It has been nearly a decade since we have seen the legendary Dragon Warrior defend the valley of peace against awesome foes. Now with DreamWorks under the ownership of Universal, we will see how the new leadership treats one of the studio’s most well known franchises. We see Po on a quest to find a protégé who will eventually inherit his responsibilities while also facing off against enemies both new and old. 

So, was the eight year wait to return to the franchise worth it? Let’s find out.

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS. PLEASE CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN DIGRESSION.



After defending the Valley of Peace for years, Po is one day told by Master Shifu that he must choose an eventual successor for the title of Dragon Warrior as Po is set to become the eventual leader of the Valley as Master Oogway was. A young fox named Zhen sneaks into the Jade Palace to steal its treasures but is stopped by Po. 

After hearing that Tai Lung has returned, Zhen then tells Po about the new villain, The Chameleon, who has the power to shapeshift. Po agrees to let Zhen free if she takes him to the Chameleon. They set off to Juniper City and find themselves amongst Zhen’s former gang of thieves. They eventually make their way to Chameleon’s castle and Po is captured, revealing it was all a trick to get Po’s staff.



Chameleon wants Po’s staff to open a portal to the spirit realm and absorb all of the kung fu from the many masters there, including the villains of the previous three films. Chameleon’s motivations are that she was never allowed to do kung fu, so she became a sorceress and now seeks revenge on those she believes wronged her.

After escaping, Po confronts Zhen, who is now changed as she has grown to care for Po because he sees good in her. As Po ascends to face the Chameleon, Zhen gets her old gang of thieves to help battle Chameleon’s army of lizards. 



Po and Zhen battle Chameleon as she shapeshifts into multiple kung fu masters and using their skills. Eventually, Zhen uses Po’s staff to put a stop to her. Po then gives the masters back their kung fu, and Tai Lung finally accepts Po as the Dragon Warrior, and they all bow to him. Tai Lung takes the Chameleon with him to the spirit realm, ending her reign of terror.

Po then takes Zhen back with him to the Valley of Peace and decides to train them, which Master Shifu isn’t happy with. The film ends with Zhen being trained by the Furious Five, with more adventures awaiting them all.

Analysis:



While the film most definitely has the same stunning animation and high-paced action, the overall story has taken a bit of a step backward in terms of quality. The first three films were known not just for their action and comedy but also for deep character connections and story. While it does make a valiant attempt to emulate that same feeling, the lack of consistency with the previous films makes it feel like “the fourth one”; Which is a shame given the quality fans have come to expect. 

While initially worried about Zhen, she did become a decent character by the end of it. But in terms of her being trained to be the next Dragon Warrior, she feels like she hasn’t really earned that, especially when you look at characters like Tigress, who has more than earned her chance to accept such a title. And with the main villain, the Chameleon, she does have a cool design and very impressive powers but don’t expect a deep and tortured soul like the previous three big bads. 



One of the major selling points when this film was being hyped up was the return of past villains. While Tai Lung is featured and voiced once again by Ian McShane, his character only has about five minutes of total screen time, and the rest is simply the Chameleon in disguise. Neither Lord Shen or General Kai have any voice lines. It was purely a marketing tacit and not the reunion of villains we expected. It was a cool thought to see Tai Lung finally accept Po and potentially become a new Ally in a possible future film.

One of the biggest criticisms fans have with this new film is the glaring absence of the Furious Five. While the director explained that they weren’t able to fit them in due to how many new characters they introduced, many of those new characters had only a few lines or didn’t offer much in terms of relevance to the story. Imagine of Shrek 5 got rid of Donkey, Fiona, and Puss and replaced them with new side characters. It would feel off. 



One storyline that many of the fans have been asking and hoping for is some romance between Po and Tigress. This idea was almost in the third film but was ultimately left on the cutting room floor. Fans will most likely have to wait and see if this popular pairing eventually comes to fruition. 

Overall Rating: 6.5/10



While definitely a good movie, its biggest issue is that it isn’t a great movie. One that both children and adults can watch and feel like they’ve learned something enlightening. This is more of a filler story in trying to refamiliarize the audience with the franchise as they pursue more sequels. It is definitely worth watching at least once, but don’t expect the same deep storytelling from the first three.

Hopefully, the creative team will take the criticisms to heart and listen to what the fans want to see if the franchise is to continue. The franchise’s charm was in its ability to appeal to both children and adults, not just the easier-to-please demographic. A more compelling story and longer runtime is required. 

What did you think go Kung Fu Panda 4? What was your favorite part? What do you want to see in the next film? Let us know.