Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)

Almost twenty years after Po's election as Dragon Warrior in “Kung Fu Panda” and ten years after his last adventure, Dreamworks brings us an apparent closure to the adventures of the panda fighter.

Few original characters remain in this new installment, with the addition of some new ones such as the mischievous vixen Zhen or the infamous villainous chameleon that offer some vitality to the story.

It marks the return of Po and his adventures, this time facing a new type of adversary: a female thief who seeks to steal the kung-fu knowledge of Po's past enemies.

The film maintains the essence of the series, combining excitement and meticulously animated action with humor and stylized animation.

The film introduces new characters and challenges for our hero, Po, who must consider passing the Dragon Warrior torch to a successor as he embarks on a higher spiritual mission.

Although the Furious Five are absent, the familiar formula of the saga remains intact, with Po embarking on a mission alongside a companion who initially doubts him.

The direction in this sequel focuses on maintaining the essence of the saga, while introducing new elements to keep things fresh and keep audiences interested. The ability to balance humor, emotion and action is a plus.

The animation has changed quite a bit, at least from what I remembered from previous films. I don't know if I'm wrong in saying that the budget has gone down.

In close shots I don't see a big change, but in scenes with many elements, which are noticeably less in quantity than in the others, I see a change in style or at least a decrease in detail.

After the adventure, the most valuable part of the film are all the messages that can be extracted and applied individually. On the one hand, it highlights the messages of love between parents and son, as well as the exaltation of friendship and companionship to achieve a common good.

On the other hand, there is a defense of the possibility of offering second chances and attending to the redemption of those who have not made the right decisions. And finally, there is a call to accept change, because many times we must leave things behind in order to evolve and, above all, to improve.