Does the panda still have the punch? A Kung Fu Panda 4 review

You have seen the rotund panda fight a snow leopard, a peacock and a yak, but will a chameleon be the creature to stop the dragon warrior?

After years of tranquility at the Valley of Peace, Master Shifu wants Po to rise higher and take the role as the spiritual leader of the Valley. As part of this, Po needs to choose a new Dragon Warrior. The incumbent feels there is still some fight left in him and doesn’t chose a warrior from amongst a group of impressive candidates. When the villagers report that Tailung is back to terrorize the inhabitants, this is the excuse that Po needs.

Helped by a thief Zhen, Po journeys to Juniper City to find the Chameleon. Little does he know that the chameleon is looking to get his spirit wand and open a portal to the sprit realm and absorb the kung-fu powers of villains past. This way the shape-shifter can become a complete kung-fu master both in appearance and spirit. The panda faces the combined might of all the masters past. Can he defeat them all?

Spoiler Alert! Of course, he does – in his inimitable style and with the help of unexpected allies.

Inspite of being the fourth film in the series (and a bunch of TV seasons on streaming platforms), the writers have kept the story fresh and interesting. The story has some unexpected twists and turns that keep the pace interesting. The funny lines deliver the laughs (notable being the scenes where Po tries to give advise as a spiritual leader). Animation is decent, as expected from the studio. Though, I think it is come to a point where all studios have very similar looking characters. Remove the police uniforms from the animals in Zootopia, you could fit them in Kung Fu Panda.

Given the ending (no spoilers here), this might seem to be a logical end to the franchise. Even the Furious Five don’t have a speaking role in the movie and appear on screen in a training montage. If you do stay on for the credits, you will be treated to Jack Black singing Britney Spears’ chart topper – Hit Me Baby One More Time. While you do a YouTube search to hear that, I must meditate. “Inner Peace. Inner Peace. Reviews Please”. Aargh! My thoughts are directing me to complete the unfinished drafts I have. Until next time.