I’ve never been the biggest fan of the Kung Fu Panda series… it’s not something I grew up with and I barely even remember the third film. But I’ve been ok with them… nothing great, nothing bad. So when I say part 4 is about like the rest, but also the least of them, consider it high praise comparatively. Though it is telling the best part of the film is Jack Black singing a cover of Baby One More Time during the end credits.

Part 4 follows Po on the next stage of his journey… ascending to wise master and turning over the gig of Dragon Warrior to another. But before he can do so, dang it all, a new shape shifting baddie shows up. With the help of a sneaky fox thief, he is simply forced to go on another Dragon Warrior adventure.

Yeah, I went back and forth on this one… sometime thinking it was a little dull, then something decent would happen so I’d adjust my opinion upwards. I don’t think it’s as good as the others but it’s good enough. I wasn’t bored the whole time… but I did have moments where I questioned the need for it to be 90 minutes long.

I will say one thing HUGELY in favor of this movie. They spent the money. This isn’t Dreamworks belching out Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate. Someone gave a shit… the art and animation is top rank and, hell, while they ejected some of the cast, they retained Jack Black and added Awkwafina, Viola Davis, and Ke Huy Quan.

This flick doesn’t set the world on fire but it also doesn’t embarrass the very art of cinematic animation either. It’s good enough. It might be slight charity giving it the rating I’m giving it… but call it Megamind 2, Bad Guys 2, and Tiger’s Apprentice fatigue. Sometimes the best thing that can happen to a decent movie is a string of garbage.

Score: 75