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Kung Fu Panda 4, which came out March 8th, 2024 and has been in theaters since, is the movie that everyone was waiting for. The sequel of Kung Fu Panda (2008), Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), and Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016), this film has been highly anticipated ever since the trailer first dropped on December 13th, 2023.We all know the lovable actor, Jack Black, who is the voice of the Kung Fu Panda, Po, and how he can bring life to the movies he stars in, as he has in the three previous Kung Fu Panda movies. But did he do it in this one?

This movie was all about change. Kung Fu Panda was no longer going to be the Dragon Warrior; it was his time to choose a successor. This was not something that he was ready for, nor did he want it to happen. Po and Zhen, a thief who is a fox voiced by Awkwafina, venture out on a journey to a new city to defeat the new powerful and dangerous villain, Chameleon. Along with Zhen, Li Shan (Po’s biological dad) and Mr. Ping (Po’s stepdad who is a goose) follow in their son’s footprints, because they care deeply about him. On the way, Po opens up to Zhen, and realizes that she may not be bad after all. Po even considers making her the next Dragon Warrior before his battle with the Chameleon. When the time came for Po to choose the next Dragon Warrior, he makes his decision wisely. There are three lessons that can be learned from this movie: Although it is hard to accept change, it can be for the better; it is never too late to do the right thing; and it is always better to do something with help.

Depending on who you are when it comes to movies, this new Kung Fu Panda movie may not be what you expected. The humor is there, but with the lack of screentime with important characters like the Furious Five, Master Shifu, Master Oogway, and Villians that Po has previously defeated, our favorite panda’s story doesn’t quite feel complete. Could this result in a Kung Fu Panda 5, or is this the way that this exciting movie franchise ends?Although there have been some critics, Kung Fu Panda 4 really hit the box office, racking up $55 million during its opening weekend. This has been the most successful Kung Fu Panda movie during the first weekend, jumping Kung Fu Panda 2 & 3.