Kung Fu Panda 4
Kung Fu Panda 4 is a 2024 American animated martial arts comedy film, released by Universal Pictures and created by DreamWorks Animation. It is the follow-up to Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) and the fourth entry in the Kung Fu Panda series. Mike Mitchell directed the movie, Stephanie Ma Stine co-directed it, Darren Lemke and Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger wrote the screenplay, and Rebecca Huntley produced it. Along with Awkwafina, Ke Huy Quan, Ronny Chieng, Lori Tan Chinn, and Viola Davis joining the cast as new characters, it stars Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, and Ian McShane returning their roles from the previous movies. The movie follows Po (Black), who has to discover and train the next Dragon Warrior, and Zhen (Awkwafina), a fox bandit, as they take on the wicked sorceress The Chameleon (Davis) before she takes away all of the masters’ kung-fu skills.
Before the third Kung Fu Panda movie was released in January 2016, questions were posed to directors Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni regarding the potential for a fourth movie. Nelson subsequently stated in August 2018 that she was amenable to a fourth entry. In August 2022, DreamWorks formally revealed that by April 2023, Mitchell, Ma Stine, and Huntley will be connected as director, co-director, and producer, respectively, for the fourth movie.
Following Awkwafina’s hiring in May of that year, the majority of the primary voice cast was revealed in December 2023, along with the return of Aibel and Berger as writers and co-producers. Alongside regular colleague Steve Mazzaro, composer Hans Zimmer, who had composed music for the previous three installments—the first two with John Powell and the third alone—returned to the role. A few more production materials were taken from Jellyfish Pictures.
On March 3, 2024, Kung Fu Panda 4 had its theatrical debut at the AMC 14 Theater at The Grove in Los Angeles. On March 8, the film was distributed nationwide. Critics gave the movie mostly favorable reviews, and it has made $521 million worldwide, placing it as 2024’s third highest-grossing movie.
Story of Kung Fu Panda 4 Movie
Po assists Li Shan and Mr. Ping in opening their new restaurant in the Valley of Peace. Then, Master Shifu instructs Po to grow and develop into a spiritual leader, which implies Po can no longer be the Dragon Warrior and that he has to find a worthy replacement. In the midst of having to decide who to support in order to save his reputation as the Dragon Warrior, Po encounters Zhen, a fox bandit, who is attempting to steal antiquated weaponry from the Jade Palace.
After outwitting Zhen and sending her to prison, Po finds out that Tai Lung has returned and completely devastated a quarry. Zhen discloses that Tai Lung’s homecoming was staged by The Chameleon, a sorceress who can mimic different kung fu moves by only touching them and shape-shift into whatever animal she pleases.
Po, unaware that his anxious folks are behind him, sets out to defeat The Chameleon in Juniper City with Zhen’s help. They eventually arrive in Juniper City after battling the locals and coming upon a dubious pub. After narrowly avoiding capture, they make their way to the Den of Thieves, where they are helped by Han, the den’s boss and Zhen’s close buddy. Po and Zhen then proceed to The Chameleon’s hideout till Po is apprehended.
It is then shown that Zhen has been working for The Chameleon as a double agent. Her mission was to get Po’s Staff of Wisdom, which grants entry to the Spirit Realm. Po comes dangerously close to making his getaway, but The Chameleon, posing as Zhen, tricks him and launches him off a cliff. He almost perishes, but his folks save him and persuade him that occasionally, change may be beneficial.
The Chameleon calls all of the departed kung fu masters—Lord Shen, General Kai, and the genuine Tai Lung—and takes their methods by using the staff. Zhen goes back to the Den of Thieves with Ping and Li in an attempt to persuade them to assist them in saving Po, but Po is unyielding in his confrontation with The Chameleon. Po tries in vain to talk sense into The Chameleon’s army of Komodo dragons as they fight The Chameleon. They fight, but The Chameleon transforms into a Chimera of many kung fu experts as Zhen steps in.
After the struggle, she transforms into Po’s twin, engages in combat with him, and eventually imprisons him. Po gives Zhen the Staff of Wisdom because he believes in her, and she uses it to defeat The Chameleon. After utilizing the staff to vanquish The Chameleon, who was merely acting imprisoned, Po restores all of the stolen kung fu to its rightful owners. The owners then revere Po and leave for the Spirit Realm, taking The Chameleon with them.
To Shifu’s dismay, Po selects Zhen to be his heir while traveling back to the Valley of Peace. Po, together with the Furious Five, feels confident in his decision to teach Zhen to become the next Dragon Warrior.
