Here’s the premise: Po is gearing up to become the spiritual leader of his Valley of Peace, but also needs someone to take his place as Dragon Warrior. As such, he will train a new kung fu practitioner for the spot and will encounter a villain called the Chameleon who conjures villains from the past.
I have loved this series from the beginning, Jack Black was made to play Po and hits it out of the park every time. Most everything in the latest fi;m is perfect, I did however, miss the furious five and wish that they would have been a part of the entire film but it did not ruin the movie in the least.
In this installment, the focus is on Po and his next step he must take, but he still clings to being the warrior he has become. While the furious five were missing, we still got the awesome Dustin Hoffman as the reluctant leader Shifu, and he and Black’s interactions make for some of the best comedy in the film. New to the film is Viola Davis as the Chameleon, the villain of the film and Awkwafina as the new understudy for Po, Zhen. I love the interactions between Po and the Chameleon and Po with Zhen.
Normally a film in it’s fourth movie, goes a little sour; there are a handful of exceptions, and Kung Fu Panda is one of them. It ages well, and it is not stall at all; in fact, the story keeps moving itself along like life should.
As I always do for kid;s films, I look at how kids and adults would like the movie and in this case, fun will be had by all, no matter the age.
I highly recommend Kung Fu Panda 4, take your kids and have a blast…Skadoosh!!!
Russell Lockhart
