By: Rory Zeman and Esha Bagora

Culture Editor and Media Production Editor

On Mar. 8, fans eagerly sat down for the first time to view the fourth film of the legendary Kung Fu Panda franchise, but the film failed to meet the expectations that the previous projects had set. Although the film may not be the last in the series for Po, the dragon warrior, it is definitely a step in the wrong direction for the franchise, which has been celebrated by fans of all ages. Kung Fu Panda 4 was a disappointment to viewers because it had weak themes, a boring group of side characters, and a predictable storyline. 

Unlike the other three films, Kung Fu Panda 4 had forgettable messages and themes. The first three films consistently portray Buddhist ideals of living in the present. However, the new film seems to completely disregard this, with the movie mainly taking place in a large, Zootopia-style city. Po disregards the advice from Master Shifu to step down from his role as Dragon Warrior to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. Instead, Po goes on a whimsical mission to stop the villainous Chameleon. Although each Kung Fu Panda movie delivers a unique message, the fourth film’s message seems to be confusing and tenuous. It professes that it’s never too late to do the right thing, which is not at all woven throughout the movie, but only conveyed at the very end in a split-second decision made by Zhen, a new character. Overall, the film’s plot throughout the first hour is extremely dry and uncharacteristic of the traditional Kung Fu Panda aura because it defies its old messages of mindfulness and professes an uninteresting, seemingly last-minute theme.

Kung Fu Panda 4 also includes a weak collection of characters. Most notably, the Furious Five, the best Kung Fu team in the valley, is completely absent from the new movie. These characters embellished the plot and helped Po with many of his moral dilemmas in the previous movies. Furthermore, the new villain Chameleon is not only boring from an action standpoint, but her persona is very unoriginal. This is because she doesn’t even do much in the film other than bring back and mimic past villains that Po has already faced. Fans hailed other villains like Tai Lung, Lord Shen, and General Kai from past movies as some of the best-animated villains ever because of how they impacted Po. Chameleon leaves no lasting impact on Po because she only impersonates past villains. 

The last big downfall of Kung Fu Panda 4 is its predictable storyline. Zhen is introduced into the film right after Master Shifu presents Po with the dilemma of choosing a new dragon warrior. Any guess as to who the new dragon warrior becomes? Zhen is the only character who knows about the evil Chameleon and leads Po straight to her doorstep. Guess who is revealed to be working for the Chameleon? If you guessed Zhen, you are correct! Shocker! 

These expected and foreseeable plot twists make the movie feel lazily-written. There is no shock with the plot in Kung Fu Panda 4 as there was in the previous movies. In the end, the Kung Fu Panda series could have and should have ended as a trilogy. Viewers appreciate the three original films for their novelty and thematic profundity, while the fourth film seems to tarnish the reputation of the series by being a predictable money grabber. However, the filmmakers have not officially revealed if this film is the last in the franchise, so viewers are expecting an improved and more characteristic fifth film to give this legendary franchise the ending it deserves.