Jack Black is back again as Po the Panda in 'Kung Fu Panda 3' as he faces many new challenges. The third film in one of the remaining animated movie franchises right now and it seems to be striving. But would a third film be one too many or a great addition to DreamWorks production?
This time Po (Jack Black) faces a new challenge as he is to take over from Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman). Po is also reunited with his long lost father Li (Bryan Cranston) and is taken to the lost land of the Pandas in order to train to defeat a new foe. Kai (J.K Simmons) has returned from the Spirit Realm and looks to take out all who stands in his way. Po needs the help from his new panda friends in order to stop Kai and send him back to where he came from.
I wasn't really planning on seeing this film in all honesty. It was just killing the time before my screening for 'The Witch' and it was the only film on that I was yet to see. However it did seem like it would be fun and I have enjoyed 'Kung Fu Panda' in the past so I thought why not? I'm happy to say though that it wasn't a waste of my time.
The film undoubtedly is a lot of fun. A lot of the enjoyment comes from the action scenes in the film which are done beautifully and are fantastic to watch. I particularly liked parts when the action was slowed down and you could really admire what was going on. This helps with the animation being done very well and with great detail. This is also very evident with the beautiful scenery on showcase in the film. The scenery of China that is shown in this in many different weathers and colours is tremendous.
The film is also full of laughs which is expected in a kids animated movie. The jokes flow pretty well and considering what age they are mainly aimed at, they play out fairly well. The humour at times can be pretty childish so more mature members watching this may not get as much enjoyment from this. However I do feel that going into this you should know what to expect and if you do so, you'll have an enjoyable experience.
The film is also full of laughs which is expected in a kids animated movie. The jokes flow pretty well and considering what age they are mainly aimed at, they play out fairly well. The humour at times can be pretty childish so more mature members watching this may not get as much enjoyment from this. However I do feel that going into this you should know what to expect and if you do so, you'll have an enjoyable experience.
Jack Black once again knocked it out of the park and was still enjoyable as Po. His goofiness still proves to why he is perfect as this character. The rest knock it out of the park as well with Angelina Jolie and Dustin Hoffman standing out from the others due to their slightly larger roles in the film. The originals of the cast all deliver very well and all deserve credit.
J.K Simmons voice for Kai was pretty much a perfect casting. He was fantastic in this and really helped the character seem more threatening and stronger due to his delivery. I really can't think of anyone who would've done better in this role and he was a great addition to the already impressive cast. Bryan Cranston was also a new addition to the cast as we were finally introduced to Po's father. Again he was magnificent and really added to the cast and really worked well alongside Black.
The film doesn't really have the balance for adults and kids as some other animated films have had such as Inside Out. There are many opportunities where they could of really pushed for an emotional moment but didn't do so. The film is clearly aimed for children which is clear to see why they have done this as they wouldn't be interested in that sort of thing. But there was potential there for it to have made more of a point about certain things.
I also feel that the training montage as they prepare for Kai could've been done better. It just didn't feel like there was really a progression in what they were doing. I felt that they could've done a bit better with this and shown more of what they were learning and also a different variety of things that they were doing.
J.K Simmons voice for Kai was pretty much a perfect casting. He was fantastic in this and really helped the character seem more threatening and stronger due to his delivery. I really can't think of anyone who would've done better in this role and he was a great addition to the already impressive cast. Bryan Cranston was also a new addition to the cast as we were finally introduced to Po's father. Again he was magnificent and really added to the cast and really worked well alongside Black.
| New villain Kai voiced by J.K Simmons |
The film doesn't really have the balance for adults and kids as some other animated films have had such as Inside Out. There are many opportunities where they could of really pushed for an emotional moment but didn't do so. The film is clearly aimed for children which is clear to see why they have done this as they wouldn't be interested in that sort of thing. But there was potential there for it to have made more of a point about certain things.
I also feel that the training montage as they prepare for Kai could've been done better. It just didn't feel like there was really a progression in what they were doing. I felt that they could've done a bit better with this and shown more of what they were learning and also a different variety of things that they were doing.
Final Verdict: Kung Fu Panda 3 = B
Kung Fu Panda overall is fun for the whole family. If you have or know people with younger children I'd recommend taking them to see this film. You'll both get enjoyment from this film and it doesn't really try to be anything else other than entertaining. A good addition to what is now a trilogy.
So if you have seen Kung Fu Panda 3, what did you think? I found myself enjoying it more than I expected which is always great! Once again thank you for reading, it means a lot!
By Angus McGregor
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