The "Kung Fu Panda" series, born in 2008, is one of the most popular animated films in the world. The total box office of the first three films exceeds 1.8 billion US dollars; plus "Kung Fu Panda 4" will be released in North America on March 8. It is expected that the total box office of the series will cross the US$2 billion mark this weekend.
"Kung Fu Panda 4" poster
"Kung Fu Panda 4" is eight years apart from the previous one. It is also the first new release of the series after DreamWorks was acquired by Universal Pictures in 2016. It still tells the story of the panda Po. Po, who inherited the staff from Master Wugui, is already a veritable dragon warrior. But the master has always advised him to accept a disciple and give him a title, so that he can ascend to the position of Soul Master of Peace Valley as soon as possible. While Abao was hesitating, he heard that the phantom queen, a chameleon who knew magic, was oppressing the people in the town below the mountain. He pardoned Xiao Zhen, a fox who came to steal things, and asked her to lead the way to kill the evildoers. However, Abao doesn't know that he is falling step by step into the trap set by the Phantom Queen...
"Kung Fu Panda 4" is directed by Mike Mitchell ("Shrek 4", "Trolls", "The Lego Movie 2") and is directed by Chinese-American Stephanie Ma Si, who has participated in "She-Ra" Tyne serves as co-director; the writing team is led by Jonathan Abell and Glenn Berger, who created the series. In the dubbing lineup, in addition to the old cast such as "Po" Jack Black, "Master" Dustin Hoffman, "Adoptive Father" Wu Hanzhang, and "Biological Father" Bryan Cranston, the newly joined Oka Fina and Viola Davis are also quite recognizable.
Unlike the previous three films, which had a production cost of US$130 million to US$150 million, the production cost of this "Kung Fu Panda 4" is about US$85 million. This is in line with Universal's other recent animated works, including "The Flying Ducks" and " "Puss in Boots 2" and "League of Bad Guys" are basically the same; if inflation is taken into account, the cost of this one can be said to have shrunk significantly. In addition, it only received 70% freshness on the film review website "Rotten Tomatoes", which is lower than the 81%-87% freshness of the previous three films. Therefore, before watching the movie, I had no expectations for "Kung Fu Panda 4". Not too high.
Panda Po and Fox Xiaozhen
However, after watching the film, I feel it is better than expected, and I understand why its North American box office can surpass the previous two films - it should not only rely on the mass base. "Kung Fu Panda 4" still maintains the high entertainment effect of the series. There are clues of reversal hidden in the ups and downs of the plot. The humor elements that make people smile are everywhere. The theme is not conveyed through blunt preaching, but integrated into the drama. In conflict.
Whether it’s the scenes, character styles, item details, or soundtrack, “Kung Fu Panda 4” is still filled with a strong Chinese style. Although the cost of this one has been significantly reduced compared to the previous three, from the picture point of view, it does not appear to be a big discount on "faster, more economical". Especially the fighting scenes with GoPro camera style are very dynamic; and the final process of opening the door to the spiritual world is also beautiful.
Some comments say that "Kung Fu Panda 4" is just about selling emotions, but I personally don't agree with it. It is true that the big bosses from previous films, such as Snow Leopard Taro, White Peacock Prince Shen, and Bull Demon King Tiansha, are all gathered together in this one, but the unique secrets of the real villain of the film, the Phantom Queen, still have their own creativity and selling points. On the one hand, the figure, expression and movements of this character are very consistent with the characteristics of her lizard, and on the other hand, she has an oriental fantasy color when she transforms. In addition, the new character Xiao Zhen also has room for further development. She has a complicated life experience, is smart and cunning, and is exactly the opposite of Po.
Speaking of emotions, "Kung Fu Panda 4" actually didn't sell enough, after all, the Furious Five didn't even make an appearance. Personally, I agree with the view of the film and television website Collider: "This film brings a just right ending to the series, and also provides an opportunity for a new beginning."
The shortcomings of "Kung Fu Panda 4" are also obvious. First of all, it only briefly explored the themes of identity crisis and self-redemption of the two protagonists, and it just stayed at the level of a popcorn movie. Secondly, the ending of the villain is sloppy. It should be the climax of the whole film, but it is not satisfying enough. It is a pity that there is so much preparation in the front, especially the old villains from the previous films who have worked hard to come down from the spirit world to play supporting roles.
In terms of box office, "Kung Fu Panda 4" opened in North America and other places on March 8. It should not be a problem to continue to top the box office list this weekend. Its global box office has currently exceeded 110 million US dollars. After two weekends of domestic screenings, as of press time, the cumulative box office has reached nearly 75 million yuan; when it is officially released on March 22, the good performance of the screenings should continue. Although Hayao Miyazaki's "How Do You Want to Live" will be released on April 3, there has been no other heavy new film that can compete with Po; and after the Spring Festival, family movies are also in a vacuum. There is a chance to get outstanding results.
Chinese voice actors Huang Bo, Yang Mi and Jiang Xin appeared at the premiere event
Finally, I would like to remind parents and viewers that if you take your children to watch the movie, you may wish to choose the Chinese dubbing version with voices from Huang Bo, Yang Mi, Jiang Xin, etc. In addition, the 2D and 3D versions of "Kung Fu Panda 4" are evenly arranged, and you can choose according to your personal preference when purchasing tickets.
