When I heard that Kung Fu Panda 4 was out, I thought to myself, indeed, a hero never gets to enjoy a good nap because adversaries are always lurking, ready to strike.
In this installment, Po faces a new rival, an evil shapeshifter sorceress named the Chameleon, voiced by Viola Davis, from "Woman King." His mission is to defeat her, restore peace to the Valley of Peace, and prevent her from stealing the powers of the deceased masters.
He is also instructed by Master Shifu to choose a successor, but Po isn't ready to step down yet, believing he's still capable of being the Dragon Warrior. None of the auditioning candidates seemed suitable until he encountered Zhen, a fox bandit attempting to steal from the Jade Palace.
Zhen, in return for being freed from prison after being caught trying to steal, leads Po to Juniper City where he'd find the Chameleon and take her down.
When they reach the Chameleon’s lair, Po is trapped in a cage that's difficult to break because it's bound by a powerful spell. Trusting Zhen to help him out of the cage, Po hands over his Staff of Wisdom to Zhen and instructs her to use it to lift the cage.
However, Zhen betrays Po by giving the Staff of Wisdom to the Chameleon. It becomes clear to Po that Zhen was an agent used by the Chameleon to obtain the staff, which is the key to accessing the spirit realm. With the Staff of Wisdom now in the Chameleon's possession, she summons all the masters from the spirit realm and, with sorcery, steals Kung Fu skills from each one of them.
Zhen, realizing she's been nothing but a pawn to the Chameleon, turns a new leaf and sides with Po.
Will they succeed, even though the sorceress has absorbed almost all of the Kung Fu skills from the past masters?
You really should check out the film to find out the answer if you haven't yet.
One thing I enjoy so much about this film and its sequels is the humor. Despite facing tough situations, Po and other characters like his parents, who went after him just to make sure he was fine, come up with great humor that keeps viewers entertained.
I also enjoyed the fighting skills and the suspense.
The cinematography and soundtrack are top-notch. Among all the Kung Fu installments I've seen, I enjoyed this one the most, despite the bittersweet revelation that Po would transition from being the Dragon Warrior to a spiritual leader. From the beginning, Po seemed unprepared for this role, but towards the end, he embraces it, albeit in a somewhat cheesy manner.
I'd rate it a solid 4.5/5. It was definitely worth the watch, and I'm anticipating another installment. I hope DreamWorks Animation comes up with something more interesting. If that happens, we'll be seeing more of the new warrior.
Images are screenshots.
