It’s been 8 years since fans have been asking for a new installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise, and their requests were eventually met, with the fourth film now being weeks away from its debut. And following the standard maintained by the past three entries, fans are reasonably hyped to see what the studio has in store for them, which, not long ago, delivered Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
However, the early reviews for the Jack Black-led movie have had fans worried, as it appears, Kung Fu Panda 4 might not surpass the bar set by its predecessors.
Early Reviews for Kung Fu Panda 4 Have Fans Worried
After DreamWorks hit the ball out of the park with Kung Fu Panda, they went even harder with the sequel, especially with Gary Oldman’s Lord Shen, arguably the best villain in the entire franchise. While the threequel wasn’t on par with the first two films, it was still a worthy inclusion to the franchise, with J. K. Simmons delivering an entertaining performance as Kai. And with Oscar-winner Viola Davis helming the series’ next main antagonist, the Chameleon, fans were hopeful the fourth part will go toe to toe with the previous ones.
Unfortunately, while fans expected DreamWorks to pull off another The Last Wish with the sequel, the early reviews for the movie have them disappointing. While the reviews commended Viola Davis’ performance, stating that the other cast members, including Jack Black and Awkwafina, also shine, the main faults of the movie seem to lie within its script.
This movie is very opinion based, if u like it u will like it, if u hate it u will hate it
— HalloBoi (@TeanTzer) March 4, 2024
So in other words a good movie but not as good as the other 3
— Grav (@Gravations) March 4, 2024
Oh no I've heard great word of mouth. Still going to have to watch it myself and form my own opinion but if this movie disappoints then that's sad cause the franchise has always been consistent in quality.
— Eddie (@OHMYDIAZ) March 4, 2024
Oh this is bad, I felt that from the whole promo
— Purp? (@purpyisgreat) March 4, 2024
Exactly what i feared.
— 0n0b_0 (@0_0n0b) March 4, 2024
That's a little disappointing to hear. I'll still go watch it and form my own opinion as I'm still excited.
— Jason (@warnoobs) March 4, 2024
While it’s still early to form a judgment, as the film is still two weeks away from opening for the general audience, the early reviews have caused fans to reevaluate their expectations.
Jack Black Reflects on Po’s Emotional Growth
Although the franchise is notable for slick kung fu sequences, the thing that made the three work was witnessing Po addressing his inner conflicts, as he follows a path of self-discovery. And reflecting on jumping back to playing him, Jack Black stressed that Po is his happy place, as he expressed that returning to the franchise is like connecting with an old friend. Jack Black further explained that Po’s spiritual journey adds a whole new layer to his character, stating,
“He has a new depth to him, like this whole ‘wise and all-knowing’ thing, but, at the same time, part of him wonders, ‘Can I really do this? Am I wise enough to step into these shoes? Can you be the wisest dude in the room and still crack a joke?’ Po thinks so. And he’s out there trying, and that’s what makes Po so awesome,” “Kung Fu Panda is like my happy place – Po and the gang are like family. It’s the humour, the heart, the whole package that brings me back.”
With fans patiently waiting for the embargo to lift for the film, it’ll be interesting to see if other early reviews also share the same sentiment, as fans desperately hope the film doesn’t disappoint.
Kung Fu Panda 4 will hit theatres on 15 March 2024.
