Parents' Guide to Kung Fu Panda 4

Movie PG 2024 94 minutes
Kung Fu Panda 4 Movie Poster: Po is at the center, in an action pose; the other characters are pictured, smaller, around him

Common Sense Media Review

Sandie Angulo Chen By Sandie Angulo Chen , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 6+

Peril, some potty humor in Dragon Warrior buddy comedy.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 6+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Po in a fighting pose
    1:07
  • Kung Fu Panda 4 Trailer
  • Kung Fu Panda 4 Movie: Po, holding a weapon, stands next to a white fox
  • Kung Fu Panda 4 Movie: Po stands under a tree covered in purple blossoms

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 18 parent reviews

 

 

See all 18 parent reviews
age 6+

Based on 30 kid reviews

Kids say the latest installment in this beloved animated series feels like a disappointing spin-off, lacking the charm and character depth of its predecessors, particularly with the minimal involvement of key characters and a predictable plot. While some viewers appreciated the animation and humor, many found it to be a cash grab, lacking the emotional heft and compelling storytelling that made the earlier films successful.

  • lack of character depth
  • uninspired plot
  • disappointing spin-off
  • mixed reviews on humor
  • enjoyable animation
Summarized with AI
 

 

See all 30 kid reviews

What's the Story?

KUNG FU PANDA 4 begins with the presumed-dead tiger villain Tai Lung (voiced by Ian McShane) terrorizing a community of miners. Meanwhile, at the Jade Palace, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) informs Po (Jack Black) that Po has been selected as the new spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace and must quickly select and train his successor as Dragon Warrior. When Zhen (Awkwafina), a clever, scheming fox, arrives in the valley and tries to steal the Jade Palace's treasured weapons, Po and Shifu find out that a wicked sorceress, Chameleon (Viola Davis)—who can shape-shift into any kind of creature—poses a threat to the entire realm. Po helps release the imprisoned Zhen to help him confront Chameleon before she causes any more destruction. Along the way, Po sees Zhen's potential, even as she proves craftier than he realized.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 18 ):
Kids say ( 30 ):

This beautifully animated fourth installment is funny and cute, but audiences will miss the Furious Five. The long gap between the release of this film and Kung Fu Panda 3 means that some of the details of the previous films might be a bit fuzzy. But that doesn't matter, because Po himself fills in the blanks for viewers who may have forgotten the giant panda's plot journey. (TL;DR: The Furious Five are each away on assignment.) Black and Awkwafina have a natural comedic chemistry based in a platonic "odd couple" dynamic. James Hong and Bryan Cranston are charming as Po's adoptive and biological dads, and, with her commanding voice, Davis is an ideal villain. Chameleon makes a variety of other animals cower with her shape-shifting abilities, even as she craves to summon the kung fu powers of departed master villains.

The script—by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, and Darren Lemke—relies too heavily on Awkwafina's sarcastic stylings, but it makes good use of contrasting Zhen's edgy, morally gray personality with Po's ethical, selfless character. The easy-to-follow plot should engage families of all ages, and the humor is little-kid friendly, with the requisite (if thankfully fairly infrequent) potty humor references to butts and farts. It's too bad there's not more about the Dragon-Warrior-to-spiritual-leader transition, but it's clear that this is a franchise that could still keep going.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Kung Fu Panda 4 compares to the earlier movies in the series. Which of the movies do you like most, and why?

  • Discuss the buddy-comedy aspects of this installment. What do you think of Zhen as Po's sidekick?

  • Which characters demonstrate courage, integrity, and teamwork? Why are these important character strengths?

  • What makes a family? How does Kung Fu Panda 4 address the idea of biological and adopted families?

  • How have Po and other recurring characters changed over the Kung Fu Panda movies?

Movie Details

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Kung Fu Panda 4 Movie Poster: Po is at the center, in an action pose; the other characters are pictured, smaller, around him

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