Maybe it’s just the “Star Wars” overload talking, but in hindsight, it’s hard not to see “Kung Fu Panda 2” ( 2011) as “The Empire Strikes Back” of animated mammals-and-martial-arts epics:
Darker and scarier than the 2008 original, it took the winsome tale of a bouncy black-and-white furball, added traumatic layers of backstory, and climaxed with a startling revelation of parental identity. Despite a long-overdue family reunion that at times nudges the story into borderline-Ewok territory, it’s a pleasure to report that “Kung Fu Panda 3” is much more than the mere franchise equivalent of “Return of the Jedi.” Emotionally, dramatically and perhaps most of all visually ( it’s worth seeing in 3D) , this delightful trilogy capper is almost as generously proportioned as its cuddly warrior hero, restoring a winning lightness of touch to the saga while bringing its long-running themes of perseverance and self-knowledge to satisfying fruition.
