Kung Fu Panda 4: a successful sequel (review)

Return of the brawling panda in an opus mutedly traversed by a question about the passing of time… Funny, fast, effective: work by Po.

Eight years have passed since Kung Fu Panda 3. Children born at the time of the first part will soon be adults. Time flies. You can also hear it in Master Shifu’s voice – that of Dustin Hoffman, in original version, more and more cavernous. And in his words, too, when he announces at the beginning of the film that it is time for Po, the kung fu expert panda, to cede his title of “Dragon Warrior” to someone else and consider retraining as a spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace.

But can Po, a hero who is still immature despite his years on the clock, calm down, he who loves nothing more than kicking ass between two ravioli tastings? Kung Fu Panda, this franchise which thrives on generic intrigues and good moments quickly forgotten, can it claim the historicity of the great sagas? This is the (small) theoretical tension at work in this fourth opus, above all filled with funny adventures, virtuoso fights and jokes delivered with enthusiasm by a stylish vocal cast.

Awkwafina doubles as a resourceful vixen who will help Po/Jack Black face the very nasty lizard Chameleone, a super character capable of taking on the appearance of any creature – good plot trick to bring together Po's old adversaries and assert the dimension “best-of” and retrospective of this episode. Time flies, we look back. The series of Kung Fu Panda may not have produced very great films, but we must admit that through perseverance, Po earned his stripes as a true cinema hero.

By Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Stine. With the voices (in French) of Manu Payet, Pierre Adirti… Duration 1h34. Released March 27, 2024