by Patrice Downing, Contributing Writer
Spanning 150 episodes of three television series, four short films, one surprisingly heartwarming holiday special, and now four feature-length films, it could easily come across that I was actively avoiding this feisty franchise’s furry fighters for the past SIXTEEN years. In fact, until binging for this column, I had seen a total of exactly zero minutes of Panda Po’s (Jack Black) enumerative exploits. Given the ease of accessibility we currently enjoy in this time of superfluous streaming options, I really can’t come up with any viable excuse for waiting so long to dip into this delightful DreamWorks’ offering other than I just happened to miss out on the franchise’s debut of Kung Fu Panda in 2008. In the dark times before the advent of Letterboxd and Serialized to help maintain lists of the ocean of media I’ve yet to see, a gem or two was bound to slip through the cracks. I am happy to finally fill that hole in my watch history because there is a lot to love about this adventurous franchise. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so let’s get into it!
Warning: There will be spoilersahead!
Kung Fu Panda
The movie that started it all, telling the tale of how a noodle chef named Po becomes the Kung Fu Dragon Warrior of prophecies, despite having no prior training, little discipline, and being generally uncoordinated. The Valley of Peace’s biggest (literally) Kung Fu fanboy, Po, finds it takes a lot more than his enduring optimistic exuberance to protect his beloved village from an escaped, superiorly skilled enemy focused on revenge. While not an overly complicated or unpredictable storyline to follow, the characters’ interactions are amusing, the visual experience striking, and the voice cast impressive.
When you actually stop and think about the voice cast DreamWorks was able to pull in for the first film of an IP with no prior ties to… well, anything, it’s a little wild. Prior to the Great Panda Binge of 2024, the only actor I knew who was attached to the Kung Fu flick was Black. I had no idea just how crammed full of star power this panda pic is. Po’s noodle peddling duck dad, Ping, is played by the whimsically recognizable James Hong. I kid you not, I waited three films and countless TV episodes, hoping against hope that a pasta patron would ask about the wait for noodles in anticipation that Mr. Ping would respond “five, 10 minutes.” Seinfeldian dreams aside, Po’s prickly red panda mentor, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and the team of Kung Fu masters, the Furious Five — Crane (David Cross), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Tigress (Angelina Jolie), and Viper (Lucy Liu) — are all prominent, recognizable actors. But like I said, this family flick has a lot more going for it than just a notable voice cast.
Visually, I cannot say enough about how much I appreciate the creative choices put into the overall look of Kung Fu Panda.The character design and species selection are absolutely on point for the setting, and they add to the viewing experience. Everyone from Chinese goose, Mr. Ping (not just a random, round-billed duck), villagers that are predominantly of the prolific porcine and hare species of the region, the villainous snow leopard, and even Javan rhino prison guards all give the film a more authentic feel and make it stand out from the abundance of anthropomorphic animal films out there.
Character design isn’t the only visual setting KFP apart; the fight scenes are definitely on par with its live action counterparts. One in particular of Shifu and Po sparing over a dumpling is not only fun to watch, but a cute way to pay homage to a similarly choreographed Jackie Chan fight in The Fearless Hyena.
The only other point I’d like to quickly mention is the humor and jokes themselves. Coming from the makers of the Shrek fiefdom, I was pleasantly surprised at the almost complete omission of toilet humor. I have no problem grabbing for the occasional piece of low hanging fruit, but I was thankful this family film didn’t harvest the entire crop and instead went for more subtle and situational humor over the usual stupid funny prevalent in most kids’ movies.
Rating: Loved It
Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five
One of four short films produced for this franchise (so far), it’s both the first and most unique. Starting in the first KFP, and continued throughout the franchise, anytime Po is either dreaming or telling a story, the visuals change from CGI to a beautifully rendered 2D animation style that is reminiscent of paper puppetry, and I absolutely love it. It’s just a fun way to easily differentiate current events from the past and another of the countless ways the design team keeps this franchise interesting visually. In this 25-minute short, Po tells a class full of bouncy bunny pupils the origin stories of each of the Furious Five. Each tale Po shares tells about the path each of the Five took to become a master as each learns a concept essential in Kung Fu: confidence, patience, compassion, discipline, and courage. A short film was the perfect format to share the origin stories for these characters, and watching it before moving on to KFP2 was helpful in understanding the personalities and motivations of the team as they advance in their training.
