Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? No.
Should you watch this at 3D movie ticket prices? No.
Score: 3.0/5
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 95 minutes (~1.5 hours)
“Kung Fu Panda 3” is a 3D animated action comedy, which is the third in the “Kung Fu Panda” franchise. It sees title character Po returning to his roots to find a way to defeat Kai, a spirit warrior who threatens multiple worlds. It features the voice talents of Jack Black (Po), Angelina Jolie (Master Tigress), Dustin Hoffman (Master Shifu), J.K. Simmons (Kai), Lucy Liu (Master Viper), Jackie Chan (Master Monkey), Seth Rogen (Master Mantis), David Cross (Master Crane), Bryan Cranston (Li Shan), Kate Hudson (Mei Mei), James Hong (Mr Ping), and Randall Duk Kim (Grand Master Oogway).
On the surface, “Kung Fu Panda 3” has all the ingredients for a great hit — cute characters, lavish locations, and special skills for Po to learn. Yet even with all these elements, it lacks a sense of fulfillment. Perhaps it’s because the setups point us in the wrong direction, such that the payoffs fail to meet expectations. Nevertheless, it’s still an entertaining film, if a little disappointing at times.
Highlights
Energetic martial arts battles
Po and his Furious Five friends are as acrobatic as ever with their fighting styles, blending martial arts moves with their unique animal physiques to defeat their foes. The villains are just as agile as the heroes, and the wide shots that show multiple battles going are epic in nature. By providing visual proof of our heroes’ abilities, the film sidesteps potentially clumsy dialogue about how powerful the Masters are.
A peek into the supernatural world
Having seen almost all of China in the previous film, “Kung Fu Panda 3” expands its scope by showing us another dimension, the Spirit Realm. It works as a distinct marker between power levels, since only the most powerful characters in the film are able to navigate its different physical laws. Plot-wise it is the exotic, undiscovered realm which the hero must travel to for his final confrontation, and metaphorically, it also ties up Po’s story neatly.
Letdowns
Po’s struggles aren’t convincing
Po’s struggle at the beginning is very obviously shoehorned in as a setup for a later plot point… which doesn’t get resolved satisfactorily. This is just one of the examples of the mismatch between setups and payoffs. Po’s later conflicts hardly last long enough to make an impact or even qualify as obstacles. His victories come too easily, and are hollow as a result.
Not enough focus
There are just so many things happening in the film that not enough focus is given to any of it. Hence the copious amounts of magical handwaving to avoid precious extra minutes of boring exposition. But the exploration is so shallow and short that it hardly registers in your mind. Hence you never become curious, when you should be, about this magical and wondrous world.
Not enough character development
The new characters are introduced so late, and in such great numbers, that there’s insufficient time to develop them. At the same time, the old characters are sidelined to make room for them, meaning that they don’t get much development either. This shortchanges all the characters, and gives us a cast of interesting, but one-dimensional characters.
Even with its flaws, “Kung Fu Panda 3” is still a terrific piece of entertainment.
“Kung Fu Panda 3” opens in cinemas 10 March, 2016 (Thursday).
Leave a Reply