Saw Kung Fu Panda 4 **SPOILERS** · 11:15am March 6th
Wow 12 years since I joined, huh... Meh.
Anywho, Kung Fu Panda 3 is pretty bad. The 1st 2 were masterpieces. The 2008 one focused on a goofy neophyte outsider who proved he could be as good just as the masters if he accepted himself. Pretty standard self-love value that has been used a lot before and since, but there's nothing wrong with that and it did everything well.
Then 2nd one came out in 2011. Great overall, but let's start with its small & only con; wonky pacing. It hits the ground running then immediately went into a travel montage which felt sudden but ok, but there are noticeable start and stop points that just trips momentum and jostles you in your immersion. I may be reading into it much, so that might be negligible for those who like to repeat watch. But everything else is just as good as the 1st--peak I would daresay. Even better was Po's character development, dealing with the power-hungry warlord who destroyed his village & killed his mother. Like the 1st it was a funny and endearing movie with great kung fu action, but the 2nd had even greater emotion than that. Imagine Shifu's fight with Tai Lung in the 1st then multiply that by 10 because it's the main character experiencing it and the villain was to one who caused his pain--not just for one fight, but for a greater portion of the movie. Then it hits us with a teaser scene at the end that the panda village actually escaped and is thriving, and his father (implied to be a master with his own sash) is their protector or leader of sorts. Pretty exciting stuff!
Then the 3rd came out in 2016. Serviceable but disappointment compared to the 1st 2. It's just a kid's movie thru and thru, in the dumb stereotypical way people have come to expect of animated movies. The dialog is wonky and the writing is pretty plain. Po's dad is a bumbling idiot and the rest of the pandas are slapstick bimbos made to make kids laugh. Mr. Ping, Po's Duck dad & low key MVP of the 1st 2 films, is jealous his biological dad is here for reasons, which is dumb. And overall it lacks the depth and substance of the 1st 2. The villain, Kai, had a cool design and great theme tho.
Then 4th which came out recently is worse, even worse than 3rd. It's a frantically talkative movie all through out. Everyone LOVES TO TALK and spell out exposition or motives. There are barely any quiet moments or tension. This movie is 94 minutes long and there is talking for close to 80% of it. There was a scene with a bunch of mafia bosses complaining about the villain who took over their city, and it's literally them just spoonfeeding us the info interview style. The only evil things the villain does are frighten them and push one guy down some stairs. The A plot is Po venturing forth with the fox to defeat the villain, while the B plot is Mr. Ping & panda Dad following him because they are worried. The beats of both plotlines follow are fine, but the nuance and logic of the screenplay and dialog are dumb and insulting to anyone with standards. We come to the same restaurant balancing on the edge of a cliff for same wacky fights and teetering-over-the-edge gag because it's basically a shack and pandas are fatasses. Speaking of gags, the movie is saturated with gags, one liners, quips, and cringe lines that are trying to sound cool & hip. Mr. Ping & panda dad keep repeating they are Po's 'dads' like they're supposed be a gay couple without actually saying it out loud, which is just as bad as married couples with kids who point out to single people how alone they are and are 'missing out.' Vomit inducing unsubtlety 
One clear sign of cut corners were the miner goats, who are all basically the same character model, and they weren't even trying to hide it. Panda dad is literally the worse character of the series now. Go watch the 2nd movie for Po's flash back scenes of him and the end scene, and the comparison is like looking at a bar of gold next to a shiny plastic turd. Li Shan, the strong father who wielded a huge hammer to protect his family as his village burned around him is dead. Only idiot panda dad remains. Ian Shane's return as Tai Lung is an underutilized shame, and in spite of Kai & Lord Shen returning from the 2nd & 3rd films, they are both unvoiced (guess they couldn't afford JK Simmons or Gary Oldman) and are just plot devices to give the villain power. At least the fox has a cool design.
Though still clearly made for kids, the 1st 2 were fun films that loved and paid homage 80s kung fu films but also told a thoughtful, and poignant story with inspiring dialog sprinkled here and there, and writing that didn't look down on their target demographic or think they were dumb. The 2nd 2 are the opposite, the 4th being worse than the 3rd. They are bottom of the barrel tactless and tasteless western animation fodder that has been stuffed with anodyne moments, treacled and clumsy dialog, boring martial arts (HOW DID THEY MAKE KUNG FU BORING), and tired gags and sequences that appeal to the lowest common denominator. I won't say don't watch it, but I came out disappointed. If you have any expectations of it being slightly better than the 3rd, you will leave the theater unsatisfied.
I apologize for that. I needed to vent my disappointment. To make up for that rant, here is a sneak peak into chapter 6 of Midlight Daze. I will remove this part by the end of the week.
3/17; Sneak Peak removed. Please tune in to Midlight Daze!