Rating: Liked It
Kung Fu Panda Holiday
I thought with the overabundance of holiday specials out there from basically every IP on the planet that I wouldn’t find a lot to like about a KFP version, but I was wrong. Full voice cast still intact, the production quality of this short special still feels top-notch. Because he’s the Dragon Warrior, Po is placed in charge of a very regimented, traditional holiday feast with all the pageantry that goes song with it, basically no guidance and worst of all the expectation that he suspends his own holiday tradition of feeding the village with his father. It’s not like you don’t know where this is heading from the start. Obviously he’s going to find a way to bring everyone together because it would be a total downer to watch him pull off a flawless banquet while ditching his father for the holiday, but the ride to getting there is sweet… for the most part. Slight trigger warning: There is a somewhat suicidal rabbit (Jack McBrayer) that tries to get himself killed throughout the dinner prep to restore his honor he feels Po has besmirched. Of course all is right in the end, and I will definitely be adding this into my December film rotation.
Rating: Liked It
Kung Fu Panda 2
I love to see that DreamWorks took everything they did right the first time around and built on it for the second entry, while laying the groundwork for a third. A new foe, the beautifully animated leucistic peacock, Shen (Gary Oldman), and his advisory goat Soothsayer, (Michelle Yeoh), has both clues to Po’s past and new challenges for China’s greatest Kung Fu masters. Po and the Furious Five have had time to work and train as a team and it shines through in both their banter and fight collaborations. The character designs continue to evolve, and instead of recycling villagers and henchmen, we get a fresh crop of quirky sheep townspeople and Shen’s army of menacing wolf mercenaries lead by Wolf Boss (Danny McBride). Other notable additions Po meets along the way to help him face off with Shen, are Master Flying Rhino (Victor Garber), Master Croc (Jean-Claude Van Damme), and Master Ox (Dennis Haysbert), who all add some fresh laughs into the mix. I think the best aspect of this second addition to the franchise is that rather than just riding on the coattails of the prior’s success, it takes the opportunity to explore new themes, this time focusing on adoption and family. Po never once questioned how a bachelor goose fathered a panda son, and in the end, despite Shen’s best (or is it worst) efforts, it doesn’t affect their relationship because of the love the two share as a family. However, peeling back the layers of Po’s mysterious origins does sow the seeds for the next installment.
Rating: High Side of Liked It
Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness
The first and only non-episodic of the KFP series, with a hit movie, one on the way, and several shorts under its belt, it’s not all that surprising that Nickelodeon would wanna snag this IP for some weekly content. Basically we get to continue adventuring with Po and pals between the events of the first and second films, with the typical cartoon show tropes tossed in for laughs, and without the need to watch in order or even in its entirety, as there is not an overarching storyline. What’s crazy is the amount of star power they manage to get for one off episodes and even a few recurring rolls. Wayne Knight, Malcolm McDowell, Wallace Shawn, Stephen Root, Ken Jeong, George Takei, Simon Helberg, and Paul Reubens are really just the tip of the talent iceberg as some of the most prolific voice actors of the past 20 years all pop up week to week. While I didn’t watch all 80 episodes, I did see at least four from each season, and the quality feels consistent, with a very early ‘90s vibe similar to the Disney Afternoon lineup. Simple plots, fun action sequences, and wacky run-ins with a cast of kooky characters.
