DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 3 kicked its way into theaters this past weekend and I’m here to give you 3 reasons way you should watch the newest installment in the Kung Fu Panda saga.
Reason 1: A Great Family Story
In Kung Fu Panda 3, Po (Jack Black) continues his journey to becoming a true master of not only martial arts but also of enlightenment. What better way to continue that journey than to do it with the help of friends and family? Po’s father Li (Bryan Cranston) comes back into Po’s life and encourages Po to find out what means to truly be a panda. It was cool that we finally got to see Po’s panda side explored even more than the two previous films. Another cool thing about the film is that there was a lot of different types of relationships explored. The father and son relationship was explored between both Po and Li and with Po and Mr.Ping,There’s friendships/trust being explored with Po and his group of sidekicks and also master and pupil relationships explored between Po, Shift and Oogway. Though there were a lot of relationships explored, it was very easy to follow.
Reason 2: Great Cast and Characters
Po’s group of fellow martial art masters, which features characters voiced by Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, Jackie Chan and David Cross, take a bit of a back seat in this film but don’t worry, that means there’s room for new characters. The new characters in the film are Po’s look alike father, Li (Bryan Cranston), the power hungry villain, Kai (J.K. Simmons), the hilarious Mei Mei (Kate Hudson) and the whole Panda Village. These new characters are great, thanks in large part by the actors playing them and the writers, Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. Each character brought something more into the Kung Fu Panda saga and with these new characters, it makes it feel like the Kung Fu Panda world is even bigger than what we have seen. Here’s one fun fact: Three of Angelina Jolie’s and Brad Pitt’s children voice three of the young pandas in the film. I would not be surprised if there are spinoff films, TV series or another sequel in the works, based on the Kung Fu Panda characters.
Reason 3: Visually Stunning Even in 3D
When I went to the early screening of Kung Fu Panda 3, I was surprised at the fact that it was a 3D screening and honestly, I was a little bummed when I found out and let me explain why. I haven’t had the best luck when it comes to 3D movie experiences because I either get a headache from all the blurriness and feeling of motion sickness or the 3D just doesn’t work due to the fact that I’m as blind as a bat, I have to wear my prescription glasses underneath the 3D glasses in order for the 3D experience to somewhat kick in . Often times, films aren’t made for 3D viewing but the company releases them in 3D anyway in hopes to give the viewers a different experience. Well with this film, I’m happy to tell you that DreamWorks Animation intended this film to be made as a 3D and 2D film, from the very beginning. I’m also happy to tell you that the 3D experience worked for my eyes really well. While watching Kung Fu Panda 3 in 3D, I realized how visually beautiful the Kung Fu Panda world really is. Everything in the film was extremely crisp, vibrant and just really stunning. The lighting in the scenes were amazing, I can see all of the different textures of the characters and in the landscapes and it’s no wonder why it takes 5 years for a DreamWorks Animation film to be made. The animators obviously spent a lot of time on every little detail down to the leaves in the trees and all the way up Po’s fur. It was just a work of art.
Verdict
On just these 3 reasons alone, Kung Fu Panda 3 is a must watch and is easily my favorite film in the franchise.
I give Kung Fu Panda 3, 8.5 fridges out of 10.