Kung Fu Panda 4

You can REALLY feel the writers and actors strike with this one. It wasnt *terrible,* but it was just really lame and a major step down from all the previous KFP movies. Yes, even the third one. Not as much of a step down as megamind 2 mind you, but its definitely there. Firstly they ditched a lot of the voice actors from the original series, and so what they did was they either shoehorned them out of the story with some lame excuse, or just not gave them lines and just had them appear silent. The emotional depth is there, but again, its just a step down from what we've grown to expect from kung fu panda. The movie has a lot of filler and pointless subplots, po is reduced to a whiny baby in the first 10 minutes of the movie, the pacing is off, and the villain, OH MAN the villain was weak. Again, not the worst thing in the world, but her motives were purely contradictory from things that were established in the movies universe, shes never portrayed as a real threat. (remember back in KFP 2 when it was stated that lord shen literally killed a king fu master early on? The worst thing the chameleon does in this movie is push a guy down a flight of stairs. Oh no.) the action was there i guess, it had some creative and somewhat exciting action scenes, the animation was pretty good overall, especially with the chameleons morphs (Probably just because there isnt an "animators strike" going on as well) its definitely kung fu panda, but it just feels like they forgot a couple ingredients for the stew, so to speak. It just ended up being a step down from what we were expecting. Not terrible, just disappointing.

After many years, '' Kung Fu Panda Four '' returns with Po 'maturing' and ready for new adventures.

First of all, I did find this movie better than the third one. It was nice to see the old villains back (which makes this movie difficult to watch if you haven't watched the previous ones, as many of the jokes and the charms of the movie will be lost), and there were enough funny moments to keep things light.

And, sure, the plot of the movie was predictable, but it was, overall, enjoyable, and the characters lovable, even the new ones. The villain was interesting, moreover, but too basic in the end.

This movie did not respect the background of the previous ones or the development of the characters, everything is very predictable and basic. Comedy is getting worse and worse; even if I prefer the humor of the first two movies, the third managed to get some laughs out of me, this one didn't. I wish the directors understood that what made the first two films successful was how deep the story was and how well the characters were developed, something that was lost in this one. Yes, it's a movie for kids, but the previous ones were also and they still managed to touch on dark themes and be enjoyable for adults; I'm currently 22 years old and I never got tired of watching Kung Fu Panda 2, laughing, crying and getting emotional like when I was 11. But this one is just forgettable.

Gorgeous visuals, fun combats, and lots of variety in characters; I feel children, especially those who belong to the age bracket of 5-10, will have a great time with it.

However, teenagers or matured adults may have reservations about the film, particularly those who have grown up with this series and hold the franchise in high regard. They would notice the diminishing charm, the losing essence, and the fading magic of the storytelling that was once prominent but now are gone.

The franchise has regrettably become a cash-cow, which serves nothing but one lone purpose: to mint money for the studio and their executives. I think they should stop now!

For me removing the most important aspect of the Trilogy felt out of place, removing the Furious 5 did not work in my opinion. They were so Important for Po and his development. And also everything is breezed past with brisk pacing and not enough depth for the Villains story. The First film is among the BEST in Dreamworks History, Number 2 closely follows. And Number 3 was good to a certain extent. So Let's review "Kung Fu Panda 4".

The first thing which I think is a flaw and doesn't suit the rest of the films, was the fact that Po couldn't be the leader as he had to choose someone else. The problem with this is, their was no reason for that to happen and it does come out of nowhere. That's a big part that didn't work for me. Now I am not the biggest fan of the Films but I do enjoy them, and I won't pretend like I do know alot, but for me removing the two most important components that worked heavily in Numbers 1 and 2, and again 3 to a certain extent just feels forced.

The Villain was a shape-shifting Camillion, and it's stated that she wasn't taught Kung Fu, and that's how she has become a Villain. For me, the Villains are much more characterised and developed in the Trilogy, where as the 4th parter with the Villain falls flat on it's heels and doesn't stick the landing. I like how she can change into anything, which does add the stakes. Which is a Swing and a hit, I must say. But they don't do much with it, aside from the fact she turns and fights, that's all.

But I will give this film some credit as it does deserves some praise, I like the performances. Jack Black is still the charismatic and charming Po he always was. And Awkinfewa Is a nice audition, she's great as the hopping and bouncy Bunny, which does suite her personality well. I like some of the set-pieces they put her through and Po, as they feel very creative and some inventive ideas are at play. I did Chuckle and I was Entertained too.

Another thing is the artsy animation style, it's very creative and I love the sets for the film, For me it works, and they even had a nice beutiful looking sunset. So the effects are a hit. The other things are a miss, in terms of story and story progression. As the movie is quicker then an aeroplane where nothing is developed and we are here for the journey. Which can be good and Bad.

I did like the action and the set-pieces, very well choreographed and animated. So whilst Number 4 can be a Swing and goes high, It also is a miss in the franchise. So here's my rating of all 4 Films, Kung Fu Panda-7.5/10, Kung Fu Panda 2-7/10, Kung Fu Panda 3-6.5/10 and lastly Number 4 which gets a solid 6. Now time for the Verdict.

Would I recommend this Film?

As a Family Movie. Yes. Any other reasons, No. Franchise Ranking as a whole 27/40 Not Bad at all!