Just recently, Dreamworks Animation released the newest teaser for Kung Fu Panda 4 releasing this March, generating a substantial amount of excitement and hype for the Dragon Warrior’s latest adventures. Personally, I was swept up by nostalgia. The first time I ever saw Kung Fu Panda (2008) was when I was 5 years old, and it seems like a lifetime ago that I heard the legendary Jack Black dub Po’s voice and watched his adventures through the screen of my mom’s iPod. But, there seems to be a secret ingredient as to why Kung Fu Panda franchise stands out from the rest–their newest installment being no exception.
Arguably, a crucial question we have for Po and his friends upon viewing the trailer is: Where is the iconic Furious Five? Just kidding. Well, that’s probably a pretty important question, but the more pressing question falls upon its star-studded legacy–will Kung Fu Panda 4 truly be able to live up to its gold-plated storyline? The answer is pretty clear: absolutely. The trailer shows just enough to satiate our empty stomachs but holds off on the meat of the film, which is the rest of the storyline.
Po’s first villain of his Kung-Fu career, Tai Lung, makes a cameo, beating the allegations of his potential death: simultaneously opening up the possibility for other villains from Po’s lifetime that could also make an appearance, as well as allies such as Master Oogway. The more dynamic “heist” nature of Po’s adventure also differentiates it from past films, as he makes his way through a lair of the newest main villain, The Chameleon.
One of the successes of the first few films that will unequivocally make the upcoming film so valuable is the accurate portrayal of Chinese culture.”
Furthermore, the Kung Fu Panda series marks a crucial, symbolic pathway for Asian-American representation within Hollywood, and the revitalization of this film series in 2024 represents the continued inclusion of Chinese heritage within the vast expanses of Western filmmaking. One of the successes of the first few films that will unequivocally make the upcoming film so valuable is the accurate portrayal of Chinese culture, including the elaborately animated fight choreography that show off the sheer complexity of the martial art of Kung Fu and the food that Po and his father enjoy.
We also can’t forget about the elephant, or rather the panda, in the room regarding the film’s composer being one of the greatest film composers of all time: Hans Zimmer. Even if you don’t know who this is, you’ve probably heard his work before in the Oscar-worthy masterpieces of Interstellar (2014), The Dark Knight (2008), Dune (2021), and The Lion King (1994). Undoubtedly, his ability to string together and orchestrate masterpieces one after another only adds fuel to the fire of his next film’s excitement. His addition will not only spice up every fight sequence, but add a buttery-smooth feeling to all of the fight-choreography.
The question of whether or not Kung Fu Panda 4 will live up to its name is a question that will continue to ring in our heads for a couple of months. But after getting swept in the tidaI wave of excitement and hype from their trailers, I say it’s time we all start hopping on the Kung Fu Panda bandwagon, because Po isn’t waiting for us.