Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016), directed by Alessandro Carloni and Jennifer Yuh Nelson, stars Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, J.K. Simmons, James Hong, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogan, Lucy Liu, David Cross, and Kate Hudson. The film is the third film in the Kung Fu Panda franchise and follows Po (Black) as he meets his biological father, Li (Cranston). In order to stop Kai (Simmons), master Oogway’s former arch-nemesis, Po must learn the secrets of “chi” from his long-lost panda brethren. Po soon finds that being a leader/protector must be accompanied by the acceptance of sacrifice. 

 The voice performances are pretty consistent with the first two films but I felt that Jack Black finds a nice balance as Po. He felt a bit too zany in the first film and too underplayed in the second, but I felt that he was the most rounded in this film. At this point, he seems to know the character so well that the performance feels second nature as opposed to forced/intentional. Once again, the film makes a nice choice with the actor who plays the villain. J.K. Simmons continues the tradition of featuring an actor with a distinct voice as the villain. These films are quite short so this kind of efficient character-building tells us so much about the villain without the need for traditional exposition. The casting itself gives us an idea of what the film is going for. It also helps that, appropriately, Kai is the most formidable villain in the franchise up to this point. Animated children’s films rarely care about “stakes,” but Kung Fu Panda has it in spades (in terms of a children’s film).

Unfortunately, the supporting cast, specifically The Furious Five, are once again treated as “spirit characters.” They’re just there in spirit and very little else. This flaw becomes more apparent with each film that passes. At this point in the franchise, you’d think they’d begin to establish the supporting cast more deeply. After this film, I’m not sure if that’s ever going to be a part of the plan. It’s disappointing considering how much I enjoy these characters regardless of their lack of nuance.

The one character who I came to love by the end of this film is James Hong as Mr. Ping, Po’s adoptive father. Throughout these three films, their relationship has had the strongest and most consistent development. Just like Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), it is the emotional core of the film. However, to differentiate itself from the previous film, there is the added element of the introduction of Li which complicates things. We see Po accept Ping as his father at the end of the second film, but here we see that idea is challenged. By the end, their relationship is strengthened due to what they experience together. It also wraps back around in a way that provides a nice lesson on the importance of family.

At this point in the franchise, I was surprised by how unintentionally excited I was to see all of these characters again. This is exactly the feeling a viewer should get after coming back for the third film of a franchise. It helps that the animation and action once again take a noticeable step forward. Likewise, I finally fell in love with Hans Zimmer’s beautiful score that is present throughout the franchise. There is a beautiful ancient Chinese sound that hammers home the film’s themes of spirituality and balance.

Along with delivering effective emotional beats better than any film in the franchise, Kung Fu Panda 3  develops the character of Po naturally and satisfactorily. The first two films were about Po’s journey to becoming the dragon warrior while this film is about Po becoming a leader. Through the core relationships with his two dads, Po learns about the importance/necessity of sacrifice. It creates a satisfying three-film arc which rarely tends to happen in children’s animated films.

Overall, this is another worthy sequel that, like the second film, is superior to the original. The pathos are the most effective in the franchise and the stakes feel higher than they’ve ever been. Once again, I can’t recommend this to adults who have little interest in animation to begin with, but it should be enjoyable enough for everyone else. My only small gripe is that, unlike the first two films, this feels like the most derivative/unoriginal. That being said, I don’t think it made me have any less fun. B