Kung Fu Panda 3

The playful romp that is Kung Fu Panda 3, the latest installment of this highly successful Dreamworks trilogy, is another smart and silly journey that’s sure to delight audiences of all ages. The core cast is back for the third round, including Jack Black as the beloved panda/hero Po, Angelina Jolie as his cool comrade-in-arms Tigress and Dustin Hoffman as the wise Master Shift.

This time, the once hapless-turned-confident Po must battle General Kai, a supernatural force who thrives on stealing others’ Chi – the energy that flows through all living things. Through an unexpected reunion with his long-lost dad, Po travels to the Secret Village, where he discovers other pandas for the first time. It is here that he intends to learn how to “master the art of the Chi” so he may defend against this latest formidable opponent, while teaching the other cute-but-bumbling pandas how to become an army of their own as skilled martial-arts fighters.

Directors Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni do a seamless job of matching the energy and wit of previous installments while keeping the characters and material fresh for a third go. Kudos to the writing team of Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, who authored the previous two scripts and continue their top-form witty dialogue for the now-familiar cast of characters. The actors, albeit only providing voices, seem to clearly relish their characters and their enjoyment results in performances that remain engaging, not rote. The digital animation keeps to the spirit of its predecessors with sumptuous, colorful scenes that captures the spirit and beauty of ancient Chinese culture amid a variety of fictitious backdrops.

Like virtually all children’s animated features, important life lessons are contained within the story; here, the values of challenging oneself beyond their comfort zone and always being open to learning something new are explored, but in a way that youngsters can easily relate to. Like Kung Fu Panda and Kung Fu Panda 2, they are themes that sit naturally within the plot without being preachy. Overall, for a family movie that clocks in at a compact 95 minutes, Kung Fu Panda 3 is a fun jaunt that will transport both children and adults alike.

Mariana Howard

Kung Fu Panda 3 is released nationwide on 11^th March 2016.

Watch the trailer for Kung Fu Panda 3 here: