Kung Fu Panda 4
By Sandie Angulo Chen,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Peril, some potty humor in Dragon Warrior buddy comedy.
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Kung Fu Panda 4
Community Reviews
Based on 15 parent reviews
Not funny, too scary
Fight Scenes Not Child-Friendly
What's the Story?
KUNG FU PANDA 4 begins with the presumed-dead tiger villain Tai Lung (voiced by Ian McShane) terrorizing a community of miners. Meanwhile, at the Jade Palace, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) informs Po (Jack Black) that Po has been selected as the new spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace and must quickly select and train his successor as Dragon Warrior. When Zhen (Awkwafina), a clever, scheming fox, arrives in the valley and tries to steal the Jade Palace's treasured weapons, Po and Shifu find out that a wicked sorceress, Chameleon (Viola Davis)—who can shape-shift into any kind of creature—poses a threat to the entire realm. Po helps release the imprisoned Zhen to help him confront Chameleon before she causes any more destruction. Along the way, Po sees Zhen's potential, even as she proves craftier than he realized.
Is It Any Good?
This beautifully animated fourth installment is funny and cute, but audiences will miss the Furious Five. The long gap between the release of this film and Kung Fu Panda 3 means that some of the details of the previous films might be a bit fuzzy. But that doesn't matter, because Po himself fills in the blanks for viewers who may have forgotten the giant panda's plot journey. (TL;DR: The Furious Five are each away on assignment.) Black and Awkwafina have a natural comedic chemistry based in a platonic "odd couple" dynamic. James Hong and Bryan Cranston are charming as Po's adoptive and biological dads, and, with her commanding voice, Davis is an ideal villain. Chameleon makes a variety of other animals cower with her shape-shifting abilities, even as she craves to summon the kung fu powers of departed master villains.
The script—by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, and Darren Lemke—relies too heavily on Awkwafina's sarcastic stylings, but it makes good use of contrasting Zhen's edgy, morally gray personality with Po's ethical, selfless character. The easy-to-follow plot should engage families of all ages, and the humor is little-kid friendly, with the requisite (if thankfully fairly infrequent) potty humor references to butts and farts. It's too bad there's not more about the Dragon-Warrior-to-spiritual-leader transition, but it's clear that this is a franchise that could still keep going.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Kung Fu Panda 4 compares to the earlier movies in the series. Which of the movies do you like most, and why?
Discuss the buddy-comedy aspects of this installment. What do you think of Zhen as Po's sidekick?
Which characters demonstrate courage, integrity, and teamwork? Why are these important character strengths?
What makes a family? How does Kung Fu Panda 4 address the idea of biological and adopted families?
How have Po and other recurring characters changed over the Kung Fu Panda movies?
Movie Details
- In theaters: March 8, 2024
- On DVD or streaming: April 9, 2024
- Cast: Jack Black , Awkwafina , Viola Davis
- Directors: Mike Mitchell , Stephanie Stine
- Inclusion Information: Female directors, Female actors, Asian actors, Black actors
- Studio: Universal Pictures
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Sports and Martial Arts
- Character Strengths: Courage , Integrity , Teamwork
- Run time: 94 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: martial arts action/mild violence, scary images and some mild rude humor
- Last updated: June 22, 2024
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