Mar 7, 2024

Kung Fu Panda 4? Review Roundup: Critics Divided on DreamWorks' Latest

Universal Pictures will release the fourth DreamWorks theatrical version of "Kung Fu Panda" this weekend.

Directed by Mike Mitchell and co-directed by Stephanie Ma Stein, "Kung Fu Panda 4" takes place eight years after "Kung Fu Panda 3."

In the new film, the franchise's protagonist Po, also known as the Dragon Warrior, is tasked with taking over as the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace. As part of the transition, he must find a new warrior to take up the mantle of the Dragon Warrior. Complicating the situation is that a new shapeshifting villain known as the Chameleon has begun to terrorize the area in an attempt to gain access to Poe's staff of wisdom.

Criticism of Kung Fu Panda 4 is all over the place. Some critics rave about the story, sense of humor, and animation, while others say the latest installment in the franchise regresses in almost every department. After reading more than a dozen reviews, my impression is that hardcore fans of the previous three films will enjoy this one just fine, but casual fans and those who are not yet invested in the franchise may be disappointed. [The Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck summed up the film's complex appeal when he wrote:

The humor this time around doesn't seem as broad as usual, with hilarious visual gags like carefully following a jade shop, or when no one notices him in Juniper City and Poe asks, "Is my adventure that regional ......?" Most of the low-key laughs come from throwaway lines, such as when Poe asks, "Are my adventures so regional? Many gags are either derivative or homages, depending on your point of view, such as the evil Killer Bunny, which recalls "Monty Python and the Holy Grail. But that doesn't mean they aren't funny. It's worth waiting for the end credits just to hear the wonderful Tenacious D cover version of Britney Spears' "Baby One More Time."

Indiewire's Wilson Chapman says the film meets the high standards set by the franchise's previous films:

Kung Fu Panda films have always excelled based on style rather than story. Kung Fu Panda 4 continues that legacy in fine style. Director Mike Mitchell and co-director Stephanie Ma Stein, making their debut with the franchise, effectively stage a series of acrobatic, martial arts-style confrontations with inventive combat and satisfying weight. The film's animation is consistently gorgeous and its visually inventive locations (a tavern on a precarious rock ledge where enslaved rabbits work) and characters (an arowana fish pirate living in a pelican's mouth, voiced by Ronnie Chen) are diverse.

IGN's Emma Stefanski hoped the film would show more and tell less:

Director Mike Mitchell has a proven track record in animation, but the director of "Trolls" and "The Lego Movie 2," who first worked in the world of "Kung Fu Panda" has worked on the series, and his take, along with co-director Stephanie Ma Stein, seems to be meant to take the series in a new direction. Kung Fu Panda 3 felt like the conclusion of a trilogy, so the film's focus on succession and progress is intentional. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it feels like fan fiction, as if the characters are just telling us what "Kung Fu Panda 4" is about. Still, it never feels like it's trying too hard to pull the audience back in or convince them that this film is the same as other films they already love. And by the end, you'll be craving a big bowl of dumplings, just as you did the first three times you met Poe.

Courtney Howard, a contributor to AV Club, objected to the film's animation:

Unfortunately, even the animation is a step down, failing to deliver the breathtakingly detailed and textured aesthetic that has dazzled and bewildered these films in the past. Gone are the lush, tactile images that made each frame feel like a painting, and in their place are the workmanlike creations. Unlike the second film, which incorporated a variety of visual styles, including 2D and molded silhouettes, to advance character and story development, Kung Fu Panda 4 uses a split-screen, cartoon-like style. The immersive fun is there.

Variety's Owen Gleiberman is unimpressed with the film's action set pieces, which are ill-suited to a kung fu film, and writes that it fails to take advantage of the flexibility that animation offers:

Jack Black's voice, even 16 years later in "Po," has an old, wise His voice is full of the coquettish exuberance of youth, not an aura of old age and wisdom. One would also wish the film had better jokes. Mitchell, who co-directs the film with Stephanie Stein, doesn't direct the surreal, free-form action as well as the animation. Poe does a passable job, but I'm sorry to say, it's not sharp.