IronWatcher’s review published on Letterboxd:
Watched on Netflix
The panda species doesn't really seem to be in a hurry: Despite the enormous box office results, despite the critical acclaim, they took their time before returning to the big screen. There were three years between "Kung Fu Panda" and "Kung Fu Panda 2", and for "Kung Fu Panda 3" it was a wait of more than four and a half years. The 4th part, which opens in German cinemas tomorrow, is even being released eight years after the last adventure of the Panda Warrior. This may be due to the impressive voice cast in the original, which boasts names such as Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Dustin Hoffmann, Lucy Liu and Seth Rogen. Getting them all back together can take some time. In the third part, they are joined by acting heavyweights J.K. Simmons and Bryan Carston.
However, the return of these many familiar voices (and faces) also shows a problem that the series could have in the long term: It goes round in circles. Once again, Po and his comrades-in-arms have to deal with a powerful opponent, more powerful than any before, who wants to smash everything to bits for personal reasons, which our heroes manage to prevent with a lot of physical effort and humor. Not only is this not very varied, but it also means that the scriptwriters have to make things bigger and more bombastic every time in order to justify the new opponent. In "Kung Fu Panda 3", they are already close to the edge of absurdity when supernatural powers suddenly come into play. It's also a shame that Kai was dealt with somewhat unkindly. While the tragic figure of Lord Shen was a highlight of the series in the second part, here we return to the beginnings and make do with the bare essentials: a power-obsessed bad guy who has not understood true kung fu and therefore ultimately has no chance.
At first, of course, it doesn't look like it: When the mighty yak whirls its green blades attached to chains around, you might even believe that the end of the world is near. Unfortunately, however, there are few opportunities to actually see these weapons in action: In "Kung Fu Panda 3", fights tend to be infrequent and short, which also has to do with the fact that the Furious Five don't play a particularly big role this time around. Instead, adoptive father Mr. Ping finally gets to play a bigger role, stealing the show from the big pandas more than once with his mixture of nastiness and care. The greater focus on the inter-animal and dramatic, which was introduced in part two, is thus continued and further developed here - at the expense of the action.
Not everyone will like the change; in the middle section, "Kung Fu Panda 3" drags a little when various (slapstick) gags in the panda village are repeated a little too often, and towards the end it also veers a little too close to kitsch. But even if the third appearance of the unlikely hero is a little weaker than its two predecessors, it is still great fun, combining quirky characters with humor, Far Eastern exoticism, fast-paced fights and fantastic visuals. Whether it's the landscapes, the village or the spirit world - the film by DreamWorks Animation and the American-Chinese production company Oriental DreamWorks simply makes you want to keep watching, see more and more, immerse yourself and let yourself drift. Fans of the series can rest assured and look forward to numerous references and allusions to the two predecessors in addition to the tried-and-tested elements.