Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

[CJohn]

Discuss it

[chasmmi]

I think I might be in love with this film. I make no secret of rating the first two KFP films crazy high (with number 2 being in my top 10 animated films of all time), and it worried me that I was setting too high a bar for this film.

 

However this film exceeded every expectation I had. The visuals are beautiful, like crazy beautiful. The story has a strong arc, a villain that makes sense and internal conflicts that occur and are solved in a way that makes sense. The comedy is spot on with almost every joke hitting the right mark but it also has the heart that made me fall in love with this franchise.

 

I honestly believe this may be the best thing DreamWorks animation has ever done.

 

A+

[AniNate]

The visuals are cool though sometimes they border on sensory overload, and it's disappointing that the writers still can't figure out anything really interesting to do with the Furious Five. You can't think about the climax at all if you want it to work as it's supposed to, and though I appreciated the movie wasn't as mopey as KFP2 was, it felt like it should've let what emotional beats it had breathe a bit more so that they felt fully earned.

 

Overall I enjoyed it more than 2, though. It throws so many jokes at you you can't help but laugh even while half of them make you roll your eyes. Liked how the jombies were animated and how the movie succeeded in making the action sequences entertaining while remaining thoroughly cartoonish. 

Edited January 29, 2016 by tribefan695

[DAJK]

While I'm not quite as big on it as Chas, or Tribefan, I still really loved watching this movie, and am pleased to say (unless there is something I'm totally missing) The Panda Trilogy is my #5 all time trilogy.

 

Visuals: awesome! Action: not quite as good as the first movie in particular, but still better than pretty much any animated film. Characters: continues to build those we already love, as well as give more screen time to those we aren't quite as accustomed to (Po's goose-dad gets a lot of time here which is great). Story: beautifully told.

 

I really only had one issue with the movie, and it's the same sort of one as Dragon 2. It's really hard to put my finger on it, but do you ever feel when you're watching a movie that "something" is "missing"? Like, all the elements are there, but there's gotta be that one thing that pushed it from really really good movie to experience. Maybe it's that, while KFP1 is one of the funniest and most charming animated movies I've ever seen, and KFP2 is ridiculously deep and emotional, KFP3 includes both those elements, but never went too far with one. It balanced both, but I wish it had more of each.

 

Anyways, great movie, especially in January when there isn't a whole lot to see. Totally recommend it.

[filmlover]

Just as funny, heartfelt, cute, exciting, and gorgeously-animated as both of its predecessors. Such a remarkably consistent franchise, highlighted by one of the best combinations of character (Po) and voice actor (Jack Black) ever. B+

[CelestialFairyIX]

A stable and worth-seeing offer from Dreamworks, Panda 3 proffers astonishingly beautiful and exquisite animation topped off with a heartwarming story about finding yourself, overcoming internal struggles, acceptance, and the beauty and diversity behind family and love.  Is it groundbreaking?  Animation wise, somewhat.  Story wise?  Not so much.

 

Animation: Gorgeous.  Simply gorgeous.  Not only are we witnesses to CGI animation, Dreamworks has woven a sense of traditionalism with creative uses of 2D animation that contrasts the characters from the background with stunning charm.  Cinematography is top notch as well.  Deftly integrated within the film, the camera becomes the "eye" as the film gradually blossoms and opens out, revealing the world that Po and co. live in which, truthfully, I would love to be apart of as well.  The background, the stunning images, the movement of the characters, the battle scenes, the attention to detail... the film has it all.  The film careens through many different styles of art-form and often reads like a painted scroll with it's compelling and alluring nuances here and there.  In conclusion, probably the most creative and enticing offering animation wise since The Tale of Princess Kaguya!  

 

