Po’s search for a father figure leads him front and center of a life changing event, in the third effort of the Kung Fu Panda trilogy. In “Kung Fu Panda 3”, Po (Jack Black) continues the art of Kung Fu alongside his teacher Shifu (Dustin Hoffman). When Po’s long-lost panda father Li (Bryan Cranston) suddenly reappears, the reunited duo travels to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new panda characters for Po to teach the art of self-defense to. But when the supernatural villain Kai (J.K Simmons) begins to sweep across China defeating all the kung fu masters, Kai’s powerful capabilities begin to get stronger with each victory. Left as the only defense against the mighty ruler, Po must do the impossible: learn to train a village full of his fun-loving, clumsy brethren to become the ultimate band of Kung Fu Pandas. The mission itself is easier said than done, as all of them have no experience in the art of fighting. The film is directed by the team of Alessandro Carloni and Jennifer Yuh, and rated PG for the whole family.
When I started seeing trailers for the third movie in the Kung Fu Panda trilogy, I was perplexed because I didn’t even know that there was a second film. Apparently, the second one came and went without me ever seeing it, but I remember surprisingly enjoying the first movie. “Kung Fu Panda 3” may not be the best offering creatively, but it does add to an already impressive series for its crisp art direction, as well as its heartwarming positive message that will send the whole family home happy.
The film has a double dose of gorgeous animation that stuck out for its originality, even during an age where animation films are a dime a dozen. The color palate and definition that went into the landscapes, as well as the characters made for an eye-appealing 84 minutes that always held my attention. During the first act of the movie, I was a little worried that the film would feel repetitive with the other films because of its same old setting and well known characters. Fortunately, the film’s strength is in a second act that presents us with the innovative world of the pandas, and boy did it make for some strong attention to detail. The best things are off in the distance, and that really shows that the production team really put their time and energy into creating a place that kids as well as adults could get lost in with imagination. I recently discussed in my “Norm of the North” review how the characters drawn felt so out of place, and that had a lot to do with the definition and color shading in their designs. Luckily the characters in this movie were given an almost 3D like appeal to the outlines of their bodies. This makes for a real popping texture for the many things going on in the foreground and background of the movie.
Like the first film I saw of the series, this movie also contains a spiritually strong message for the character of Po, that the audience can take home with them in their own lives. This one is a double-dosage offering, as the movie reflects not only on the importance of family, but also finding that identity within yourself and exploit it. These messages are great because while the script isn’t the most detailed in terms of substance, there is always something memorable that we take away from these movies, and sometimes that’s all you need.
The voice work is strong enough, with a fine cast of well-tuned A-listers lending their vocals to the many cast of characters in the film. Jack Black continues to cater to the child audience who loves his very animated tones and reactions to what his character goes through. The most important thing is that his character never feels too over the top to where it feels like it’s insulting to the young demographic it appeals to. Bryan Cranston is also a welcome dose of fresh air. It was certainly nice to see a comedic side to Cranston, as his comedic past has kind of gotten lost in the top notch dramatic acting that he has been known for as of late. Kate Hudson’s character work is quite an interesting one because she gets one of the top billing spots on the poster, but her vocal dialogue is no more than two scenes in the movie. There in lies what I feel is the only real glaring problem with this latest film; it’s short run time cripples the kind of character development that could really pay off to the important people surrounding Po. I normally wouldn’t have a problem with a short and well paced film, but if it hurts the character development, it’s not worth it. This film could use twenty more minutes to give the many characters something more to do than just come in and out of frame.
Overall, “Kung Fu Panda 3” was a fun time, so I definitely have no problem recommending this one to my readers. For lack of a better headline sentence (Forgive me) it’s po-fectly entertaining, with surpassing colorful tones to boost such a positive series.
7/10