“Kung Fu Panda 3,” directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni, is an exciting, funny and fun filled experience that audiences of all ages can enjoy with its witty humor, relatable characters, and exciting action sequences.
This film begins not long after “Kung Fu Panda 2.” Po (Jack Black) has settled into his role as China’s Dragon Warrior, believing he has achieved the pinnacle of success in martial arts and was to remain China’s protector. However, Master Shifu (Dustan Hoffman) announces that he is relinquishing his role as the Jade Palace’s instructor of Kung Fu, and he hands over the role to Po. Reluctantly, Po begins the next chapter of his life as Master Po. Meanwhile, a new enemy named Kai, Maker of Widows (J. K. Simmons), arises from the spirit realm. Having taken the chi or spirit energy, of everyone in the spirit world, Kai is powerful enough to destroy China.
Meanwhile to Po’s surprise, a panda has entered his village and is revealed to be his long lost father, Li Shan (Bryan Cranston). During their reunion, word comes of Kai’s terror and Po must journey to a secret panda village to master chi in order to defeat the new threat of Kai.
The five-year wait for the newest edition in the Kung Fu Panda series is worth the wait. In the film, audiences can see the maturation of the Po and bonding between main characters.
Po retains his lovable, goofy persona, but ages a bit by taking his responsibilities seriously. New characters are instantly loved as a love interest for Po is introduced as well as Po’s relatives.
The animation is just as good if not better than the previous installments in the series. Just as the previous films, the landscapes and action scenes are beautifully created and realistic. The film portrays more nature scenes than the previous films, and the details are impeccable.
DreamWorks does not let viewers down with its characteristic family fun, clean age-appropriate humor and enjoyable storyline.
Like both the previous movies, the plot is comical and heart-warming. The movie earns 4 out of 5 for character development, animation, and plot.
