po makes their scenes together both fun and believable.
Another topic to mention regarding characters is the lack of the Furious Five throughout the movie. Many people chalk it up to budget restraints and a desire not to pay the voice actors of the Five, and while this is true to an extent, the Furious Five’s exclusion is actually to the movies’ benefit in some ways. KFP 4 was more about the connection between Po and Zhen and Zhen’s succession into being the Dragon Warrior. This is why they are only seen at the end of the movie, as their inclusion highlights Zhen’s role and the future of KFP in universe.
The action present within KFP 4 is as enticing and rich as ever. The series has always been well-choreographed yet fast-paced, with every entry in the series having unique set pieces and fluent animation. From Po and Zhen’s first encounter, the restaurant fights atop a cliff, Tai Lung’s fight with Chameleon, to the climax, every fight feels fast and chaotic in an effective way. I do think the final fight is a bit rushed, however. Chameleon was defeated rather suddenly. With that said, the climax still has some creative action, and the rest of the film’s action more than makes up for it.
The themes of KFP 4 are probably the movie’s biggest complement, which is surprising to some, as many people felt the movie did not have much to say, unlike its contemporaries. I think KFP 4’s theme is more subtle, which is both positive and negative. It is positive in that it makes the characters feel more realized, as subtle moments of character growth are more accentuated by the themes. It is also, however, negative, as there are no standout moments that demonstrate the themes of the movie, unlike KFP 1 through 3. With that said, the theme of KFP 4 is change.
Po deals with change by having to relinquish his role of Dragon Warrior and ascend to the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. Zhen deals with change by being around Po and realizing her upbringing under Chameleon was toxic. Finally, Chameleon deals with change through her lack of desire to change. The three main characters of the film exemplify change, both due to a desire in oneself and due to the influence of others within one’s life.
With all that said, there is one element with KFP 4 that falls flat despite the movies’ best efforts, and it is what they do with Tai Lung, or rather, the previous villains shown within the movie. To establish Chameleon as a bigger threat, they downgrade both Shen and Kai to no speaking roles and to being defeated without any resistance. Tai Lung, on the other hand, is shown to be competent, like how he was in KFP 1. However, this shifts when he is undermined after being defeated and imprisoned. What they try to do is have Tai Lung accept Po as the true Dragon Warrior and have him change after seeing Po defend him and the rest of the spirits imprisoned by Chameleon. However, this goal does not feel earned, as it is representative of the movie’s biggest flaw, its pacing.
The reason I consider 4 to be the weakest KFP film, despite all my compliments shown, is that it feels rushed in many ways. The movie is constantly going, moving from scene to scene, without any breathing room. This pacing works well for the comedy and action, as it once again makes it feel fast and chaotic, however, it also hampers key moments within the story and characters. There was plenty of nuance to see within the movie, but that nuance is overturned by the lack of standout moments or scenes. This is why I believe that while KFP 4 is a good, even great movie, it is also the weakest KFP movie because its pacing is worse compared to the movies that came before.