Kung Fu Panda 3

Within the past few years, Dreamworks animation has managed to improve itself, after the period of time where they’ve had some duds. Part of that bounce back came from the release of their 2008 film, “Kung Fu Panda.” The original film featured a panda named Po, who runs a noodle shop with his dad (a goose) but aspires to be a kung fu master. That chance comes to him, when the criminal Tai Lung escapes, and Po is chosen by Master Oogway to be the Dragon Warrior to fend him off. What seemed like a silly concept, turned out to be a very entertaining coming of age story, with a lot of it working to its advantage. The characters were really likable and got a moment to shine, the action scenes were awesome, and the animation was at the time the best we had seen from Dreamworks…that is, until “How to Train Your Dragon.”

“Kung Fu Panda 2” was a massive improvement. The animation was better, the new villain was both funny and menacing, and it felt like a true continuation of the story. We see these characters evolve from what they learned and how they’ve grown attached since then. One of the major elements that stuck with people the best was that of Po’s backstory, which left a majority of people teary-eyed. If a film is strong enough to hit you at that kind of emotional level, that’s pretty impressive. With the praise it was at, it took its place as the best sequel that Dreamworks produced…that is, until again, “How to Train Your Dragon 2”…starting to see a pattern here.

After the success of the second film, along with the ending of it giving a hint at another one, “Kung Fu Panda 3” went into production. It was originally planned to come out during the holiday season, but because of the presale tickets of “The Force Awakens,” Dreamworks pushed the release date to a month later, just so it could make some sort of profit. And considering January is the dumping ground for movies, it gives it that kind of advantage.

“Kung Fu Panda 3” features the return of Kai, the former ally of Master Oogway, set to rule the lands and erase Oogway’s legacy completely. It’s then that Po must learn the art of chi from his long lost father and the hidden panda village, if he’s to defeat Kai and save the land.

So what did I think of “Kung Fu Panda 3?” Exactly as I was hoping for, in the best possible way! And I’d say it’s the first and best third film in any of their franchises (“Shrek the Third” and “Madagascar 3” sucked).

The animation is gorgeous to look at, easily the best of the entire trilogy. It’s quick, fast paced, and stylized like it was something out of “Samurai Jack,” but still stands out as its own thing. The strongest aspect that Dreamworks has with their animated films is how they animate their action scenes, and this film is one of the many examples that showcase that. I also love how there’s a specific color put to each of the films, with the first film having a yellow feel to it, the second film with red, and this one being green. It makes sense, since the third film takes place at a mountain top with lots of grass and the villain having jade abilities.

With the story focusing on Po getting used to the panda culture, the chemistry between him and his father, Li, is nicely put. You grow to like the two bonding together, whether it’d be for shenanigans or catching up on old times, and it’s made believable by the performances the two give. Over the span of three films, Jack Black has made the character of Po his. The tone he brings in sections when he’s geeking out about former masters, showing his moves off, or taunting his enemies, all have very good timing and still keep in touch with the character. He’s gone from being a simple fanboy, to a warrior that has conquered odds unlike any other. Even when he may seem unprepared for what’s to come, he’s confident enough to not go down without a fight and will try anything to win. Bryan Cranston as Li was also a delightful approach, having the same kind of qualities Po has, but one that was off in another direction. Instead of being a panda obsessed with action, he’s a coward, worried about the safety of his people, not wanting to see any kind of negativity come about them. And with the film being about Po becoming a teacher, he takes the progression he’s learned and applies it to his father in the film. I think that’s a pretty good moral to teach to kids, if you ask me.

The villain, Kai, is very enjoyable to watch, and part of that may come the voicing of J.K. Simmons. He adds this sense of annoyance whenever he tries to add reassurance about himself, and each inflection of his lines always makes you giggle. But he balances that out with a good deal of intimidation, especially during the climax.

Returning cast members like Lucy Liu, Jackie Chan, David Cross, Seth Rogen, and Angelina Jolie as the Fearsome Five have always done the job right; Dustin Hoffman and Randall Duk Kim as Shifu and Oogway do brilliantly well; and even James Hong as Mr. Ping managed to bring more humor to the film than ever, even with a quick innuendo. The only casting I wasn’t fully on board with was Kate Hudson as a young female panda. Don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t bad, but the way the character was portrayed, you’d think she’d be Po’s love interest from her introduction…not so much. It just makes you wonder, what was the point of her character?

Other than that slight nit-pick, everything else about the film is solid. I have to give props to the director, Jennifer Yuh Nelson, who had previously directed the second film. She definitely stands as one of the best animation directors of the past decade, and I hope that she gets rewarded for her work on this film. Now is it my favorite film of the trilogy? No, that would be “Kung Fu Panda 2,” but the third film is still really damn solid. Would I like to see a fourth film in the series? Probably not, I’d prefer it to be a trilogy on its own. But if a fourth film comes out and catches my attention, I’ll be there on opening day to see it.

Overall, “Kung Fu Panda 3” was a damn good time, and I’m looking forward to buying it on the blu-ray trilogy pack. If you haven’t seen any of the other films, you’re missing out on some highly made stuff. It may not be the best animated film from Dreamworks, but it’s among the top 5 for sure, if you ask me.

Rating: 10/10