I'm sure many have not watched the first three, or if you have, it's been so long that you may not even remember them. This is OK, as they are not required to view this new installment. So no need to try to watch all three before you watch this one. Actually, you may have more questions than answers if you end up doing that.
It is nicely explained where the original characters are and what happens to them. So that is a nice thing this movie has going for it.
After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior (Jack Black), is called upon by destiny to … give it a rest already. More specifically, he’s tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.
That poses a couple of obvious problems. First, Po knows as much about spiritual leadership as he does about the paleo diet, and second, he needs to quickly find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can assume his new lofty position. Even worse, there’s been a recent sighting of a wicked, powerful sorceress, Chameleon (Viola Davis), a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creature, large or small. And Chameleon has her greedy, beady little eyes on Po’s Staff of Wisdom, which would give her the power to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm.
The story line for the movie seems pretty basic. Nothing too exciting or new for the audience to grab onto. It seems like a basic bad guy versus a good guy, and the new one being trained to be a good guys. While there are a few twists and turns that you don't see coming. The twists just make the story line even more basic.
The twists do help you stay in tune with what is going on, and into the movie to watch what happens next.
Humor is one thing this movie has going for itself. While yes, the kids will enjoy it, if there's no humor for the parents to enjoy, then it will be a long nap for the adults. Luckily, because of Jack Black and Awkwafina being so funny together, it helps move this movie along and keeps you just entertained enough to stay awake and enjoy the movie.
This is a good family movie for the kids to watch and the parents to chuckle at. This is one that the kids may not watch over and over again though.
Make sure you stay through the credits for a nice little surprise for those that saw the original three. If you haven't watched it, it's OK, you'll still enjoy the surprise.
KUNG FU PANDA 4 is in Theaters on Friday, March 8th, 2024.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5
Billy Joynt (Editor) - Billy has seen many movies over the years. He enjoys comedies and anything action, including the summer blockbuster movies. You can follow Billy on Twitter here.Click Here to check out Billy's Articles.