Story: Heartwarming.  As an individual who can cry due to an ant's death from the ferocity of a human's feet, it's a no brainier that the familial themes had me bawling.  The film focuses primarily on family, self discovery, and love.  The former of which was executed with care and diligence.  The second one... not so much.  From the very first film in the Panda series to now, Po has always struggled with himself and who he is.  This film sought to end his discovery arc and go more in depth to his inner being and enable Po to evolve into the Dragon Warrior he was always destined to be.  However, the characterization and execution was bland, conventional, and redundant.  I for one thought that Po had found "himself" in Panda 2.  The self discovery arc in Panda 3 not only initiates the whole film but sets up everything and thus, the film falters due to it's faulty exposition.  On the other hand, family and love were some of the best themes present in the film.  I found it quite captivating how Po has two fathers... maybe a nod to the LGBT community?  Who knows.  What I do know is that it had me bawling.  Po's family is struggling to keep itself together and with the added "benefit" of a revenge influenced monster on the loose, the film asks us the question, "How will they come back together?"  The relationship between the two fathers and Po was funny and realistic.  They faced many problems that a family having just gotten together may face.  Of course, this is a children's film and we need a happy ending and what a happy ending we got!  The film then goes into the "build up" arc in which the hero is given a tremendous task, must somehow find a way to surmount above the insurmountable task, goes through a breaking point due to the antagonist or whatever the author decides is best, he learns a huge lesson from his breaking point, uses the new knowledge to defeat the antagonist, and everything is fine.  We all know the writing process.  However, it's how this build up is laced into the story that makes Panda 3 so great!  The build up arc offers us something much more personal: it gives us magnified lenses of the characters.  The characters are at the forefront and the film makes sure we understand everything from the risks to the rewards.  Every film, animated or not does this.  Panda 3 does it better.  Then we go to the climax: the epic battle between Po and Kai was nothing short of spectacular!  The animation, the comedy, the lessons, everything was exceptional!  The resolution that followed tied everything up into a pretty knot and made sure to give us the same relief that the characters are feeling.  The story may be cliche and over done but Panda 3 does it with great care and love for the plot and characters, even if the Furious 5 are nothing more than, "Oh, okay, they're here.  Great." characters.  

 

Music: Amazing!  I really loved and was immersed in the whole traditional yet epic sound the film was going for.  The music was probably the second best thing about the film other than the animation.

 

A great sequel that can boast about being a great follow up to a beloved series.  Not many sequels can say they've accomplished that.  From the animation to the characters to the voice acting, this film is the total package.  Would I recommend it?  Totally.  Would I watch it again?  No.  It's a great first experience but something that with more viewings may get tiresome and vapid.  In conclusion, if you loved the first two Panda films and want to see some great animation with a heartwarming story, Panda 3 is for you!

 

Pros:

- Animation

- Voice acting

- Po

- Relationships

- Music/score

- Settings

- Villain, almost as good as Lord Shen

- Creativity

- Comedy 

 

Cons:

- Plot

- Po's second father is underwhelming 

- Redundant character development

- Backtracking of some characters in terms of development

- Sensory overload (as Oogway said, too much can result in less) 

 

Final Judgement: 7.8/10, B-

 

 

 

 

[Blankments]

Immediately after seeing Kung Fu Panda 3, I thought I had seen a truly great film. Unfortunately, two hours later and now writing a review, I realize just how forgettable a lot of this was. The action is still great, and the Eastern influences are always pleasant. I definitely appreciated this installment's look at the more spiritual side of things too. It's just... very been-there-done-that. I'm happy I saw it, don't get me wrong. It's just Kung Fu Panda 2 is legitimately a fantastic animated film; Kung Fu Panda 3 is a letdown in comparison. The score is lesser than usual (although there is a great theme for Kai, J.K. Simmons' villain), and it feels like a lot is missing. I did like the stylized visuals, which you only really get in this CGI franchise, and the characters are still lovable. Kai is a fantastic villain, voiced with vigor by Simmons, but he doesn't beat Lord Shen from Kung Fu Panda 2. Bryan Cranston is alright as Po's biological dad, but the smartest decision the film makes is keeping Po's adopted father, Ping, around for a big role. He's always been the heart and soul of this franchise. Kung Fu Panda 3 is worth seeing if you're a fan of the franchise, but it's unfortunately more in line with the average original film than the emotional and action-packed second film. B-

[AniNate]

Wasn't anyone else wondering why it was so easy for that many characters to find an allegedly "secret" panda village? I guess Li may have been lying about that too but that doesn't explain how Tigress found it

[Yandereprime101189]

Kai was following panda tracks shortly after Tigress arrived at the village in the movie. It's possible she did the same

Edited January 31, 2016 by Yandereprime101189

[Jim Shorts]

Kung Fu Panda 3 was good enough to almost make me forget the crap that was Kung Fu Panda 2.   The original has been on our viewing rotation ever since it was released on home video, but my kids have only asked to watch the 2nd one a handful of times.  Frankly, I don't blame them, especially when trying to explain genocide to a toddler.  Panda 2 was a shitty attempt IMO to go the Pixar route and tug on our heart strings (Same can be said for Dragons 2).  The third is more in line with what I've come to expect from Dreamworks, which is great lighthearted comedy and action.  

