'Kung Fu Panda 3' Review

I'm a tad late with this review but I recently saw the latest installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise after recently rewatching the first two films for my Throwback Thursday Reviews the two weeks leading up to the third film's release. Animated sequels have a tendency to fall short of the original with a few exceptions and Kung Fu Panda 3 proved to be a solid conclusion to the Kung Fu Panda trilogy that brings the overarching narrative full circle. When compared with the other two, there are certainly huge similarities in embracing the classic heartfelt message to be yourself. This film probably has the most depth and substance in the franchise once again dipping it's toes in the water of mature themes involving Po feeling torn between his adoptive and biological fathers. Simultaneously, this is the most fun, entertaining installment yet that sports gorgeous animation, fun humor, and some cool kung fu action sequences. The entire vocal ensemble cast are great when utilized properly. Jack Black once again brings life into Po, with charisma and heart galore. Bryan Cranston is a welcome addition to the franchise as Po's father and James Hong, who voices Po's adoptive dad, got to delve into some of the deeper themes and nails it. The returning cast are for the most part relegated to smaller supporting roles but are great when used. J.K. Simmons made for a great new villain as Kai with a malevolent gravitas. Kung Fu Panda 3 takes the groundwork laid by it's predecessors, Kung Fu Panda and Kung Fu Panda 2, and elevates it to a new level of fun, entertaining animation with even more heart. Kung Fu Panda 3 brings the Kung Fu Panda trilogy to a close, cementing the films as another solid animated trilogy that leaves the door open for another potential installment should Dreamworks decide to go in that direction. If you enjoyed the first two, you'll certainly have fun watching Kung Fu Panda 3.

Film Assessment: A-

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Kung Fu Panda 2'

This week continues and completes my Throwback Thursday Reviews of the Kung Fu Panda films leading into this week's Kung Fu Panda 3.  Next week I will review
Zoolander to get ahead and review it leading up to it's sequel the following week since Zoolander 2 and Deadpool are coming out the same weekend. Therefore I will review Zoolander next week, followed by X-Men Origins: Wolverine the following week.

'Kung Fu Panda 2' Review

Nominated For: Best Animated Feature.
Kung Fu Panda 2 picks up after the original and strays from feeling like a retread, which can be a problem for many sequels, but rather an extension of the story that began in Kung Fu Panda. The sequel elevates so much of what the original introduced. The animation once again is top notch and the action sequences are even better than before accompanied with great humor once again. The voice cast once again nails it as they perfectly match their respective characters. Jack Black is so entertaining as Jack Black, providing so much charisma and heart to the character of Po. Dustin Hoffman is great in his limited screen time but when onscreen brings the wise demeanor of Master Shi Fu. Meanwhile on the other side of the coin, Angelina Jolie's role as Tigress becomes significantly more important as opposed to the first film. The film's villain is a great standout as Gary Oldman provides the voice for Lord Shen. Shen is so menacing and makes for a complex antagonist for our heroes. I can't speak too much for the rest of the voice cast as the remainder have very limited speaking roles and didn't particularly standout. Now speaking for the film as a whole, Kung Fu Panda 2 does something few animated sequels can accomplish in that it escalates the fun of the franchise to a new level bringing with it a new layer of sophistication and depth putting it with some of Dreamworks' best work alongside the Shrek films, How To Train Your Dragon films, and the original Kung Fu Panda.

Film Assessment: B+

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Kung Fu Panda' Review

This review begins what will be my brief series of Throwback Thursday reviews leading up to  Kung Fu Panda 3  Next week I will continue with my review of Kung Fu Panda 2.

'Kung Fu Panda' Review

Nominated For: Best Animated Feature.

Kung Fu Panda, just the idea of a Panda learning Kung Fu seems at least a bit intriguing. Essentially, that is a basic outline of the plot. Kung Fu Panda isn't quite at the level of any of Pixar's films, although it's a Dreamworks Animation film so it's not exactly expected to, but that means that while the film is quite entertaining it doesn't exactly have the mature themes and depth that many Pixar films contain. As I said, the film is quite entertaining and that's in large part to a number of things.  The animation is beautiful, there's some decent humor, and some really cool action sequences. The major martial arts action sequences are the main draw to the film and are all particularly enjoyable. I can't speak too much about the voice cast but everyone seems to be perfectly cast paired with their respective characters. In particular, Jack Black is quite amusing as Po. Overall, I can say Kung Fu Panda held up to how I remembered it and certainly remains among some of Dreamwork Animation's greatest animated films, alongside the Shrek and How To Train Your Dragon films.

Film Assessment: B