‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ Review
03/08/24 • 1 min
Rated PG
Opens: March 8, 2024
Kevin says KUNG FU PANDA 4 Kinda rocks!
After a successful trilogy, DreamWorks brings another installment of the unlikely Dragon Warrior. The aptly named KUNG FU PANDA 4 follows Po as he battles a new villain, a shape-shifting sorcerer seeking the powers of the kung fu masters.
The first Kung Fu Panda was a pleasant surprise, and the sequels have been decent continuations of the one-joke story. This series manages to juggle the new characters picked up along the way, making it better than most for a fourth film.
The cast is good led by an always energetic Jack Black, with Bryan Cranston and James Hong showing a surprising amount of chemistry. However, Akwafina is a bit overexposed right now and wore on my nerves.
The animation continues to impress with slick anime-inspired action elements. And all the cuddly animal characters make it a good bet for families.
Still, the premise is a bit of a stretch this time around... and that’s saying something for a series based on a fat panda who learns kung fu. I’m not sure how many more of these the studio can milk out of the idea, but this one remains clever and fun.
KUNG FU PANDA 4 gets three dumplings out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.
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Rated PG
Opens: March 8, 2024
Kevin says KUNG FU PANDA 4 Kinda rocks!
After a successful trilogy, DreamWorks brings another installment of the unlikely Dragon Warrior. The aptly named KUNG FU PANDA 4 follows Po as he battles a new villain, a shape-shifting sorcerer seeking the powers of the kung fu masters.
The first Kung Fu Panda was a pleasant surprise, and the sequels have been decent continuations of the one-joke story. This series manages to juggle the new characters picked up along the way, making it better than most for a fourth film.
The cast is good led by an always energetic Jack Black, with Bryan Cranston and James Hong showing a surprising amount of chemistry. However, Akwafina is a bit overexposed right now and wore on my nerves.
The animation continues to impress with slick anime-inspired action elements. And all the cuddly animal characters make it a good bet for families.
Still, the premise is a bit of a stretch this time around... and that’s saying something for a series based on a fat panda who learns kung fu. I’m not sure how many more of these the studio can milk out of the idea, but this one remains clever and fun.
KUNG FU PANDA 4 gets three dumplings out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.
Email the Show
Follow the show on Twitter (@FGATM)
Follow Kevin on Twitter (@kevincarr)
Previous Episode
‘Dune Part Two’ Review
Rated PG
Opens: March 1, 2024
Kevin says Dune Part Two ROCKS!
Denis Villeneuve finishes his epic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic novel with DUNE: PART TWO.
The story picks right up from the previous film. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) have fled to the desert to join the nomadic Fremen. There, Paul concentrates his power as a potential messiah while planning to overthrow the evil Harkonnens.
Most of my complaints about the previous film have been improved. There’s greater character development, and the diversity of the different worlds is explored... though it still seems the furniture comes from the same Galactic Ikea, no matter the planet.
Most important, this completes a story that was merely set up three years ago. This is why I despise the trend of two-part adaptations. Sure, it generates more cash, but it results in awkward pacing.
This version of DUNE is epic and has scope, and Villeneuve loosened the reins a bit. Though he doesn’t go gloriously off the rails like David Lynch did in the 80s.
This film manages to capture what was once considered unfilmable. And it mitigates a minefield of triggering topics like conspiracies, religion, terrorism, war, and desert politics.
DUNE: PART TWO gets four sandworms out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.
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Next Episode
‘Arthur the King’ Review
Rated PG-13
Opens: March 15, 2024
Kevin says ARTHUR THE KING Kinda rocks!
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m an easy mark for a movie about dogs, and the new film ARTHUR THE KING takes advantage of this.
This inspirational sports film is a true story of a group of athletes, led by Mark Wahlberg, who encounter a stray dog during a 10-day, 435-mile race the Dominican Republic. The dog soon becomes their unofficial mascot and gives them newfound focus.
Wahlberg often balances uplifting stories with his Hollywood blockbusters, and that serves him well. Sure, the first chunk of the movie is all about him, but he eventually defers to his canine costar for the emotional thrust.
The first half is the most flawed. The script struggles through tired tropes and clichés as the racing team comes together, overdoing it a bit on their personal motivations.
But if you’re gonna err in a movie, do it early and then end with a bang. And sure enough, once the racers bond with Arthur the dog, I was suddenly interested.
Ukai, who plays Arthur, is the MVP here. And while the movie hits plenty of familiar beats you’ve seen in a dozen other dog movies, it hits them quite well.
ARTHUR THE KING gets three and a half meatballs out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.
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