In American animation, talking animal movies are a dime-a-dozen, but the "Kung Fu Panda" series is a gem. A big part of the appeal comes from the charming lead performance of Jack Black as Dragon Warrior Po (read /Film's interview with Black on the "Kung Fu Panda" circuit here). Another reason is the Wuxia-inspired action, where the bouncy CGI complements the characters' acrobatics and allows filmmakers to execute "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" style wire-fu with no need for actual wires.
Then there's the other secret ingredient: the villains. In each of the four films made so far (with the "Kung Fu Panda 4" box office making it likely another chapter won't be far behind), Po faces a new adversary, one with a new power he must overcome while also advancing on his own spiritual journey. Pretty typical hero's journey stuff, but like in martial arts, it's all about the proper execution.
Then there's the other secret ingredient: the villains. In each of the four films made so far (with the "Kung Fu Panda 4" box office making it likely another chapter won't be far behind), Po faces a new adversary, one with a new power he must overcome while also advancing on his own spiritual journey. Pretty typical hero's journey stuff, but like in martial arts, it's all about the proper execution.
- 5/5/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
The vast and vibrant animated franchise of Kung Fu Panda has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide. Starring Jack Black as the lovable panda turned Dragon Warrior Po, the film series has now become a cultural phenomenon. However, with the release of Kung Fu Panda 4, fans found themselves in utter disappointment over how the film ended.
A scene from Kung Fu Panda 4
Shifting the responsibility of a Dragon Warrior onto the next generation, Kung Fu Panda 4 severely upset fans as they dismissed Jack Black’s Po to appoint Awkwafina’s Zhen in the new role. Fans wage war on social media as they call out the film for appointing Zhen over the deserving candidate – Tigress.
Zhen Becomes the New Dragon Warrior After Jack Black’s Po
Kung Fu Panda 4 released in 2024 witnessed the end of Po’s (Jack Black) journey as the dragon warrior. While the movie mostly received positive reviews,...
A scene from Kung Fu Panda 4
Shifting the responsibility of a Dragon Warrior onto the next generation, Kung Fu Panda 4 severely upset fans as they dismissed Jack Black’s Po to appoint Awkwafina’s Zhen in the new role. Fans wage war on social media as they call out the film for appointing Zhen over the deserving candidate – Tigress.
Zhen Becomes the New Dragon Warrior After Jack Black’s Po
Kung Fu Panda 4 released in 2024 witnessed the end of Po’s (Jack Black) journey as the dragon warrior. While the movie mostly received positive reviews,...
- 4/21/2024
- by Krittika Mukherjee
- FandomWire
Jack Black’s Po is back after nearly a decade, and he’s already receiving a hero’s welcome from audiences.
Kung Fu Panda 4 opened to a stellar $58.3 million domestically, well ahead of expectations and a near-series best in a win for the family marketplace, as well as for DreamWorks Animation and parent company Universal (the studio behind Sunday’s Academy Awards frontrunner Oppenheimer). The only other Kung Fu Panda installment to open higher was the first one in 2008 with $62 million, not adjusted for inflation.
Along with Black, returning members of the Kung Fu Panda 4 voice cast include Dustin Hoffman as Kung Fu master Shifu, James Hong as Po’s adoptive father, Bryan Cranston as Po’s birth father Li and Ian McShane as Shifu’s former student and arch-nemesis.
Series newcomers include Viola Davis as a tiny lizard and shapeshifting sorceress and Awakawfina as a quick-witted thief...
Kung Fu Panda 4 opened to a stellar $58.3 million domestically, well ahead of expectations and a near-series best in a win for the family marketplace, as well as for DreamWorks Animation and parent company Universal (the studio behind Sunday’s Academy Awards frontrunner Oppenheimer). The only other Kung Fu Panda installment to open higher was the first one in 2008 with $62 million, not adjusted for inflation.
Along with Black, returning members of the Kung Fu Panda 4 voice cast include Dustin Hoffman as Kung Fu master Shifu, James Hong as Po’s adoptive father, Bryan Cranston as Po’s birth father Li and Ian McShane as Shifu’s former student and arch-nemesis.
Series newcomers include Viola Davis as a tiny lizard and shapeshifting sorceress and Awakawfina as a quick-witted thief...
- 3/9/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
You can’t keep the Dragon Warrior down; Kung Fu Panda 4 is off to a promising start at the box office as it has grossed $3.8 million in Thursday night previews. Not bad, Po. Not bad at all.
The box office projections for Kung Fu Panda 4 are shaping up to be the second-best opening weekend of the entire franchise with $52 million. That would help it take the number one spot from Dune: Part Two, which is expected to take in $41 million. The Thursday night preview number is also the best opening for a Dreamworks Animation title since How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, which opened to a $3 million preview take. Speaking of Dune: Part Two, the acclaimed sequel will finish the week with a domestic take of $111 million, putting it over the first movie’s entire domestic run of $108.8 million.
Related Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net: Dragon Ball,...
The box office projections for Kung Fu Panda 4 are shaping up to be the second-best opening weekend of the entire franchise with $52 million. That would help it take the number one spot from Dune: Part Two, which is expected to take in $41 million. The Thursday night preview number is also the best opening for a Dreamworks Animation title since How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, which opened to a $3 million preview take. Speaking of Dune: Part Two, the acclaimed sequel will finish the week with a domestic take of $111 million, putting it over the first movie’s entire domestic run of $108.8 million.
