"Now's the time to take the next step on your journey...incredible power awaits you"
Po (voiced by Jack Black) is enjoying being the Dragon Warrior, helping citizens out every day. One day, Master Shifu (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) reveals the next step in Po's journey, going from warrior to teacher. Po immediately hesitates at the idea, as he really doesn't think teaching is his forte. In the meantime, Po's long-lost biological father Li Shang (voiced by Bryan Cranston) arrives in town and reconnects with Po, much to the dismay of Po's adoptive father Mr. Ping (voiced by James Hong). Also, a supernatural foe named Kai (voiced by J.K. Simmons) appears bent on taking the Chi of all the kung fu masters, including Po. Can it get any crazier?
Kung Fu Panda 3's animation is perhaps some of the most impressive animation I have seen to date. The character animation continues to look more real. The action sequences feel more thrilling. And, in a key battle scene at the end, colors and 3D effects come together in a sequence that is both jaw-dropping and beautiful. The panda village itself is a visual treat. I didn't see the movie in 3D, but I felt like this was one of the rare cases that 3D would have made the experience even more amazing.
3 also has a nicely-crafted story, like its two predecessors. The film does a nice job shifting between Po and Kai (who is given a good backstory), as well as taking time to examine Po and Mr. Ping's coming to terms with the new family member. Towards the end, a dangerous family secret comes to light and that leads to surprising heartfelt moments between these characters. Despite all the visual effects, it is very nice to see that these films still have a beating heart underneath.
The voice cast continues to be game. After taking a semi-serious turn in the surprisingly great Goosebumps, Black returns to his usual comedic persona to great effect. His bumbling character is certain to go down as one of the most memorable animated characters ever to grace the silver screen. But Black still proves in a couple of scenes that he can be convincingly dramatic and serious. Without Black, these films would have been much different indeed.
It's also nice to hear the other returning cast members. While they don't play a huge part in the movie, the Furious Five are still remarkably game. You can tell Angelina Jolie is having a ball with her character, and David Cross' Master Crane is actually given a little more to do here (a mission scene with him and Seth Rogen's memorable Master Mantis was a very wise addition), whereas Lucy Liu's Viper and Jackie Chan's Monkey are given less to do. Hoffman, once again, is great as Master Shifu. One character that gets a major upgrade in terms of screentime is Mr. Ping, which Hong once again delivers with heart and sincerity.
The new characters are strong also. Cranston, who previously did another DreamWorks threequel (he was the tiger Vitaly in Madagascar 3), is very convincing and effective as Po's father. Simmons proves to be a very entertaining baddie. He may not have the sophistication of Gary Oldman's Lord Shen, but he's respectably intimidating. I also want to give a shout-out to Kate Hudson, who steals the show as Mei Mei. Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect) was originally voicing the character, until production scheduling changes forced her to drop out. Hudson had to do her voice work to a lot of the already-completed animation, and she successfully steps up to the challenge. She's hysterical and fun, and has a few great lines. I would have liked to have seen a little more of her if possible (maybe in a deleted scene? we'll see).
Hans Zimmer returns to score the film, and once again does a nice job. The closing score of Kung Fu Panda 2 was fantastic, and while the pieces here don't quite reach that sense of dramatic awesomeness, they still accompany the action and the rest of the scenes very effectively. The film also carries some genuinely funny moments, and it mostly stays away from bathroom humor in the process. 3 also carries several major references to the first two movies.
On the downside, there isn't much. There are a few repetitive gags that get slightly annoying (they could have had less of the hugging panda). I also thought the use of the song "Kung Fu Fighting" at the end, while still very entertaining, it felt just a little too reminiscent of the first film. Finally (and this was a non-issue for me but may be for some), the spiritual content is more present here than in the previous installments (read the bottom of the review for more information).
Running for almost 8 years now, the Kung Fu Panda franchise has continued to evolve visually and aesthetically. The second movie was a classic, with a deep story and some genuinely fantastic animation. By the time that movie reached its cliffhanger ending, I was already clamoring for the next movie. And 5 years later (somewhat of a long distance between movies), here we are (finally!).
And, I am more-than-pleased to admit, the wait was well worth it. Kung Fu Panda 3 had many moments that made me widely smile in childlike wonder, as well as scoot up to the front of my seat in frantic anticipation. And, with the jaw-dropping visuals, this reminded me over and over why I love animation so much. This genre takes you to fantastical worlds and places that not many live-action movies can do (though with the advanced technology, its starting to become more possible).
Kung Fu Panda 3 also refreshingly avoids going in a darker, riskier, and more mature direction (a'la How to Train Your Dragon 2). The supernatural world is still almost as cartoony as the animal world around it. And just when things look like they are going to become dead serious, Po lightens everything up with a funny ad-lib or two. In many ways then, 3 feels like a combination of the light-hearted and comedic aspects of the first movie, with the more dramatic and serious tones of the second. A very winning combination.
Now, if you haven't seen the previous two movies, I highly recommend you do so before watching this. But, for fans of the franchise as well as animation geeks, Kung Fu Panda 3 is an absolute blast, and one of the best films DreamWorks Animation has made to date.
Score: 8.9/10
Content Problems Families Should Be Aware Of:
Language: Nothing profane whatsoever. "Oh my gosh" and "loser". Po screams "my tenders!" when he accidentally puts spicy hot salts in his bathtub.
Adult Content: Mei Mei flirts, claiming Po can't keep his eyes off of her (its' obvious though that he isn't interested in return).
Violence: The usual kung fu battles (and Looney Tunes style slapstick) that earn the film its PG rating. A few battles result in some minor property damage (more property is literally smashed and destroyed by Po and Kai in the Spirit realm). Kung Fu masters have their "Chi" stolen, and are turned into green jade statue versions of themselves for battle. Kai throws his two sword-like weapons at people. Besides that, Po is comically and cartoonishly hit and smacked several times, as well as other characters. Shifu and Tigress are apparently injured after a fight (we see them both limp).
Drugs/Alcohol: None I can remember.
Other: One pee joke. Po vomits a couple of times. A goose, in fear, lays several eggs. Some bad eating habits. Someone lies. Po and Li play recklessly in the Jade Palace, breaking several things in the process. The idea of "Chi", the spiritual realm, and other Eastern Mysticism concepts and spirituality may concern some Christian families, and may require discussion with impressionable children.
