Monday, April 24, 2023

Kung Fu Panda - Series Retrospective (DreamWorks Animation Retrospective #3)

Expectations can be an extremely fickle thing when it comes to film. Sometimes there are films that folks are incredibly eager to see but ultimately end up disappointing them. Conversely, there are films that many people don’t expect a lot out of going in but, to their surprise, end up being way better than they anticipated. Case in point, as Rhode Island Movie Corner continues its series of retrospectives on the various films produced by DreamWorks Animation, today we’re tackling a franchise that is quite arguably one of the best examples of how you should never judge a book by its cover, the Kung Fu Panda trilogy. While it’s been nearly one and a half decades since the release of the original Kung Fu Panda in 2008, I still vaguely remember the overall uncertainty surrounding its release, especially since, in retrospect, this was right around the time when DreamWorks’ reputation for relying heavily on pop culture references was very much in full effect. But when it finally hit theaters, it did incredibly well with both critics and audiences to the point where it could very well be argued that it was one of the initial catalysts behind DreamWorks’ efforts to evolve as an animation studio. Thus, Kung Fu Panda promptly became another one of DreamWorks’ major franchises, with its three films collectively grossing nearly $2 billion worldwide; and as fate would have it, a fourth installment was recently confirmed for a 2024 release. So, with that in mind, let’s tag along with Po, the Mighty Dragon Warrior, and the Furious Five as we tackle the Kung Fu Panda trilogy. Skadoosh!

(Disclaimer: New verse, same as the first! For those who haven’t checked out my previous DreamWorks retrospectives, I’m only covering DreamWorks’ feature film output and won’t be going over any of the non-theatrical projects that their franchises have spawned; specifically, their numerous TV series spin-offs. In today’s case, this includes the franchise’s most recent installment, Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, which debuted on Netflix this past summer and saw the one and only Jack Black reprise his role as the series’ main protagonist Po, which is notable because this was the first Kung Fu Panda TV series that Black was directly involved with (in the franchise’s previous televised outings, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness and Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny, Po was voiced by voice actor Mick Wingert).)

KUNG FU PANDA (2008)

As noted in the intro, the original Kung Fu Panda was something that caught quite a lot of people by surprise back when it first came out in 2008. With a title that, admittedly, sounds incredibly goofy on paper and the fact that, at that time, a good chunk of DreamWorks films outside of the first two Shrek films weren’t doing too well with critics, it’s not that hard to imagine that a lot of folks probably figured that this would end up being another underwhelming release from the studio. And yet, when it came out, it was quite arguably DreamWorks’ most successful in-house release (not counting their collaborations with Aardman, which earned them a second Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2005 thanks to Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit) since Shrek 2. The reviews for it were excellent, it scored over $631 million at the worldwide box-office, and despite some controversy over claims of alleged vote rigging, it even managed to upset Pixar’s critically acclaimed Wall-E by winning that year’s Annie Award for Best Animated Film. Simply put, it was a hit, and when you watch the film even after all these years, it’s easy to see why. For starters, co-directors John Stevenson and Mark Osborne and their team clearly went above and beyond to honor the Chinese roots that thoroughly shaped this film’s premise in practically every possible aspect of its production. From some beautifully animated segments that pay homage to the staples of Chinese artistry (i.e., shadow puppetry) to the utterly incredible action sequences that were seen as a game-changer when it came to staging fight choreography in Western Animation, Kung Fu Panda is an animated film that visually and artistically holds its own against some of the most iconic live-action martial arts films of all-time.  

But it also helps that the film is buoyed by a familiar yet effective underdog story in which main protagonist Po must prove himself to everyone who doesn’t believe that he is the mythical ‘Dragon Warrior’, the most powerful kung-fu master in the land. Po, as excellently voiced by everyone’s favorite fun-loving rockstar Jack Black, is a naturally sympathetic protagonist, thus making his classic hero’s journey a satisfying one to watch. In fact, Black’s casting even helped to steer Po away from the more jerkish persona that he was originally given during the early stages of production. Black is then joined by a considerably star-studded supporting cast, including Dustin Hoffman as the stern Master Shifu, who’s begrudgingly forced to try and teach Po kung-fu, Ian McShane as Shifu’s former protégé turned arch nemesis Tai Lung, and the quintet of Angelina Jolie (Tigress), Lucy Liu (Viper), Seth Rogen (Mantis), David Cross (Crane), and Jackie Chan (Monkey) as Shifu’s students, the famous Furious Five. With all this in mind, let’s return to what I said before about how a title like Kung Fu Panda may have seemed like a completely ridiculous idea when you first hear it because, at the end of the day, this film’s greatest accomplishment is that it proves to be far more than what its title suggests. In other words, as much as it does maintain the usual comedic sensibilities of a DreamWorks film, it also takes its plot seriously and neatly mixes in some highly effective emotional moments amidst all the wacky antics of a panda learning the art of kung-fu. It was, in a way, the antithesis of what a lot of DreamWorks films were like at the time, thus signaling a bold new era for the studio.