Related Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net: Dragon Ball,...
- 3/8/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Po (Jack Black) and Zhen (Awkwafina) in ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ (Photo © 2023 DreamWorks Animation)
The affable, karate-chopping, dumpling-loving panda Po is back for his next big challenge – to find and train his replacement – in DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4, the latest addition to its animated film franchise. As the film opens, Po (voiced by Jack Black) is in the middle of taking down a new big baddie from the sea and saving some residents of the Valley of Peace. After triumphantly capturing the giant sea creature, Po is once again cheered and applauded.
Returning home to help his two dads, Ping (voiced by James Hong) and Li (voiced by Bryan Cranston), with their restaurant, Po hears about a new threat to the valley. A sorceress called The Chameleon (voiced by Viola Davis), because she’s a small lizard that can shapeshift into any creature, is determined to wreak havoc on the town.
The affable, karate-chopping, dumpling-loving panda Po is back for his next big challenge – to find and train his replacement – in DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4, the latest addition to its animated film franchise. As the film opens, Po (voiced by Jack Black) is in the middle of taking down a new big baddie from the sea and saving some residents of the Valley of Peace. After triumphantly capturing the giant sea creature, Po is once again cheered and applauded.
Returning home to help his two dads, Ping (voiced by James Hong) and Li (voiced by Bryan Cranston), with their restaurant, Po hears about a new threat to the valley. A sorceress called The Chameleon (voiced by Viola Davis), because she’s a small lizard that can shapeshift into any creature, is determined to wreak havoc on the town.
- 3/8/2024
- by Kevin Finnerty
- Showbiz Junkies
Since we’re nearly into Spring Break season for students, the studios are gearing up to release some sequels (usually a Summer staple). I suppose you could consider last weekend’s Dune: Part Two a sequel, though it’s really the conclusion of the original story. Ah, but this weekend’s big studio release is the latest entry in a “tentpole”, a franchise that’s now a teenager (sweet sixteen). Plus it’s an “all-ages” series with a”PG” rating that parents are always searching for (he’s been Mia at the multiplex for eight years now). It’s not from the “Mouse House”, but rather their biggest animation rival for a time. And this was the character they created that truly worked for me (I’m not a fan of the look of the big green ogre’s exploits). Watch out, and hold on to your snacks, as Master Po is back,...
- 3/8/2024
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Image: DreamWorks Animation
Throughout the course of the Kung Fu Panda trilogy, we’ve seen dim-witted, dumpling-obsessed panda Po (voiced by Jack Black) transform from a bumbling, underestimated rube into an insightful, self-confident warrior—a Dragon Master, to be exact. He’s found his chi, taken a journey of self-discovery,...
Throughout the course of the Kung Fu Panda trilogy, we’ve seen dim-witted, dumpling-obsessed panda Po (voiced by Jack Black) transform from a bumbling, underestimated rube into an insightful, self-confident warrior—a Dragon Master, to be exact. He’s found his chi, taken a journey of self-discovery,...
- 3/6/2024
- by Courtney Howard
- avclub.com
Animated film franchises have a way of making you feel old. When you watch live-action movie series featuring your favorite stars over a period of many years, the actors at least have the grace to age along with their audiences. But the characters in animated movies tend to always look the same, as demonstrated by Po, the hero of Kung Fu Panda 4. As still delightfully voiced by Jack Black, he’s exactly the same big, furry lug that he was in the original film, which came out in, gulp, 2008.
Well, he’s a little different. He’s now been the Dragon Warrior for so long that his mentor, Shifu (Dustin Hoffman, sounding more gravelly than ever), orders him to relinquish his title and assume the role of Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. Po, who’s preoccupied with starting his own noodle restaurant, resists at first, but ultimately...
Well, he’s a little different. He’s now been the Dragon Warrior for so long that his mentor, Shifu (Dustin Hoffman, sounding more gravelly than ever), orders him to relinquish his title and assume the role of Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. Po, who’s preoccupied with starting his own noodle restaurant, resists at first, but ultimately...
- 3/6/2024
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A-list actors taking on vocal work for animated films has always been an uneven trend, with the results ranging from genuine greatness to utter tedium. But while many actors who lend their voices to Pixar or DreamWorks releases often seem to just be in it for the easy paycheck, the same can’t be said of Jack Black, who seems physically incapable of not giving 100 percent in any film. As the villainous Bowser, he was the saving grace of the otherwise forgettable “Super Mario Bros. Movie,” delivering hammy line readings that chewed up and spit out that computer-generated, Nintendo-focused-grouped scenery.
In his most famous voice-acting role, as Po in Dreamworks’ “Kung Fu Panda” movie series, Black’s charm and enthusiasm elevated an entire trilogy single-handedly. From its 2008 original film to the trilogy capper in 2016, the “Kung Fu Panda” movies — set in an animal-run, wuxia-inspired ancient China, and following nerdy...
In his most famous voice-acting role, as Po in Dreamworks’ “Kung Fu Panda” movie series, Black’s charm and enthusiasm elevated an entire trilogy single-handedly. From its 2008 original film to the trilogy capper in 2016, the “Kung Fu Panda” movies — set in an animal-run, wuxia-inspired ancient China, and following nerdy...
- 3/6/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.