 

On 1/29/2016 at 3:06 PM, tribefan695 said:

it's disappointing that the writers still can't figure out anything really interesting to do with the Furious Five.

 

The tv series and short movies have done a great job with the Furious Five. 

Edited February 2, 2016 by Jim Shorts

[shayhiri]

DREAMWORKS POWAH!! CHINA, I'M COMING!!

[Blankments]

Kung Fu Panda 2 is the rare time I would say a studio trying to be like Pixar really worked for me. Like I always call it the real Pixar movie of 2011, but that's a disservice to it since it's better than every Pixar movie post-2010 besides Inside Out

[Infernus]

Love the trilogy. Thought this was very good. Especially for the target demographic. What more can you expect from an American non-Pixar children-targeted animated film?

 

B+

Edited April 1, 2016 by Infernus

[cookie]

While I personally think KFP2 is the pinnacle of the trilogy, this wasn't a bad conclusion, far from it.

 

J.K Simmons' Kai is less intimidating than Gary Oldman's Shen but still manages to provide some good comedy, and in a way his character sort of encapsulates the film as a whole. I was a bit disappointed at first that they didn't go further with the dramatic and sometimes intimidating elements that IMHO made KFP2 as good as it was, and the lack of that in this film does make some elements hit less than they should (the relationship with Po's real father I feel needed more time to fully develop, although the semi-rivalry between Li Shan and Mr. Ping provide some of the best bits in the film). However, the lighter and comedic elements that remain still provide good family entertainment, and Po's story arc while seemingly redundant at first actually makes sense in the grand scheme of things and allows the trilogy to come full circle.

 

The visuals in the film, which while I've seen some call sensory overload, I found where visually spectacular and the product as a whole is stunningly beautiful... albeit not without its kinks. The flashback shots where they just take clips from the previous movies and add a cheap-looking gold filter around them stick out like a sore thumb, there are better ways they could have incorporated those scenes.

 

There's enough in this movie to call this the finale of the franchise but there's also enough to leave the door open for further ventures, whichever Dreamworks chooses to pursue. Since Dragon 3 won't be out for another two years, I can safely say that this is the best trilogy Dreamworks has put out so far (Shrek has two good entries followed by a stinker, and Madagascar starts out in mediocrity but gets progressively better with each film).

Edited April 8, 2016 by cookie

[BK007]

Kung Fu Panda 3 is pretty good. 

 

The one thing that this franchise has going for itself is that, though its sequels aren't ever brilliant, and do have a lot of eyerollworthy stuff, they package themselves well and are good, solid entertainment. 

 

Funny, beautiful animation, decent storytelling.

 

They waste the Furious 5 as usual. Score was good, better than Zootopia's, though that doesn't say much.

[Goffe]

From the first attempt at humor (Oogway almost choking with a flower petal), I knew this would be a big step down from the second movie, which I consider one of my favorite animated movies. Everything that followed that misguided humor bit confirmed my suspicions, that KFP3 would be the worst of the three. 

 

Seriously, I dare anyone to find any segment in the movie where they go 15 seconds without making a joke of some kind. It's incessantly obnoxious.

 

I would go as far as to say that Mr. Ping was the only good thing about what feels like damage control after the second movie, tone-wise.

 

Now, I'm glad it did bad at the BO. 45/100

Edited June 26, 2016 by Goffe

[cannastop]

C.

 

Disappointed in this. No character development for Po, except that he gets a new superpower.

And there's always the series' problem of introducing way too many characters for a short runtime.

 

Art direction is exceptional, of course.

[MrFanaticGuy34]

I finally got to see Kung Fu Panda 3 on DVD.....and boy, am I glad I did. It did not disappointment at all.

 

Easily one of Dreamworks's better sequels along with Madagascar 2, Madagascar 3, Kung Fu Panda 2 & How to Train Your Dragon 2.

 

The new characters are very good, especially Po's biological father & the villainous Kai. Even the old characters like Po, Shifu & The Fuious Five are still enjoyable.

 

Shame that it did not meet my box office expectations.

 

A+

Edited October 26, 2016 by MrFanaticGuy34

[WrathOfHan]

It's fine. 7/10 | B-