Kung Fu Panda

Kung Fu Panda 4

  • Title: Kung Fu Panda 4
  • IMDb: link

Kung Fu Panda 4

Noticeably missing all five members of the Furious Five, DreamWorks rolls out a new Kung Fu Panda sequel this time centered around Po (Jack Black) being asked by Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) to choose the next Dragon Warrior. Each of the films in the series has had an emotional core tied to Po and his journey. The script clumsily deals with Po’s latest milestone rushing it into happening instantly and also somewhat haphazardly ignores his development in previous films when logic, common sense, or the franchise’s canon might get in the way of a gag (such as Po not being able to find the inner peace he mastered two films ago).

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Kung Fu Panda – Blade of the Red Phoenix

  • Title: Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny – Blade of the Red Phoenix
  • wiki: link

Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny - Blade of the Red Phoenix television review

After opening with a sequence involving Po‘s (Mick Wingert) vision of two dragons battling, and a visit from Oogway (Piotr Michael), “Blade of the Red Phoenix” sends Po and his students back into the cave where the four young Pandas discovered their power in search of a scroll which may help unlock the secrets to their powers and which Jindiao (Steve Blum) covets to complete his plans. As with the earlier episodes of the series, “Blade of the Red Phoenix” showcases one character further unlocking his powers. Here it’s Fan Tong (Makana Say) who conjures a sword using chi of Red Phoenix to vanquish the demon sent by Jindiao to capture the scroll. The greater control of his powers also unlocks part of the scroll, foreshadowing all may be revealed when all four students are ready.

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Kung Fu Panda – Blue Dragon Plays with Fire

  • Title: Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny – Blue Dragon Plays with Fire
  • wiki: link

Kung Fu Panda - Blue Dragon Plays with Fire television review

Po (Mick Wingert) begins teaching his new students Nu Hai (Haley Tju), Bao (Gunnar Sizemore), Jing (Laya DeLeon Hayes), and Fan Tong (Makana Say) in the show’s second episode while also offering both the students and audience a brief history on the Chi passed to them from each of the Four Constellations. The twist here is that each Panda was given power that goes against their base instincts and will require them to master themselves if they have in hope in unlocking the power within.

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Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny – Enter the Dragon Master

  • Title: Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny
  • wiki: link

Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny - Enter the Dragon Master TV review

The first episode of Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny introduces us to the four rambunctious Pandas who will, by the end of the episode, become Po‘s (Mick Wingert) new students. While playing Nu Hai (Haley Tju), Bao (Gunnar Sizemore), Jing (Laya DeLeon Hayes), and Fan Tong (Makana Say) discover a mystical cave beneath Panda Village where they receive the chi from ancient kung fu warriors, the Four Constellations. Believing their story to be nothing more than childish fantasy, Po is gifted with a vision of his own which clues him into the Dragon Warrior’s new path as teacher.

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Kung Fu Panda 3

  • Title: Kung Fu Panda 3
  • IMDb: link

Kung Fu Panda 3Building on the epilogue of Kung Fu Panda 2, the latest sequel introduces Po (Jack Black) to his father Li (Bryan Cranston) and an entire tribe of Pandas hidden away in a secret valley deep in the mountains. Along the way Po will also struggle with passing on his knowledge of Kung Fu in the role of teacher, first to the Furious Five and later to his Panda students, when an old threat returns and begins stealing the chi of Kung Fu masters across China.

While not as good as the first film, Kung Fu Panda 3 stands up pretty well against Kung Fu Panda 2 – even if it ignores the most intriguing subplot of the first sequel involving Po’s evolving relationship with Tigress (Angelina Jolie). J.K. Simmons proves to be a good choice for the film’s villain Kai: Oogway‘s (Randall Duk Kim) one-time friend who escapes the spirit realm in his search of ultimate power.

And the film introduces us to an entire village of thinly drawn but (mostly) entertaining Panda characters while still finding time to deal with Mr. Ping‘s (James Hong) jealousy and insecurity at Po exploring a relationship with his “real” father.

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