In brief: Po, the hero panda, has to give up being Dragon Warrior just as a new threat surfaces. With a new sidekick along for the ride, Po will see if he can defeat a shapeshifting sorceress with stolen skills.
Dragon Warrior Po (Jack Black) has reached a crossroads. Per his master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), it is time for him to appoint a new Dragon Warrior, so that Po can become the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace. After all, Shifu reminds him, long-gone Master Oogway gave him the Staff of Wisdom for that reason. Po resists, wanting only to keep having adventures and kick bad guys’ butts. And when the chance comes to take on an all-new villain, well… how can he say no?
In KUNG FU PANDA 4, Po investigates an attack on an iron mine, followed by a thief breaking into the Jade Palace. The thief turns out to be a silver fox named Zhen (Awkwafina), who is as much a motormouth as Po. And yet, she seems to know something about the mysterious figure who attacked the mine.
Intrigued, Po chooses to set her free and follow her on a journey to the villain’s lair—even though his two dads, goose chef Mr. Ping (James Hong) and panda Li (Bryan Cranston), are against him going. Making their way toward Zhen’s home city, Po and Zhen have an encounter with a pack of outlaws at the Happy Bunny Tavern, before securing passage on a boat owned by Captain Fish (Ronny Chieng).
They cross to the city, which is dominated by the sorcery-wielding Chameleon (Viola Davis). She has the crime bosses under her thumb, demanding excessive tribute while pursuing a scheme of her own. All the pieces are falling into place, awaiting only the pending rise of the blood moon to fulfill her ambitions. But she is a villain unlike any Po has faced before. Winning this time won’t be a quick and easy “skadoosh.”
The theme of the movie is evolution. It’s time for Po to take the next step, but he doesn’t want to do it; he’s happy as the Dragon Warrior and doesn’t feel he’s qualified to be a spiritual leader. His unwillingness to change contrasts with Chameleon, who is always shapeshifting but hasn’t grown in her ambitions or goals in what seems like a long time. Po’s biggest strengths become weaknesses this time around, forcing the giant panda to set aside what he wants in favor of what the valley needs.
Jack Black brings his customary energy and enthusiasm to the role of Po, delivering as much passion for the guy in this outing as he did the first time around. Awkwafina is a great addition to the canon as Zhen, a fox whose hard upbringing taught her some of the wrong lessons, while James Hong and Bryan Cranston are a terrific comedy duo as the two dads who ride to Po’s rescue.
Davis also delivers as a new and highly capable villain for Po, with Chameleon’s plan giving the Dragon Warrior a nearly impossible challenge to overcome.
Original writers Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, joined by Darren Lemke, bring the story home, with direction from newcomer Mike Mitchell.
This could be a strong close to the Kung Fu Panda story—or it might be the start of something entirely new. Only time (and box office returns) will tell.
And the kids will love it.
B.
RIOTUS 