Kung Fu Panda 4 is an animated martials arts comedy film released on March 8th, 2024. This is the fourth installment of the Kung Fu Panda series, and stars famous actors such as Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, and James Hong. For the rush of childhood nostalgia and the new journey and exploration of Po’s world, I rate this movie an eight out of ten.
The main character is a kung-fu-fighting panda named Po, voiced by Jack Black. The movie’s plot is about Po leaving his leader position as the Dragon Warrior to protect his village. Although Po is not ready to let that go, his karate master Shifu pushes him to fulfill his destiny to become a spiritual leader. This movie indulges Po’s journey of finding and preparing the new Dragon Warrior to replace him. At the same time, Po is encountered with a new villain called the “Chameleon” who can shapeshift into any kung fu master, and in this movie, she plans to gain all the powers of the kung fu masters.
Students will enjoy seeing their favorite characters like Po on a new and thrilling adventure to relive the sense of watching the childhood series. The movie also includes flashbacks and themes of the original films that remind people of why they loved the series in the first place.
The second element that made me rate the movie an eight out of ten is the new exploration of Po’s world. Viewers get to see more about the Kung Fu Panda world since Po’s adventure takes him to new villages and places. New characters such as Zhen and Chameleon are introduced, including the new dragon warrior. As the movie’s final scene approached, the movie wrapped up with a key moment that you just have to see for yourself.
Adilenne Flores (’24) states, “I loved the movie and I was aware of the new movie’s release since I was looking forward to what the movie has to offer as the last movie ended off at where Po met his family. The plot is of importance to me overall.”
Overall, students should watch this movie because it continues the legacy of the Kung Fu Panda movies, and will bring many wholesome memories back to viewers. I recommend anyone fourteen and above to re-watch the original movie and its sequels, and then watch this again if they’d like to go down memory lane. I also recommend this movie to any students who have never watched this franchise before because who doesn’t like to see a Panda kicking butt and eating dumplings?
