Film Review: Kung Fu Panda 4!
Will audience members be able to pick up on all of the subtle hints? Or will they remain trapped inside the matrix...
When my wife’s sons told me they wanted to go se
e Kung Fu Panda 4, I was honestly taken aback. Of course I was aware of the Kung Fu Panda film existing. It was a classic animated film that deserves a place amongst any discerning stream-buff’s library. But had there really been two whole Kung Fu Panda films I had, to this day, been unaware of? I was intrigued to say the least.
And so, it being 4/20, I was tasked with getting the kids out of the house while my wife and her friends “partook.” Not being a big “weed head” myself, this was something I didn’t have a problem with. Plus, I hadn’t been to the local AMC since taking the kids to Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken last year, so I was itching for a flick!
According to Wikipedia, Kung Fu Panda 4 is an “American animated martial arts comedy film”, and that description couldn’t be more apt. It’s not long after a brief intro with some rams mining stuff (this seems to have little to do with the overall plot of the film) that we see the film’s titular star saving some animal children from an ornery stingray. Voiced by Jack Black, I was expecting another bombastic, side splitting performance. Unfortunately, Black's delivery felt weak. I don’t know if he is suffering from cancer or drug addiction, but this wasn’t the high energy raucous JB that I’d known from movies such as Nacho Libre and Shallow Hal. Whatever is going on with Black, he needs help!
After this swashbuckling skirmish, we are treated to a visual feast, courtesy of the talented animation department at Dreamworks Studios. The Valley of Peace is a wonder to behold, it’s as if you can smell and taste the lush oriental homeplace of the Kung Fu Panda. Here, the KFP has a meeting with his wise old sensei, a red panda voiced by the inimitable Dustin Hoffman. I was pretty sure that Hoffman had died before Covid-19, but I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong!
The KFP and Dustin Hoffman have a tough chat about the Panda’s future as a Dragon Warrior. In fact, the KFP is told that he mayno longer wear the title of “Dragon Warrior,'' and that a new Dragon Warrior must be chosen to take his place. This is understandably upsetting to the KFP, as he must now come face to face with his own mortality. Getting old and having to give up being important to society really sucks, and I’m glad children aren’t shielded from that fact in this movie.
They hold a competition to figure out which talking animal should be the next Dragon Warrior and, wouldn’t you know it, Mr Beast himself voiced one of the contenders! It was one of those blink and you miss it moments, but the entire theater erupted in applause as soon as they heard his trademark vocal phrasing, spoken from the mouth of black and white panda pig hybrid. If anyone wasn’t enjoying the film up til now, that feeling surely changed with this reveal.
Next, we meet the KFPs future fighting (romantic??) partner, Zhen, voiced by multi-talented Asian American actress, Awkwafina. Zhen is a sassy, seductive, kung fu fighting ball of kinetic badassery and the perfect feminine counterpoint to Jack Black’s forced and slovenly delivery. If you’ve seen her performance in the black Little Mermaid, you already know what you’re in for: fun! She is a very fun actress. I can imagine how much fun the animators had reconstructing her with their intricate 3D models.
As the film progressed, I couldn’t help but see the similarities between the KFP and Timothy McVeigh. McVeigh’s tale was a classic case of the wrong place at the wrong time, and in the KFP, I saw this same story playing out. I once met a guy in Ashland, Oregon who told me his brother was in Oklahoma City on that fateful day, April 19th, 1995. He said what we heard about the story wasn’t the whole story, and that there were feds and spooks all over Elohim city, the private mennonite community that McVeigh Nichols were living at before the tragic event.
Next, we are introduced to the character who seemed to embody this Federal component of the OKC story the most: The Chameleon. Voiced by Viola Davis, a black woman, The Chameleon is able to shapeshift into any form at will. You would think this ability would be enough to take over The Valley of Peace with a little planning, but no. The Chameleon seeks to harness the kung fu capabilities of every villain that the KFP has ever vanquished.
Much like the ATF, The Chameleon just had to see her dastardly plan through no matter how many innocent lives have to be sacrificed. And so, through a complex campaign of subterfuge and deceit, The Chameleon attempts to set the KFP up as patsy, hoping the good people of the Valley of Peace will see The Chameleon’s position in the community as an essential protection rather than a traitorous infiltration.
It’s not hard to connect the dots between The Chameleon and Andreas Strassmeir, the German Nationalist and head of security at Elohim City. Why they chose a black actress to represent Strassmeir will forever be a mystery to me, but regardless, the similarities are undeniable, perhaps even a little too on the nose at times. The only difference is that Strassmeir spoke Hebrew and possessed an Israeli passport, two things that seemingly poke holes in his alleged “white nationalist” status.
I don’t want to spoil the film for you, but if you’ve seen the documentary, A Noble Lie, then you can already guess how the rest of the film plays out. In the end, the KFP defeats The Chameleon and all the powerful moves of the kung fu villains are returned. We are then treated to just a little more of that fatherly and endearing Dustin Hoffman voice acting before the Jack Black cover of “Oops!... I Did It Again” starts playing and the end credits roll.
Overall, it’s a fantastic film that I wouldn’t mind adding to my personal streaming collection. I’ve seen quite a few Dreamworks productions in my day, and I’d give this one a place among their Top 20 easily. If you haven’t yet, I think this film would be the perfect palette cleanser after a long day of OKC research. Jack Black’s performance left a lot to be desired, but whatever he’s going through, I personally wish him the best. Jack, if you’re reading this, I think I speak for all your fans when I say: You can beat this, damnit. Why? Because though you may pass on from this earthly realm, your legacy will last forever.
I give it 7.5/10 Streams!
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