After many adventures, Po the Dragon Warrior is going to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. So, he needs to find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can accept his new position, even though there’s been a recent sighting of a powerful sorceress, who shapeshifts and has her eyes on Po’s Staff of Wisdom, which would give her the power to re-summon all the villains Po has banished to the spirit realm. So, Po’s going to need some help and he finds it in the form of a clever thief called Zhen. 

To protect the Valley of Peace, this duo will have to work together. Kung Fu Panda 4 was well-paced and had great world-building while also managing to be very funny and heartfelt. Although the film is clearly aimed at kids, the jokes were still entertaining and enjoyable for a variety of ages. The animation and music were flawless, as well as the character design, especially of the villain. The villain was well written and managed to actually be frightening while still being appropriate for kids. 

Zhen was an interesting new addition but I would have enjoyed seeing the old gang. Even though it wasn’t as extraordinary as the past installments there is still enough comedy and adventure to make this an enjoyable movie, especially for kids. Watching Po come to terms with the fact that he is ready for the next step in his journey feels like the natural end to the series.  

I think that this movie  was a ⅗ but perfectly ties up all the loose ends and would be a great way to end the franchise.  Overall, Kung Fu Panda 4 didn’t quite live up to the previous movies but was still an entertaining watch.