Of Kung Fu Panda 4 currently in theaters, it’s a good time to catch up on the previous installment of the fun and funny franchise, which sees Jack Black reprise his role as Po, the lovable panda of the title. This time the cast also includes Bryan “Walter White” Cranston, Kate Hudson, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen and JK Simmons, and it’s a surprisingly moving film with some emotional hits among the martial arts craze.
Is Kung Fu Panda 3 worth streaming?
Yes. Franchises have a tendency to run out, and that’s especially true for popular children’s entertainment. But the third Panda film taps into the trend and has a strong 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. A large part of the success is of course the enormous charisma of Jack Black, but the writing style is also good. Like Jennifer Heaton from Alternative lens writes: “it doesn’t quite have the originality of the first film or the daring of the second, but it still has heart where it counts.”
The film isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but it’s still a fun experience. The independent says: “It may offer exactly the same mix of chaos, noodles and dumplings as the first two films in the series, but Kung Fu Panda 3 is still energetic and hugely entertaining.” And ContactMusic thought it improved in some respects from the first films: “Both the writing and animation are particularly strong this time around, bringing out bigger themes while still keeping things both exciting and very silly.”
“It’s not tired recycling,” says The age, which argues that “the film deftly amplifies and expands on what has come before.” And the New Zealand herald says, “It’s smart, colorful and simple fun for the whole family.”