I’m a chubby musician turned teacher with a bit of a goofy personality. The comparisons to Jack Black have been made and fortunately they don’t offend. I’m not a fan of all of his work, but I do like several of his movies. The first Kung Fu Panda was definitely enjoyable, but I don’t much remember my reaction to the second one. Neither has made its way onto my TV in quite some time, but my daughter and I decided to spend our Friday night with a great dinner at Cracker Barrel (not a sponsor…but….) and see Kung Fu Panda 3, which has 80% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Po, the Dragon Warrior, (Jack Black) is reunited with his father, Li (Brian Cranston), at the same time of being challenged to prove himself a Kung Fu master. However, Kai (J.K. Simmons), a fearsome enemy, brews a plot from inside the spirit realm that puts Po in his crosshairs. Po has to find balance with all of the changes coming his way in order to fulfill his role as the Dragon Warrior.
THE GOOD
The voice acting is great. Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) really delivered some great philosophical insight to Po. I thought it was nice seeing that the characters had changed with the passing of two films. The way Shifu spoke to Po implied a respect that was definitely lacking in the first two films, at least as I remember. Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu and David Cross reprise their roles for the film even though they take a back seat to the new characters like Mei Mei voiced by Kate Hudson and even more so Cranston’s Li.
The artwork in the film is beautiful and reminds me of lots of Kung Fu films that have come before. I saw the movie in 2D, but I’m not a big fan of 3D anyways. However, I’ve heard some reports that even the 2D animation in the film is layered as to create depth in the 3D version.
My favorite part of the film was the two tone approach to the story and presentation. Fans of Kung Fu movies and Chinese culture will be greeted with lots of great visuals, philosophical insights, and action scenes. There were lines in this film that I was almost tempted to type into my phone to use later in my classes. My favorite line (that I just looked up on IMDb to get correct) was early in the film when Shifu was explaining Po’s new role at the Jade Palace was, “If you only do what you can do, you’ll never be better than what you are.”
The second tone the film manages to weave seamlessly with the Kung Fu one is the family comedy. I laughed out loud more times than my daughter and I’m pretty sure I had a cheesy grin on my face most of the film. Po’s enthusiasm for what his life is, even when faced with danger, is contagious as Jack Black’s personality flows from the character. The introduction of Li adds a fun dynamic that the characters in the film basically guide the audience’s reaction as well. It’s a simple set up, but the punchline lands well and the whole theater erupted for a solid laugh that lasted a few seconds too long.
THE BAD
There isn’t much wrong with the film. I could nitpick the tropes that were used (I won’t say what as to avoid spoilers), but I don’t always have a problem with a trope. Everything doesn’t have to be brand new, but it needs to feel fresh. There are story points that I saw coming, but it didn’t ruin the film for me in anyway. However, I could see it upsetting someone who is always looking for the avant-garde style of film making you don’t usually get from an animated family film.
THE VERDICT
Jack Black kicked his way back into our hearts with Kung Fu Panda 3. The film does an excellent job of making Po a believable goof in all aspects of his life, but when it comes to being the hero he’s all business. It really works and the story is fun for the whole family. I give Kung Fu Panda 3 8 out of 10 dumplings.
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