Ephemeris of the Mind (Film Review) Kung Fu Panda 4
Time to read: 2 min read
Movie Poster
Now, who wants to do the right thing for the wrong reasons?
Previous Kung Fu Panda film reviews:
Review
Po (Jack Black) returns and this time Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) asks for him to pass on his mantle of Dragon Warrior to a successor. This film deals with Po struggling to let go of his role as the Dragon Warrior and at the same time dealing with a new villain: The Chameleon (Viola Davis), a sorceress who can copy someone’s shape and kung fu.
Honestly, this film probably shouldn’t have been made; the trilogy crowned off Po’s story well and the plot of this film feels very unnecessary. The Chameleon is basically General Kai from the last movie but less developed and not as entertaining. The story is predictable and one can see the plot twists from miles away. The film also doesn’t have the Furious Five but does have the slapstick Mr. Ping (James Hong) and Li Shan (Bryan Cranston), Po’s two dads (probably the film’s way of portraying a gay couple but still passing censors). I was worried that Awkwafina’s Zhen would be annoying, but surprisingly, her role is pretty decent. The new characters such as Han (Ke Huy Quan) and Captain Fish (Ronny Chieng) were fun as well. The lack of meaning or tension breaks the film, though.
Conclusion
A cash cow at this point.