Kung Fu Panda is perhaps one of the better franchises outside of the Pixar/Disney brand and certainly well above the likes of Madagascar and Ice Age. Still, as family friendly as this third entry is, to go along with a positive message, I wasn’t nearly as entertained though admittedly I found the first two to be merely above average fare anyway.
Kung Fu Panda 3
(2016)
Genre(s): Animation, Family, Adventure, Comedy
Fox | PG – 95 min. – $36.99 | June 28, 2016
Date Published: 07/02/2016 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE — 3.0/5 |
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The third, and likely final, film in the Kung Fu Panda saga continues the adventures of the panda Po (JACK BLACK) and his journey that goes beyond becoming the Dragon Warrior. This go around, mentor Shifu (DUSTIN HOFFMAN) has tapped Po to become a teacher to the other members of the Furious Five: Tigress (ANGELINA JOLIE), Mantis (SETH ROGEN), Crane (DAVID CROSS) and Monkey (JACKIE CHAN). After miserably failing in his first test, Shifu gives him a piece of advice, to find out who he is. And wouldn’t you know it, Po gets the opportunity when he is visited by his long lost father, Li (BRYAN CRANSTON), who takes him to the hidden panda paradise where he meets his relatives and rediscover just what it means to be a panda.
Meanwhile, a greater threat is unleashed. Kai (J.K. SIMMONS) has taken the chi’s of kung fu masters and with his power, is able to unleash them, in the form of jade, to take out any obstacles. Now it’s up to Po and his panda family to take down Kai before he’s able to take total control of China. Quick Hit Review: I’m not the biggest fan of the series (rating the previous two entries a solid enough 3.5/5) and although Kung Fu Panda 3 isn’t great, there’s a nice message at its core and the voice casting once again is top notch. Jack Black is of course fantastic as Po and Angelina Jolie as Tigress has a bit more to do this go around while Chan, Cross and Rogen are more or less relegated to cameo status. Bryan Cranston works well off of Black as his father and Simmons is perfect voicing the menacing, albeit weak, antagonist. Kids obviously will eat this up while adults, even those who don’t care much for the franchise, can appreciate the absolutely beautiful animation style, the main highlight and how the series stands apart from the likes of Ice Age or Madagascar.
In the end, the story is nice and again has a great message that kids will latch on to, about being true to yourself and the idea and ideals of family. Clearly it’s nothing new but this is the type of movie the entire family can enjoy. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.5/5 |
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This release comes with a matted slip cover. Inside is a standard DVD Copy and a code for the Digital HD copy. Everybody Loves a Panda Party (2:34; HD) – This is basically a music video of the pandas singing to a cover of Kung Fu Fighting but replace Kung Fu with Panda. There’s also a Karaoke version. Po’s Posters of Awesomeness (3:30; HD) is a gallery of posters hanging at Po’s father’s restaurant. Panda Paws (2:23; HD) – Here we get an animated short focusing on Mei Mei (voiced by Kate Hudson). Make a Panda Party Paper Pal (3:38; HD) is an instructional feature on making the paper panda included in the case. Play Like a Panda (4:44; HD) – Here is a featurette on real life baby pandas and how the filmmakers used research to include in the movie. The Origin of “Skadoosh” (2:21; Hd) looks at where that word came from, dating back to the first movie. Faux Paws (7:50; HD) is a collection of deleted sequences, introduced by the directors. Also included is a Gallery of Epic Artfulness with still images and the Theatrical Trailer (2:26; HD). |
VIDEO – 5.0/5 |
| Kung Fu Panda 3 kicks into action onto Blu-ray presented in its original 2.35 widescreen aspect ratio and a 1080p high-definition transfer (MPEG-4 AVC codec). As one would expect, this looks absolutely brilliant in HD, detail is sharp throughout and colors are vibrant. There were no major flaws such as banding, aliasing or artifacting making for a fantastic looking transfer. |
AUDIO – 4.75/5 |
| The movie comes with a DTS-HD MA 7.1 track which showcases the various action scenes in between the crisp and clean dialogue levels. It’s nothing mind-blowing however more than effective for an animated picture. Ambient noises are on the limited side but utilize the rear channels well enough especially when it comes to Hans Zimmer’s beautiful score. The center and front speakers are mainly relegated to the main action such as the fight sequences. |
OVERALL – 3.5/5 |
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Overall, Kung Fu Panda is perhaps one of the better franchises outside of the Pixar/Disney brand and certainly well above the likes of Madagascar and Ice Age. Still, as family friendly as this third entry is, to go along with a positive message, I wasn’t nearly as entertained though admittedly I found the first two to be merely above average fare anyway. But if you really liked them, this third one will be more than satisfying. The Blu-ray released through Fox offers excellent video/audio transfers and a thin set of bonus material. |
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.