ReviewKung Fu Panda 4 movie review: Jack Black joined by Awkwafina, Viola Davis and Dustin Hoffman in fresh sequel 8 years on
- The dumpling-eating martial artist Po, voiced by Jack Black, returns, this time on a mission to defeat The Chameleon, voiced by Viola Davis
- Joined by an acrobatic fox, Zhen – voiced by Awkwafina – Po heads for the city where The Chameleon, shape shifting and power hungry, is based
3.5/5 stars
Most film franchises insist on pumping out sequels with alarming regularity, but this eight-year gap means the dumpling-loving creature’s return is a fond one. With Po voiced once again by Jack Black, Kung Fu Panda 4 is far better than the unimaginative title suggests.
Directed by Mike Mitchell, an animation veteran with credits in the Shrek, Trolls and Alvin and the Chipmunks universes, the latest instalment begins as Po is informed by his mentor Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) that he must choose a new Dragon Warrior.
Reluctant to give up his title and hand over the Staff of Wisdom, he is soon out to prove himself on a mission to bring down The Chameleon (Viola Davis), a power-hungry, shape-shifting reptile.
With the Furious Five – warriors from earlier films, voiced by Angelina Jolie and others – out of the picture, Po is joined by an acrobatic fox named Zhen (Awkwafina), who helps him navigate the big, bad city where The Chameleon has set up as an evil overlord.