In the third installment of the popular family film series Kung Fu Panda, you will find yourself on an emotional roller coaster with just enough action, comedy and love to go around.
Large and adorable, panda Po (Jack Black) realizes he has a lot to learn if he wants to surpass his next obstacle from his role-model instructor. During this long, adventurous process, he finds himself reunited with his long-lost father (Bryan Cranston). Po must find a way to morph into the teacher he was always destined to be. With help from his new panda family, the martial-arts masters come together to fight the envious and malevolent Kai (J.K. Simmons), a warrior who came back from the spirit realm in order to steal everyone’s chi.
I have always been a kid at heart, but watching this film truly made me feel like it was my first time ever watching Kung Fu Panda in the movie theater. Since it brought back a ton of memories, I couldn’t help but notice all of the fantastic, quality changes the film has gone through. This has always been a great series, but this movie takes the gold when it comes down to story line and visual effects. There is no doubt in my mind that the creative directors and graphic designers behind this film spent tons and tons of hours developing the amazing oriental scenes within this movie.
Every single color, movement, saying or setting in this film truly embodies what Kung Fu Panda is all about, which makes the meaning and experience for an avid moviegoer all the more understanding and worthwhile. Because of the sincere story line, it will hit home for lots of viewers and family members. One thing I do wish I had the opportunity to see more of are the famous and Furious Five (voiced by Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Angelina Jolie, David Cross, and Seth Rogen) and Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) in action altogether, especially when attempting to defeat the evil Kai.
Ultimately, Kung Fu Panda 3 is a hilarious and charming film for everyone in the family to enjoy. Whether it’s moving you to tears from laughter or gloominess, you’ll find it hard not to smile with satisfaction when the credits begin rolling. This movie is rated PG for its martial arts action and some mild rude humor, so I think this will be just perfect for kids ages 5 to 18. I rate this film 4.5 out of 5 five stars.
