WesternAnimation Somewhat flawed, but still a worthy installment
I’ll be honest, my first reaction to the film was to be let down at how it is (generally) Lighter and Softer than Kung Fu Panda 2, but after watching it again, I’ve come to see how the plot of Po reuniting with his father and ‘learning to be a panda’ in itself warrants for more comedy than a tragic backstory and genocide of a species does. And for what sounded like a really goofy premise to begin with (Wiki's: “Po has to train goofy, laid-back pandas to become the band of kung fu pandas”) the final product is nothing so silly as the training montage in question is actually rather brief, and done in a very smart and stylized manner. The focus of the film is really Po’s relationship with his fathers, which leads to some very heartwarming (and wrenching) moments, and also Po’s efforts to become a kung fu teacher and mastering chi.
So what’s good and what leaves something to be desired about the film? As mentioned above, while the story does call for more comedy, the jokes can feel a bit hit-or-miss at times, and I couldn’t help but wonder if really all of them were necessary. The jokes that do work, however, are hilarious. There are some really great moments between Po and Shifu, and as the Po/Tigress shipper I am, I enjoyed the subtext still added to their interactions. Kai is a fun villain, but his limited backstory can feel like a step down from the fleshed out characters that were both Tai Lung and Shen. Sometimes the pacing is a tad rushed, and I didn’t feel as emotionally invested in the sad moments as I did in the second film. All of these comparisons might just be my own personal taste, however, as I adore the second film so much it takes a lot for me to live up to it, and I’m someone who generally prefers darker stuff over comedy. The winning appeal of this film is its heart and visuals. The spirit realm is the most gorgeously animated setting I’ve seen in years, and some of the best lines and moments, to little surprise, comes from Oogway (“Took you long enough!”). The characters are still incredibly likable, and the visuals and stylistic choice between the different scenes are, again, stunning. The real heart-warmers comes from Po’s relationship with his two dads, and eventually, Li Shan and Mr. Ping’s relationship with each other, in addition to the glorious scene that is Po and Oogway’s reunion in the spirit realm (“Take it, I have a bigger one.”) I was also lucky enough to see this thing in 3D, and let me say it was worth the money. Simply the scroll sequence about Kai and Oogway's past alone looked twice as breathtaking as it did in ordinary viewing.
All in all, while it doesn’t reach the masterpiece level that was Kung Fu Panda 2, in my opinion, it’s still a worthy installment to the series, and despite the ‘finality’ of the ending, it leaves me eagerly waiting for a fourth one.
7.8/10
WesternAnimation A Great Ending to a Great Trilogy
Kung Fu Panda 3 is one of those films that knows how to end a story and end it well.
First and foremost is the visuals. It's no exaggeration to say that this is the best animation Dreamworks has ever produced. From the character designs, to the set pieces, to the choreography, it all just looks fantastic. Special mention goes to the panda village itself, the Spirit Realm, and the backstory of Oogway and Kai, which is told in beautiful "scroll vision" that is hard to explain in words. The animation is very stylized and high-energy in a way that makes it just plain FUN.
The new characters are pretty solid, even if most of the panda villagers are a bit one-note. Even Mei Mei is a surprisingly minor character given how much she was advertised, though she still makes her mark regardless. Bao and Lei Lei also have the rare honor of being child characters who are actually likable instead of just annoying, which takes some talent. The subplot between Tigress and Lei Lei has to be one of the most adorable things I've ever seen. But the one who really stands out is Li Shan himself, who is an extremely well-developed character between his interactions with both Po and Mr. Ping, who also gets his fair share of development this time around.
As usual, the Big Bad completely steals the show, but not in the usual way. While Kai is surprisingly deep for a blade-swinging yak voiced by JK Simmons, he's not as interesting of a villain as Lord Shen. He makes up for this by just being really fun to watch. Between his unique fighting style, supernatural powers, and dark sense of humor, Kai is yet another highly memorable villain to add to the roster.
The story itself is well-balanced between what goes on in the panda village and what goes on with Kai, and ultimately brings everything full circle in a very satisfying way. However, it does feel that some scenes could have been a bit longer. In particular, Tigress flees the Valley and almost immediately ends up in the village in a scene that feels like it was missing quite a bit. But when the biggest problem with a movie is that there's not enough of it, that's not too shabby.
It has its flaws, and doesn't quite live up the second installment, but Kung Fu Panda 3 ends the trilogy on a high note that leaves me intrigued on what could possibly come next. I give it an 8.5/10