Kung Fu Panda 4 Parent Review by the Hobbit. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Watch
Movie: Kung Fu Panda 4
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Action, Animated
Age Suggestion: 6 and up
Running Time: 1 hr. 34 mins.
Release Date: March 8th, 2024
Warnings: Mild peril and violence, some slightly scary and creepy creatures (villains), some troubling adoptive storylines (More details below)
Quick Kung Fu Panda 4 Summary
Master Shifu informs Po that it is time to start selecting his successor as the dragon warrior, but Po is hesitant to withdraw the mantle. While the furious five are away on missions, a new villain appears who is set on taken over the mantle of the best kung fu master of them all. Can Po overcome this new powerful foe? Will he find a successor or just find himself the Dragon Master in perpetuity? Are there any more dumplings? We’ll just have to wait and find out.
Kung Fu Panda 4 Parent Review
-Overall Review and Thoughts
Kung Fu Panda 4 is the latest movie in this long-standing series. It does an interesting job introducing some new characters, some good and some villainous. Zhen, voiced by Awkwafina, is by far the most intriguing character that this series has added in quite some time. Kung Fu Panda 4 tells a good, gripping story that does roll into predictability quite a few times. Despite this, there are some good, heartfelt moments and some nice laughs to be had.
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Spoilers Beyond This Point
The actual conclusion of this film is by far it’s biggest strength. Our villain, The Chameleon, has gained the powers of all of Po’s past villains and the powers of Po himself. This leaves it up to Po and Zhen to overcome these seemingly unstoppable odds. After the success, all of Po’s past villains acknowledge that Po is truly the dragon warrior and is worthy of that mantle.
-Is Kung Fu Panda 4 Appropriate for Younger Viewers
As a quick note, for anyone who has seen the first three movies of this series, this movie is of a similar ilk and should be fine for viewing. With that said, I will break down a few of the bigger items that may be issues for younger viewers. The whole movie involves kung fu and fighting is a pretty significant part of the film.
There are a few scenes where a fire breaks out or a villain has an overpowering creepy feel to their scenes. This is especially true of The Chameleon. Whenever she transforms, the entire tone of the scene changes into a much darker one. At the climax of the movie, The Chameleon transforms herself into a monstrous amalgamation of a bunch of different animals (this is probably the scariest visual of the film). There is also some troubling adoptive storylines, but we will cover those in the next section.
-A Note for Foster/Adoptive Parents
There are two major adoption storylines in Kung Fu Panda 4. One shows a relatively healthy relationship with adoption and the other is quite abysmal. The first one is Po’s Dads (Adoptive and Bio). They work together really well throughout the movie to ensure Po’s safety and both have a good, working relationship with Po.
The other adoption storyline is from Zhen. She tells Po earlier in the film that she was an orphan who learned to steal while on the streets, until someone takes her in and cares for her. It is later revealed that this person is The Chameleon and this relationship is verrry toxic.
The Chameleon only cared for Zhen because of her usefulness to her and says that she would not care for her if she becomes useless to the Chameleon. Zhen does turn on The Chameleon eventually to help the good guys and the Chameleon tells her that she should have left Zhen on the streets. Zhen takes this in stride, but this whole subplot could be very triggering for adoptive kids or kids in the foster system.
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Favorite Kung Fu Panda 4 Quotes
It is time for you to choose your successor.
Who you are will always be a part of who you become.
I’m just going to say this. Nothing about you says dragon or warrior.
Every step leaves a footprint. No matter how small.
Justice does not stop for lunch, but it does take an occasional break for snackage.
It’s never too late to do the right thing.
Violence makes my tummy tingle.
Change doesn’t always have to be a bad thing.
As long as I’m still the dragon warrior, I won’t let anyone else get hurt because of me.
Are guys ready to do the right thing for the wrong reasons?
Real change happens from within.
-Kung Fu Panda 4 Quotes
Kung Fu Panda 4 Discussion Questions
Themes to Discuss: Passing the Torch, Responsibility, Confidence, Redemption
- Who was your favorite character and why?
- If you could transform into any animal, which one would you choose?
- How is Po different from the beginning and the end of the movie?
- What motivated The Chameleon to become a kung fu master?
- What was the significance of the villains showing their respect to Po at the end of the movie?
- What are the similarities between Po and Zhen? What are there differences?
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