Skip to main content

A Review of “Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)”

 

image

I love the Kung Fu Panda trilogy! The 3rd movie felt like a nice wrap-up for the series. However, modern movie studios just can’t give up on milking a franchise. Now we have a 4th entry in the series. Is this movie justified, or is it just another cash grab?

image

Jack Black is still great as Po. He still hasn’t lost his charm and continues to deliver a hilarious and charismatic, vocal performance. I also love that his character Po is still a badass dragon warrior. He is always the most skilled fighter in the room and I am glad they didn’t make him weaker for the sake of it. Awkwafina is again voicing another sidekick character. She is fine but that is mostly because her character isn’t written to be unbearable and that makes Awkwafina bearable. Their characters do have a fun buddy dynamic throughout. Speaking of buddy dynamics, it was nice to see James Hong and Bryan Cranston return as Ping the Geese and Shan the Panda again. Po’s fathers have their own, fun mini-adventure in the movie.

image

The animation is beautiful. Not to the extent of other dreamwork animated movies such as How to Train Your Dragon or Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. However, it looks very appealing for the most part. The action scenes are still very entertaining with its well choreographed Kung-fu scenes. It was also nice to see Ian McShane return as Tai Lung even though it was clearly done for nostalgia bait.

image

Unfortunately, the story is predictable and boring. Po is required by Master Shifu to pick the next Dragon Warrior but Po doesn’t want to and wants to remain the Dragon Warrior. This idea in itself, can be very interesting as he could potentially have to choose between his friends, The Furious Five. Sadly, they are not even in this movie so instead we get a new character in Zhen played by Awkwafina. Oh wow, I wonder who Po will pick…

image

Po and his dynamic with The Furious Five have always been a highlight but removing that, makes this less interesting. The villain, The Chameleon, is also extremely underwhelming. She can steal the Kung-Fu of martial artists, including previous movie villains. Her motives are weak and her presence is just not menacing enough. They try to say throughout that Po might finally meet his match but they don’t do a good job of convincing us that this is true. If anything, the big final battle feels like the easiest fight that Po has ever had so far. How is The Chameleon a threat if the Furious Five weren’t even needed?! Ke Huy Quan is also in the movie but his character has no depth at all so it feels like a glorified cameo. Additionally, many of the jokes didn’t land. I hate that they leave awkward pauses cause they clearly thought we the audience would laugh.

image

Overall, this 4th movie had no reason to exist. The story is not meaningful enough to justify its existence. This will be the start of the second trilogy but the ending itself doesn’t do much to make me interested in more. The ending is a fine ending to wrap up the series (again). Hopefully, the 5th entry is a lot better and this time, make sure The Furious Five are actually in the movie!


 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A “QUICK!” Review of “Heart Eyes (2025)”

  Heart Eyes has the makings of a really cool modern slasher character. The killer’s design is pretty cool, and the concept of killing couples on Valentine’s Day is a novel idea. The movie even starts off well with some creative kills. However, the movie goes downhill from there. It turns into an incredibly corny romcom—the dialogue is sappy, and the characters feel cartoonish. The movie then whiplashes between romance and horror, as if suddenly remembering there’s a killer on the loose. At one point, in the middle of a chase, the characters start opening up to each other—which was definitely not the time. Meanwhile, the killer becomes increasingly incompetent, failing to take out the main characters. The comedy doesn’t land, the romance is bland, but the kills are at least enjoyable. Just don’t go into this expecting a full-on slasher horror movie.    
Post a Comment
Read more

A “QUICK!” Review of “Last Breath (2025)”

  Last Breath is a thrilling, anxiety-inducing telling of the true story of the 2012 saturation diving accident. The director, Alex Parkinson, is notable for co-directing the documentary film of the same name. This benefits the movie, as the events feel highly believable—Parkinson sticks to the facts rather than over-dramatizing them. Character actions and dialogue remain relatively grounded, reflecting the director’s commitment to honouring the real-life individuals involved. His inclusion of a timer is a great addition, elevating the tension. However, the film’s short runtime results in a lack of depth. We barely get to know the characters enough to care about them before they begin the dive. Additionally, the ending feels rushed, with constant time jumps after the dive. I wish the film had explored more of what happened immediately after the dive. Overall, Last Breath remains a very entertaining movie that respectfully represents the true story.
Post a Comment
Read more

A “QUICK!” Review of “The Prosecutor (2024)”

  The Prosecutor is an interesting film, as it’s actually a legal-focused thriller first and foremost, with the martial arts action coming second. I found this blend of genres to work surprisingly well, and I give Donnie props for trying something different. The movie features a phenomenal opening action sequence and an incredible climactic one too. When it comes to the action scenes, you definitely won’t be disappointed. However, the legal aspect—which makes up the majority of the film—is unfortunately a bit lacklustre and predictable. I wish the courtroom scenes had explored more of the complexities of the justice system and delivered more intense drama. It didn’t help that the villain was incredibly one-dimensional. Still, it’s an entertaining action movie overall, and this film does show that Donnie knows how to handle action.
Post a Comment
Read more