REVIEW: 'KUNG FU PANDA 4', Another Studio Cash Grab...

Po is gearing up to become the spiritual leader of his Valley of Peace, but also needs someone to take his place as Dragon Warrior. As such, he will train a new kung fu practitioner for the spot and will encounter a villain called the Chameleon who conjures villains from the past.

--IMDb Synopsis for 'KUNG FU PANDA 4'

Eight years after the release of 'KUNG FU PANDA 3' and a whopping SIXTEEN years since the original 'KUNG FU PANDA' (crap I'm getting old), Jack Black is back on the big screen (or rather his voice is) as the loveable Dragon Warrior, Po, in 'KUNG FU PANDA 4'!

With such an intriguing plot and interesting new villain, this must be a WORTHY return to theaters, right?

...right?

First and foremost, I must compliment the legend himself, Jack Black! He has a way of elevating any movie he's in with his effortless comedy skills. That doesn't change in this fourth installment. You can tell he is giving everything he has to this performance and it pays off.

As you'll soon find out, Black's performance as Po is one of the only components of this film that helps me get through it.

Opposite Jack Black is Viola Davis as the new villain, The Chameleon. I won't say that Davis did a bad job... however, her performance isn't exactly memorable. I like to spread the blame between her and the writing. The Chameleon character isn't exactly written in the greatest manner. She never feels very intimidating, and I don't care much for her. The dialogue doesn't do the character any favors, either. That being said, does it feel like Davis is giving her all? Not always.

I get the feeling that Viola Davis took the role for the same reason the studio greenlit this movie... easy money. If that's the case, her performance was much stronger than it could've been. But, unfortunately, that doesn't make it a standout.

Lastly, Awkwafina is cast as Po's sidekick, in a way. I'm not a fan of her performance or her character, at all. Awkwafina’s performance felt generic and mostly phoned in. There are some moments you can tell she’s trying, but it doesn't land. I don’t mind Awkwafina as an actress, either. If she’s cast in the right role, she does fine. But this wasn’t the right role, in my opinion.

Awkwafina's character in 'KUNG FU PANDA 4' ties into my big issue with this film as a whole.

I'll keep this short: her character, Zhen, was random and unnecessary. Her destiny in this movie could've easily been assigned to an existing character. I have a couple in mind that could have been great. With that, this movie had plenty of opportunities to be something more than it is and possibly leave an actual mark. The issue? Those opportunities cost more money. My theory is that the studio didn't want to make an actual good movie, instead they wanted to make something on the cheaper side that could bring in extra cash. Am I surprised? Not really, but it is frustrating.

Aside from missed opportunities, the script is lacking in every area. There's no punch to the story, the villain isn't a standout, the dialogue is... rough, and the comedy is elementary compared to the first film. It feels like a straight-to-streaming sequel that snuck into a theatrical release somehow.

You could probably guess that I'm not a fan of this movie. You'd be right. But was it entertaining at all? Barely.

There were admittedly a couple of scenes that played well. Maybe two or three? Though they are few and very far between, they do exist in 'KUNG FU PANDA 4'. Furthermore, there were an equal amount of jokes that landed. They never got me to belly laugh, but I did... chuckle, I guess?

Those couple of scenes and jokes acted as a temporary lifeline to get me through the movie. I would be drowning and right before my lungs gave out, this movie gave me a short rope to grasp onto. I would come back above the surface, gasp for air, then the rope was gone. Wash, rinse, repeat.

That's dramatic, and admittedly harsh. But it's unfortunately true.

There was a small group, I would assume a family, in the theater with me. No kids, but even so they seemed to enjoy their time watching this movie. So, if you don't hold this movie to any high standards and just watch for dumb enjoyment... you may have fun. Also, don't watch the first or second movie before seeing this. That will certainly lower your enjoyment (okay I don't actually know that but it did for me).

I don’t want to say I hated 'KUNG FU PANDA 4' but I didn’t like it either. I laughed once or twice but most of the jokes didn’t land and the overall comedy was levels below the first and second film. Jack Black is the only part of this movie that truly has any life.

Ultimately I wasn’t entertained as much as I have been by these films, and it didn’t come close to making me believe this movie needed to exist. It was a completely unnecessary, very predictable cash-grab attempt. Like I said, some moments were slightly entertaining with a couple of good lines… but it still wasn’t worth it.

And the missed opportunities... ugh! This movie could've been AWESOMENESS. Instead...

'KUNG FU PANDA 4' is Straight to Streamingness.

⭐️ + LOW Rewatch Probability