After almost a decade away from the large display screen, Jack Black is again because the unlikely Dragon Warrior in “Kung Fu Panda 4.” Although the most recent sequel within the DreamWorks Animation franchise does not fairly measure as much as the greatness of the unique trilogy, there’s nonetheless an excellent journey right here that is bolstered by spectacular animation, slick motion, and the at all times hilarious presence of Jack Black as Po. This time he is paired with a stealthy fox named Zhen (voiced by Awkwafina), and the 2 have an amusing buddy cop dynamic that provides some new taste to the franchise.
Standout moments embody a chase by means of a bustling metropolis set to an orchestral model of Ozzy Osborne’s “Loopy Practice” and the ultimate combat sequence the place the villain referred to as The Chameleon (Viola Davis) transforms into every of Po’s most formidable foes, in addition to Po himself, earlier than meshing all the facility of all of the kung fu masters collectively right into a fearsome beast. Plus, stick round for a enjoyable credit sequence that includes a vigorous cowl of Britney Spears’ trademark tune “Child One Extra Time” carried out by Tenacious D. The truth is, the music all through the film, composed by Hans Zimmer and Steve Mazzaro, is a prime notch rating, even when the film cannot attain those self same heights. Regardless of not being as unbelievable because the earlier installments, it is nonetheless higher than 90% of the household leisure on the market, so you possibly can’t go incorrect. (Ethan Anderton)
Director: Mike Mitchell, Stephanie Stine
Solid: Jack Black, Awkwafina, Viola Davis, Dustin Hoffman, Bryan Cranston, James Hong, Ke Huy Quan, Ronny Chieng
Ranking: PG
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 72%
