‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ Poster
Jack Black is back voicing his cuddly, lovable, unlikely hero, Po the panda for a third outing in the popular Kung Fu Panda franchise. But is this a lazy sequel to further cash in on a successful title before it wears out its welcome, or a more genuine family fun film? DreamWorks have previous with the former, arguably guilty of milking the hugely popular Shrek series until it was a dry husk compared to its original. So it was with a, perhaps, understandable trepidation that I watched this, willing myself to leave any potential cynicism at the door. So how does Kung Fu Panda 3 rate in comparison to its predecessors? Is this another enjoyable DreamWorks adventure through the history of far-eastern martial arts, or a case of one adventure too many?
In this installment, Po and the assembled warriors are forced to face down a dangerous new foe, in the form of Kai (J.K. Simmons), a dangerous and powerful yak, and a one time former counterpart and friend of Po’s original master, Oogwey (Randall Duk Kim), turned bad by greed and ambition. The task of defeating him becomes harder when Po is faced with the added distraction of the return of his long lost father Li Shan (Bryan Cranston). Po ends up returning with his “new” dad to his original Panda village – and the heritage he originated from – where he inadvertantly comes to learn the vital lessons that will allow him to truly find his power and finally become the legendary Dragon Warrior that destiny has ordained him to be. Continue reading
Through The 4th Wall 