KUNG FU PANDA 3 – The Review

In the mostly satisfying second sequel to the charming 2008 hit, Po the panda (voice of Jack Black) returns in pursuit of food, inner peace, family reconnections, and more food. KUNG FU PANDA 3 opens with wise old turtle Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) attacked and defeated by centuries-old nemesis Kai (J.K. Simmons), a sword-wielding bull. Kai has crushed many martial arts legends and swiped their chi (mojo), which he keeps in jade ornaments and uses to raise his mighty zombie army. Kai turns his attention to Po, whose fate it is, he has learned, to conquer him. But Po has just reconnected with his long-lost father Li (Bryan Cranston), and finally met more of his species, including a potential love interest in the form of Mei Mei (Kate Hudson). Aware he must harness his own chi to defeat Kai, Po and his pop take refuge in a secret mountainside village where their kind have gathered after the panda extermination detailed in the previous film, to prepare for battle with Kai and his evil minions.

Much of the freshness and novelty that made the original film such a kick is lacking in KUNG FU PANDA 3, but kids who enjoyed the first two installments of Po’s saga aren’t likely to complain. It’s entertaining enough but feels too familiar and a bit overstuffed. The three new major characters are fun additions but they crowd out the screen time of the fighting team of Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Monkey (Jackie Chan), and Crane (David Cross) as well as Po’s adoptive dad, the dumpling-cooking goose Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) who all return. Despite their obvious importance to Po’s success as a fighter, these characters are pushed too far to the background, so as not to take the spotlight away from our hero’s bonding with his father. Many of the jokes are retreads (Po’s clumsy at martial arts – but boy he sure loves to eat!), and the subplot about Po reconnecting with his long-lost dad is so simplistically sentimental that it’s more patronizing than heartening.  This new villain Kai is formidable enough but his brutish design and attitude don’t seem to fit the KUNG FU PANDA universe, looking more like he wandered in from the upcoming Warcraft movie. The quality of Dreamwork’s animation is top-notch (as expected), the 3-D effects are well-integrated instead of superfluous, and Jack Black charms the audience with enough one-liners, but it loses a couple of points for a narrative that overstretches by at least 15 minutes. Kids may love it and parents won’t be terribly bored but unlike the TOY STORY series that added real depth and heart to each sequel, KUNG FU PANDA 3 is more of the same.

3 of 5 Stars