Great action cartoon movie.... Review on Kung Fu Panda 3

Kung Fu Panda 3 falls on the kids-only end of the family movie spectrum. Unlike the best animated films, Kung Fu Panda 3 is content to appeal primarily to younger viewers, offering little of substance for the parents who accompany them to theaters. It will find its strongest favor among those who enjoyed the previous adventures of Po the Panda(voice of Jack Black).

The film exists because Kung Fu Panda and Kung Fu Panda 2 were box office goldmines, not because this third film has a new or innovative story to tell.  However, like most sequels, it pacifies its core demographic by offering “more of the same.” To that extent, it can be said to be successful.

Dreamworks Animation is second to Pixar in terms of production quality. However, over the years, their various franchises(including Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda) have trended toward simplistic fare. The animation is bright, colorful, and slick and the stories feature a lot of action and comedy. Unfortunately, when it comes to thematic content, a movie like Kung Fu Panda 3 tosses in fortune cookies like “family is important” and “be yourself” with an obviousness that only a child could appreciate. It’s a far cry from the subtle and emotionally moving way in which the best Pixar films have approached similar ideas. Then again, Kung Fu Panda 3 isn’t trying to be the next great animated movie. It’s trying to retain the audience that attended Kung Fu Panda 2. That’s not creatively ambitious but it’s savvy from a business perspective.