Absolutely the only thing wrong with Kung Fu Panda 3 is that it’s the third film in a series that is starting to show the inevitable signs of strain. As another entry, it’s perfectly fine. The additions of Bryan Cranston, giving voice to Po’s ( Jack Black) real father, and the presence of a new villain in the form of a power-hungry water buffalo named Kai ( J.K. Simmons) are good.
Plus, the subplot involving Po’s adoptive father, Mr. Ping ( James Hong) , feeling left out with the arrival of Po’s actual father works nicely to flesh out what is otherwise a fairly typical believe-in-yourself story. Whether that and the film’s undeniable visual panache are enough to put it over for you is a personal call. It may be enough for many viewers that they merely get to spend some time with characters they’ve grown to like over the previous movies. There are certainly worse things. ( And some of them are playing at theaters near you.)
