Rock Candy Reviews

Fun, but forgettable

As a person who heard about the big news, but stayed away from trailers, Kung Fu Panda 4, as well as the entire set of movies, did not disappoint. However, the most memorable thing about this latest film was the animation. The characters and plot were decent, but very predictable. This made for the rest of the elements in the movie to be unbalanced in comparison. I think this is because of the focus on the fight choreography and character designs.

The weight of the animation

The way each character moves and fights is handled very well, but it sometimes overshadows the story and motivations of said characters. (Spoilers ahead) For instance, our bad guy of the film can change shape, and every time she does, it looks amazing. You can see the change in almost all senses, but at what cost? The Chameleon’s gimmick shows off how the animators can play with weight, gravity, textures and more, but we don’t get much time with her main form. We don’t get a feel for her as a personality beyond her being power hungry and intimidating. Powers and abilities are fun, but they should enhance a character, not limit a character. Since she is so busy changing her form, the we never get to know her through anything other than different characters talking about her.

The story has been done better

Despite the characters being fun, this same story has been told better in the previous Kung Fu Panda movies. Po has already gone through arcs of finding out who he is at his core. This time, the only thing that is added is an admittedly botched message about trust and redemption. The plot of finding a successor for Po’s position could have been so much more hard hitting, but the film sacrifices this for comedy. If you think shows like Hazbin Hotel didn’t take the concept of trust and redemption seriously, this movie might legitimately make you angry. Main characters and background characters have little chemistry in terms of the overarching message of accepting change and passing on wisdom. (The absence of The Furious Five definitely didn’t help with this.)

Is it entertaining, though?

Even though I had many criticisms, none of these issues were enough to be offensive or condescending. The film’s energy was enough to be enjoyable.