Kung Fu Panda 3

RATING: B

It took five years, but they finally managed to get us the third installment in a very humorous franchise about a big fat panda who can do kung fu. The problem is, Dreamworks Animation doesn't have a very good record with franchises that run this long. The third Shrek movie was an insult to the existence of the previous two movies. And as for Madagascar? I didn't even survive long enough in that series to make it to the third one (though I did somewhat enjoy the Penguins spin-off). 

In this particular movie, it more or less picks up where the last one left off; after Po's father (voiced by Bryan Cranston in this movie) realizes his son is still alive, he searches for him and eventually finds him, wanting to take him back to his village and allow him to "rediscover what it means to be a panda." Meanwhile, the latest threat to the Valley of Peace? Kai (J.K. Simmons), a villainous yak who has the ability to steal peoples' "chi" and use it as his own. (If you have absolutely no idea what that means, basically consider it as "life force.")

So now, with the existence of kung fu once again hanging in the balance (just like in the last movie!), Po must build up an army to stand up against Kai (a panda army, perhaps?). And once again, Po will have to learn some new stuff about kung fu and himself (as will the viewers) in order to defeat his latest adversary. 

After keeping things pretty simple for the first two movies, this third installment decides to bring in the freaking spirit realm/world, of all things; as well as "chi." This ultimately leads to things being slightly odder than usual; culminating in a borderline nonsensical ending where basically a thing or two happens and then it's "Yay, we won!" (What? That's not a spoiler. It's a kid's movie; it wasn't gonna end with Kai winning.) 

That said, much like its predecessors, it's still quite a fun movie. The humor is still there, occasionally poking fun at the movie itself (and also making references to previous movies); the fights are still mostly pretty good, and the characters are still fun and enjoyable (save for Mr. Ping, who gets more obnoxious). Involving Shifu more in this movie again (unlike the last one) is also a good thing, and although Kai is far less interesting than Tai Lung or even Lord Shen, he still has a decent presence (maybe it's the green eyes; maybe it's just J.K. Simmons). 

The main area where this one comes up short of its predecessors is the story itself; it's not nearly as interesting as the previous two movies. It's not a bad plot by any means, but it feels oddly similar at times to the first movie and Po's rediscovering of his family wasn't quite as interesting as I had expected (even though there are a couple good scenes with his father). 

It may be the weakest of the series thus far, but that really isn't saying much. It's still quite entertaining, funny and overall enjoyable. It's still better than a lot of other animated films I've seen in the last couple years. It may not be a defining chapter, but it's still one that can fit right into the series and be enjoyed without much issue. They may want to quit now or soon while they're ahead, though.