Rating: 4.5/5

KUNG FU PANDA 2 (2011)

The second installment of the Kung Fu Panda series proved to be a considerably significant release as a result of who was directing it. For this film, directorial duties shifted to the original film’s head of story (and director of its opening 2-D sequence), Jennifer Yuh Nelson. In doing so, Nelson became the first female director to have sole directorial credit on an animated film for a major studio and the first Asian-American to do so as well. And thanks to Kung Fu Panda 2 being another financial hit for DreamWorks, managing to surpass the first film’s worldwide total by earning over $665 million worldwide, that made it the highest-grossing film directed by a woman at that time. Sure, this record would be surpassed just two years later by Frozen earning over $1 billion, but since Disney Animation’s Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee shared directorial duties with Chris Buck on that film, Nelson would retain the record as a solo director for a few more years until 2017 when Patty Jenkins directed Wonder Woman ($822 million). But perhaps most notably of all, while Kung Fu Panda 2 technically has a lower score than its predecessor on Rotten Tomatoes (an 80% compared to the original’s 87%), I have seen many people proclaim this to be yet another example of a superior DreamWorks sequel following in the footsteps of Shrek 2 and the second and third Madagascar films. And while this may have been the first time that I’ve ever seen this film… I must say that I would have to agree.

Like the original, Kung Fu Panda 2 boasts incredible action sequences, and thanks in large part to the fast-break style that DreamWorks was beginning to adopt at that time as evident from films like Madagascar 3, that gives this film’s action sequences an even greater kinetic energy. But aside from maintaining the original’s brilliantly choreographed action and solid sense of humor, Kung Fu Panda 2 also delivers on some terrific emotional poignancy, arguably more so than the first film. As part of the main plot of Po and the Furious Five taking on the sinister peacock warlord Lord Shen, the film also begins to delve into Po’s backstory, showing that he was seemingly the only survivor of a full-on massacre of pandas initiated by Shen, who was told that he would be defeated by ‘a warrior of black of white’. Thus, Po was separated from his parents (both of whom presumed dead) and taken in by kindly noodle shop owner Mr. Ping. In short, because of Shen’s pivotal role in this turn of events (as well as his collection of powerful cannons that can straight-up kill off kung-fu masters), the wannabe despot, as excellently voiced by Gary Oldman, is a truly formidable and intimidating main antagonist. And so, with all that in mind, it’s easy to see why Kung Fu Panda 2 is, indeed, considered by many to be a superior sequel as it takes everything that was great about its predecessor and amplifies it all even further, thus resulting in an all-around crowd pleaser that cemented its franchise’s premier status.    

Rating: 5/5!

KUNG FU PANDA 3 (2016)

At the end of Kung Fu Panda 2, it is revealed that Po’s real father, Li Shan, did, in fact, survive Lord Shen’s massacre. Thus, in Kung Fu Panda 3, Po finally reunites with his long-lost dad (originally voiced by Fred Tatasciore in the second film but now voiced by Bryan Cranston in what is ironically his second-straight appearance in a DreamWorks threequel after Madagascar 3), who has been residing in a secret village full of pandas ever since that fateful day. At the same time, though, Po and company now find themselves dealing with their most dangerous opponent yet; Kai (voiced by J.K. Simmons), a warrior from the Spirit Realm and former colleague of the late Master Oogway who has been hunting the masters of kung-fu for their chi as revenge against Oogway for sending him to the Spirit Realm a long time ago. Jennifer Yuh Nelson returned to direct this third installment, but to help ensure that it would be finished on time, she did have a co-director in longtime DreamWorks animator/story artist Alessandro Carloni. This was also one of the many DreamWorks projects at that time that the one and only Guillermo Del Toro was involved with, as he also had producing credits on films like Puss in Boots and Rise of the Guardians and would go on to create the Tales of Arcadia trilogy of TV shows that DreamWorks developed for Netflix. And as you might have guessed, Kung Fu Panda 3 was another critical and commercial success; while it may not have made over $600 million worldwide like both of its predecessors, it still did quite well for itself with over $521 million.

Critically, the film had the franchise’s second highest rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an 86% score though, from what I’ve seen, there have been some who feel that it doesn’t quite reach the same exact highs of Kung Fu Panda 2, which most likely stems from one key development. Tonally speaking, Kung Fu Panda 3 is, surprisingly, a much different kind of film compared to its predecessors as it is by far the most comedic-driven entry in the franchise. Whether it’s the running gag of Kai getting frustrated by the fact that no one knows who he is or the various side characters that Po meets at the secret panda village (each of whom has their own little quirk that comes into play during the final battle), Kung Fu Panda 3 explicitly relies more on its humor than any of its dramatic moments. As such, one could arguably describe this as the animated equivalent of a Marvel Cinematic Universe film, especially because of how the MCU has often been called out for how it has consistently maintained that narrative approach throughout its run. And yet, as anyone familiar with my love of the MCU may have guessed, it goes without saying that I don’t have any major issues with this film’s decision to take that same kind of route. After all, as I’ve often argued with MCU films, just because a film is primarily comedic in nature doesn’t mean that it can’t deliver any high-quality emotional moments, and thanks in large part to the whole plot of Po reuniting with his father, Kung Fu Panda 3 still delivers some solid bits of emotional poignancy while also boasting the best animation out of any film in the series with its beautiful landscapes, vibrant color palette, and sharp and fluent character animation. Thus, while I do understand why some may find this film’s more lighthearted nature to be something of a step back for this franchise, that doesn’t stop Kung Fu Panda 3 from being another charming and entertaining animated film that presents an all-around satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.

Rating: 4.5/5

And so, that concludes Rhode Island Movie Corner’s Retrospective on the Kung Fu Panda trilogy. Next time on the DreamWorks Retrospective series, we finally come to the franchise that I’m sure a lot of you folks have been waiting for, How to Train Your Dragon.