Kung Fu Panda 4 was pretty much what I expected. It was a fun and relaxing watch but not memorable in any way. Honestly, the most memorable thing was how comfortable the movie theater, Cinemark Majestic, was. The seats were wide and extremely comfortable. They would roll back and even had majestic heating.

Now, there are several aspects of the movie that really saved it from being a meaningless nothing. The main savior was the great comedy. Po definitely carried the movie with his funny and spirited personality. I thought the interactions between Po’s panda dad and goose dad were also highlights. They were a wholesome and funny combo. The funniest part was the restaurant on the cliff that kept almost falling over. I was also impressed by the evil chameleon. She was played by Viola Davis who played the role really well. I thought her visuals and ability to transform into any villain were incredibly cool.

Nevertheless, my greatest problem with the movie was the forced plot. I really didn’t like the fox deuteragonist, Zhen. Personally, when I hear Awkwafinas voice, all I can see is Awkwafina, and I lose the immersion I have in the movie. I strongly felt that there were some plot holes. The main one was Zhen betraying Po. She suddenly turned into a good guy after not much self reflection. Zhen had lived her whole life as a criminal and her change to a good character felt so forced. As well, I don’t think it made much sense that Zhen should become the dragon warrior. She just felt random and not that special.

Compared to the previous KFP movies, this one fell a little flat. I was incredibly sad that the original characters – Tigris, Mantis, Monkey, Crane, and Viper – weren’t even in the movie. I’m aware that this is most likely because the original cast members couldn’t come back, but it was still a little upsetting.

Overall, this movie was alright because of the comedy and cool antagonist, especially considering that this is already the 4th movie in a beloved franchise. However, the plot did indeed feel unoriginal and formulaic. I’d give this movie a 6.5/10. On a side note, I highly recommend visiting the Cinemark Majestic theater because those seats were otherworldly.