'Kung Fu Panda 4' a Letdown

by Justus Canto

Fans have waited eight years for the release of “Kung Fu Panda 4.” If you're like me, you eagerly anticipated the return of characters like “Tai Lung” (main villain), but only made a cameo appearance. If you're like me, you may be left disappointed.

“Kung Fu Panda 4” follows the story of Po, the current dragon warrior whose main job is to protect the people of the valley. Po is faced with the next step of his journey, to become the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace. However, a powerful sorceress has other plans and Po must stop her.

The movie advertisement was misleading. It left you with the assumption Po and Furious Five were going to face off with the sorceress. And the characters you may have looked forward to seeing only appear at the end of the movie.

At the start, I was excited because right off the bat “Tai Lung” appeared. It was only a tease; he made two more brief appearances. Although the movie did keep my interest through jokes and action.

Po's journey as the dragon warrior comes to a close, but it’s not the end of his story. Po must pick the next dragon warrior. Nervous about the pressure he decides to go fight the sorceress head on.

I like to note this is not my favorite movie in the franchise but it's still a memorable add-on in my opinion, the returning characters could have had more screen time and a little more action would have been better, but it is still afoot towards Po’s next journey.

The film has subliminal messages to the audience about not fearing change and taking that next step in your journey.

Po in "Kung Fu Panda 4." (DreamWorks Animation)

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