By Cynthia Ayala
20th Century Fox
Image Credit: Kernels Corner
Living large and loving life, Po realizes that he has a lot to learn if he is going to fulfill the next challenge from his beloved instructor. After reuniting with his long-lost father, Po must transition from student to teacher and train a group of fun-loving, clumsy pandas to become martial-arts fighters. Together, the kung-fu brethren unite to take on the evil Kai, a supernatural warrior who becomes stronger with each battle.
Kung-Fu Panda 3 is the third and film in the Kung-Fu Panda franchise and delivers laughs and love on every level.
If there is, one thing that is to be taken from this movie, it is the beautiful artistry behind the animation. The strokes and design within the film are beautiful, and the animation only highlights the beautiful artwork that glows on the screen. Not only that but the technical design behind it was also amazing. It had this split screen directive that captured the film and the classic aesthetic of the classic martial art film. The whole artistic design centralizes the overall theme of the movie and gives it a very energetic feel to it. It is always moving forward, keeping the audience entertained from the opening to the end, but there is love in the film and tons of comedy. It all blends so well to create a fantastic story, and not just regarding this movie, but the full series.
It is evident that the writers took then entire series into account when they decided to write this film, making this series come full circle. With just the story in mind, it is clear that the writers put their all into this movie. The story was beautiful because it was about identity and family and what that all means when it comes to figuring out who you are. It is such an important message and one for people of all ages because everyone is trying to figure out who he or she is in the world, what their identity means to them. So for the writers to make that concept easy to grasp for all ages by wrapping it in comedy and heartfelt moments is brilliant.
As for the voice acting, it is clear that the actors put as much heart into the film as the writers and creative team. Jack Black was the best person for the role. You can hear his humor through the character, just the way he delivered his lines was incredible. The whole cast was amazing and perfectly cast, and they really brought the movie to life.
Overall, everything about this film was amazing. The story was expertly written and when coupled with beautiful artistry and an amazing voice cast, this film is perfect for all ages. (★★★☆ | A)
—Film Credits—
Directed by Alessandro Carloni & Jennifer Yuh
Written by Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger
Starring: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, J. K. Simmons, Bryan Cranston, Jackie Chan, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Seth Rogen, David Cross & Kate Hudson
Genre | Length | Rating: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family | 1 hr. 35 min | PG
Distributed by 20th Century Fox