After eight years, DreamWorks has finally released “Kung Fu Panda 4,” the latest of the planned six movie series. The film released on Friday, March 8 to impressive financial success. While the movie was received more lukewarmly than others in the series, most still found it to be an overall charming and funny watching experience.
“Kung Fu Panda 4”’s plot revolves around the struggle of Po, a panda played by Jack Black who is the main character of the series, to give up the role of Dragon Warrior to become spiritual leader. He tries to avoid this by going on an adventure to defeat his new foe, the Chameleon, who has the ability to look like anyone, including Po’s former enemies. He enlists the help of the outlaw Zhen, a fox who knows the whereabouts of the Chameleon. Po’s fathers Ping and Lee, worried about their son, follow him to catch the Chameleon.
The movie had the highest grossing opening weekend of the franchise since the first “Kung Fu Panda,” grossing $58.3 million. While the movie was successful financially, critic reviews were more mixed. The film currently has a score of 6.7 out of 10 on IMDB and a 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, both of those scores being the lowest that the franchise has received. The movie has received criticism for not adding anything new to the franchise, weak pacing and seemingly retreading the same themes as “Kung Fu Panda 3.” Many fans were also disappointed by the lack of the Furious Five, main characters from the previous films that served as Po’s allies and mentors, who were completely absent until the movie’s credits. Stakes also felt lower to many because the Chameleon did not come off as threatening. Many people pointed out that until the final battle, the most threatening thing that she had done was push someone down a flight of stairs. While the movie was not as loved by critics as its predecessors, it is still praised for its animation and humor.
“Kung Fu Panda 4” is the newest movie in DreamWorks’s growing losing streak. Since the release of the critically acclaimed “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” Dreamworks has released four movies, each of which had little to no marketing and released to lackluster critic reviews or box office earnings. With new movies on the horizon, including the long awaited “Shrek 5,” Dreamworks must figure out how to return to their previous form or risk falling apart.
Although for many it did not live up to expectations, most still found that “Kung Fu Panda 4” was an enjoyable watch. Dreamworks will need to improve their marketing strategies and quality to be able to last, but for now they will be able to ride off of the financial success of “Kung Fu Panda 4.”