Rating: Liked It
Kung Fu Panda 3
Very few franchises can hold it together to pull off a third banger without at least a few dips in quality or cohesion. KFP manages to keep the entertainment factor high, but even though this is easily the one I will rewatch first, I have a few small gripes. Aided by the groundwork laid in the second film (and a movie poster piled with pandas), I knew going in to expect plenty of pandanigens and revelations regarding Po’s parentage, the only surprise would be how this flick’s Big Bad would tie it all together. Well… I’m still a bit confused as to exactly how a spirit yak (J.K. Simmons) is able to steal the Chi of other deceased Kung Fu Masters, break out of their realm, and continue Chi-stealing from the living all because he’s a little miffed about being forgotten as a great warrior. Shifu stepping down and putting Po in charge of teaching at the Jade Palace is also a bit of a stretch, considering Tigress has been training since cubhood and is clearly a better option. My last, and admittedly most trivial issue, is that Po has been Dragon Master for years now, is the most recognized citizen in all of China, and yet he is still relegated to wearing the same ragged patch-work pants he’s worn from the start?! I know it’s a tiny thing, but I can’t stop thinking about it. In the first KFP,it made sense the son of a humble noodle chef, who’s exceedingly larger than any other villager, would have makeshift pants. But I’m sorry by the time the KFP2 came around, why is a first rate warrior still wearing second hand pants? All the other Masters from the Five, to those Po meets in prison, are immaculately dressed. Now in KFP3, Po is placed in charge of teaching at the prestigious Jade Palace, and even after finding himself in a secret panda village, filled to the brim with posh panda’s parading about in all their silken ursid opulence, he’s still sporting dilapidated radish sack dungarees. It honestly blows my mind. The only logical conclusion I can come up with is that it must save some stupid amount of cash on CGI or allow for recycling sequences because it’s insane to think the country’s most popular hero wasn’t offered new duds by a grateful haberdasher or sympathetic seamstress. Okay… rant over, I just had to get that out.
These few small weaknesses aside, I had more fun watching KFP3 than any other entry in the franchise. All the panda-ing around in the secret village, the cuddly camaraderie of the close knit clan, and the most unique ribbon dance since Will Ferrel hit the mats in Old School are so merrily amusing I was giggling pretty consistently.
Rating: Loved It
Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny
This Amazon original series, unlike Legends of Awesomeness, has a plot line that flows episode to episode, so no dropping in for an episode or two with this one. Following Po’s mastery of channeling and using Chi during the events of KFP3, he gets put in charge of teaching four panda pupils how to harness and use the Chi of deceased masters, that through a series of events, are now within the youngsters. It’s not as Po-centric as the Nickelodeon series, and we really don’t get any of the Five or any other characters from any previous parts of the franchise. It felt like watching DuckTales if Huey, Dewey, and Louie only saw Scrooge for breakfast then set out to adventure alone. It was easily my least favorite of the franchise.
Rating: It Was Just Okay
Kung Fu Panda: Dragon Knight
Netflix was bound to get in the panda game at some point, and I am glad they did! This series steers away from anything the franchise has done previously; no Master Shifu, no Furious Five, no secret village of pandas, and not a lot of referencing Po’s previous accomplishments. Po leaves home to go noodling (literally traveling to taste noodles) around China, and gets pulled into an adventure to prevent a set of English Weasel rogues from collecting powerful artifacts that when combined could help them wield powers to dominate the world. Po quickly encounters an English knight, Sir Luthera (Rita Ora), who is also tracking the villainous vermin around the world in an effort to stop them. Luthera has a very Brienne of Tarth vibe and may be one of the reasons I latched on to this series so quickly. I’m only about 10 episodes in, but I definitely plan on finishing it, as it is by far the most interesting of the three, and I actually want to know how it all plays out.
Rating: Loved It
Franchise Ranking
1. Kung Fu Panda
2. Kung Fu Panda 3
3. Kung Fu Panda 2
4. Kung Fu Panda: Dragon Knight
5. Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five
6. Kung Fu Panda Holiday
7. Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness
8. Kung Fu Panda: Paws of Destiny
I didn’t expect to fall in love with this franchise so quickly, but watching the first film, I was all in. The attention to even the tiny details like “pictures” being “taken” by artists sketching to capture a moment, all the way down to Po’s furr being mottled when wet, drew me in from the start allowing the intrigue of the adventures kept me there. I couldn’t be happier to experience this franchise with my family and we’re all looking forward to seeing where it goes next.
You can read more from Patrice Downing, and follow her on Twitter, Serializd, and Letterboxd