Everyone’s favourite kung fu-fighting panda, Po (Black), is back for a fourth adventure in which he has to go up against an evil chameleon sorceress (Davis) who wants to summon all the master villains he has previously sent to the spirit realm to absorb their powers.
As brightly and slickly animated as we’ve come to expect from the Kung Fu Panda series, this also has the same mixture of humour and action, with much of the fun coming from Po teaming up with smart fox Zhen (Awkwafina), and Po’s parents – adopted goose dad, Mr Ping (Hong) and biological pa Li (Cranston) – going off in search of their son in the hope of helping him in his quest.
There are also some fun sequences, including scenes set in a bar that is teetering on a clifftop, and a chase through a city that leaves very little standing at the end of it, and kids are sure to chortle as Po gets into various scrapes but always (usually accidentally) ends up on top at the end.
The story feels a little simpler than previous instalments (there are certainly less characters to keep track of) and the action lower-key (the chameleon, for much of the movie, does little worse than throw someone down the stairs) but that works well for what is essentially a buddy comedy between Po and Zhen.
Their pairing also sets up a possible spin-off movie for Awkwafina’s character as the plot has Po potentially graduating from Dragon Warrior to spiritual mentor, meaning he needs to find a successor (gosh, who could that be?), meaning this fun slice of kids entertainment may not be the last we see of the adorable Po and his pals.
Is Kung Fu Panda 4 suitable for kids? Here are our parents’ notes...
Later scenes have the Chameleon absorbing the powers of previous villains, and growing larger and scarier, which may be frightening for very young children.
While Po is sometimes in danger, there is very little threat and even when he is imprisoned, it is quickly apparent that he will be safe before long.
If your child has been happy watching the previous Kung Fu Panda movies, there is nothing scarier in this film (and it is less scary than Kung Fu Panda 3).
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