Kung Fu Panda 4

Kung Fu Panda 4
Starring Jack Black, Awkwafina, Viola Davis, Dustin Hoffman
Directed by Mike Mitchell

Kids' animated movies are more often than not surefire cash cows. Even if they're terrible, you're bound to get more butts in the seats than other genres because parents drag their (sometimes) numerous children to see it, each one paying a price for a ticket. You got a built-in audience that other genres don't get, so even if the animated movie is subpar, they're bound to be successes. Add to it a long-running franchise and even though it questions its own existence, it's bound to be a huge hit. Such it is with "Kung Fu Panda 4," a film that could've easily been put on streaming because it doesn't really warrant a big-screen treatment due to the side-quest nature it delivers - but it made it to the big screen anyway, and will undoubtedly be a big hit, just from the nature of it.

Enjoying his time as the Dragon Warrior and all the fame it brings, Po (Jack Black) learns from his Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) that he must give the title to a successor so he can become the spiritual leader at the Valley of Peace. Po doesn't want to give up the title and refuses to choose a successor when he learns of a mysterious new villain called the Chameleon (Viola Davis) who can shapeshift into anything she wants, and who wants to open the Spirit Realm to steal the kung fu powers of Po's enemies. He enlists the help of wily thief fox Zhen (Awkwafina) to find her, and the two form an unlikely friendship along the way that gets tested as Po's final adventure causes him to fully accept his eventual destiny.

The "Toy Story" franchise was the launching point for Disney's Pixar studio, and by the time the third film came out, it served as the perfect ending for the trilogy. Filled with humor, heart, emotion, and a perfect chapter ending, no one expected it to continue - but because profits, "Toy Story 4" was made. The film, while a success in its own right, was one that really wasn't needed, and only showed the greed the corporation had. The "Kung Fu Panda" trilogy - albeit to a much lesser extent - also rounded out well by the third movie in 2016, with no one expecting a sequel. Yet, again due to greed, we get "Kung Fu Panda 4," a completely unnecessary - yet still adequate - sequel to the franchise. It doesn't add anything new except a bunch of new characters, and ultimately feels soulless compared to the others.

As it is with most children's movies, there's a theme that's buried deep in the humor, animation, and breakneck action. and that theme is embracing change. Po doesn't want to leave his Dragon Warrior mantle behind, and in a way he's stuck in his role because its comfortable to him. Change is never easy, but sometimes its necessary to move your life forward, and it's something Po learns along his journey. Likewise Zhen must change from a street-wise thief to a hero in her own right, while the film's main protagonist - to no surprise - is a shapeshifter who can change her outer appearance, but doesn't learn the importance of changing her inner self.

The theme is all well and good, but the film itself doesn't seem to know where to land. It's a frantic, fast-paced action thrill-ride that doesn't take a moment to stop, breathe and meditate, but rather quickly hops to another frantic scene. It's like it knows it doesn't have a lot to offer, and throws colorful action to the screen and funny child-like jokes to keep the kids' attention. Fortunately the animation is lavish and beautiful as ever, so it's not a chore to sit through - it's just alright.

Jack Black returns again to voice Po, and once again he delivers his own unique charm to the story that shows Po's continued advancement, but he's becoming a bit of an old hat in the voice-over work, as he'll do it again later this year in "Borderlands." Speaking of old hat, Awkwafina once again lends her voice as the wise-cracking, sarcastic supporting character we've come to know her from in other animated films like "The Bad Guys," "The Little Mermaid" (well, its live action, but she's an animated duck), and "Migration" (it'd be interesting if there was ever a crossover between "The Bad Guys" and "Kung Fu Panda" since both are Dreamworks and both have Awkwafina's distinctive voice). Her performance depends on how much you like her shtick - if you like it, you'll like it; if you don't, you won't. Viola Davis brings some eerie grace as the villainous Chameleon, who's stoic voice resonates with power, as only the Queen does.

Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston (the two themselves embarking on a strange B-roll subplot that's tonally one-note), and Ian McShayne return to the franchise, but obviously missing is the fantastic voice talents of the Furious Five - Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, David Cross and Lucy Liu - whom Po explains are off on their own adventures. Not having five of your mainstay voice talents really tells a lot about the story, and it's deeply flawed without them in it.

When it comes to sequels that question their own existence, "Kung Fu Panda 4" is right at the top of the list - a film that's entirely a side quest mission that, while performed admirably by a strong voice talent, misses the heart and soul of the franchise.

The Score: B-