The panda Po is back in the cinema in “Kung Fu Panda 4” by Mike Mitchell. A film to see at the cinema with the family from this Wednesday March 27.
RECOMMENDED FROM 6 YEARS OF AGE
Once upon a time : After three adventures in which the dragon warrior Po fought the most formidable masters of evil thanks to unparalleled courage and martial arts skills, destiny will once again knock on his door to… invite him to finally rest. More specifically, to be named spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace. This poses some obvious problems. First, Po is adept at spiritual leadership as well as dieting, and second, he must quickly find and train a new dragon warrior before he can enjoy the benefits of his prestigious promotion.
Worse still, there is talk of the recent appearance of a witch as evil-intentioned as she is powerful, Chameleone, a tiny lizard who can transform into any creature, regardless of size. Now Chameleone gazes with her eager and piercing little eyes at Po’s staff of wisdom, with the help of which she hopes to be able to reinvoke from the realm of spirits all the evil masters that our dragon warrior has defeated. Po will have to find help. He will find some (or not?) with Zhen, a corsac vixen, a thief as cunning as she is quick-witted, who has the gift of irritating Po but whose skills will prove precious. In order to successfully protect the Valley of Peace from the reptilian clutches of Chameleone, this strange duo will have to find common ground. This will be an opportunity for Po to discover that heroes are not always where we expect them.
What they will love: Eight years separate the releases of Kung Fu Panda 3 and 4. This is therefore the first adventure of the Great Dragon Warrior that young people will discover in the cinema, and what a spectacle! After three feature films and an animated series, Po has lost none of his flair and will once again (and last?) prove that he deserves his title.
In this new opus, Po lives in peace surrounded by his two dads: Ping; his adoptive goose father and Li Shan, his real panda father, but the warrior will have to find his successor and it is sometimes difficult to accept giving up his place…
During this adventure, Po meets Zhen, a skilled thief. The two heroes will have to venture into town to find Chameleone, the big villain of the film. This is the first time that Po has to face a villain, and the latter is indeed the most formidable of his adversaries since she possesses supernatural powers allowing her to summon the panda’s previous adversaries.
DreamWorks
The film therefore allows us to find the villains of the previous opuses, which will give Po the opportunity to prove to them once again that he deserves his title.
A true action and adventure film, Kung Fu Panda 4 is faithful to the previous opuses: it’s funny and you never get bored.
What may worry them: As the trailer suggests, when the bad guys are summoned by the Chameleone, they have glowing eyes and can scare the youngest. We therefore advise you to show the trailer to your children and observe their reaction.
Like Puss in Boots: The Last Quest, Kung Fu Panda 4 is more mature than previous games and sometimes a little darker. The new characters, especially those from the bar and Zhen’s old traveling companions, can impress the little ones, especially the cute little rabbits who transform into beasts thirsty for fights. But once the surprise has passed, children will remember the funny side of the situation.
DreamWorks
What they will keep deep inside them : Since his on-screen debut in 2008, the lazy and gluttonous panda Po has evolved. His adventures have made him more mature, more responsible, but still just as funny. In Kung Fu Panda 4, our hero will understand the need for transmission.
Little by little, Po has become a Great Dragon Warrior, now it is time to take the next step. For this he must find a successor, but when you are in your comfort zone it is difficult to understand that change is beneficial and allows you to move forward. The wise Master Shifu will push Po to realize that it is necessary to leave his place to another and move on to the next stage of his life.
DreamWorks
We still don’t know if this film is the last in the 1.8 billion dollar saga, but it could very well conclude the franchise which will have allowed us to witness the different stages of Po’s life. From his training to Kung -Fu with the Five Cyclones, to his reunion with his true father until his appointment as spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace.
The change at the heart of the film
The entire saga allows young people to understand the different stages of life and to understand how we go from student to teacher, from child to parent… Although sometimes frightening, change is an integral part of each person’s evolution and allows us to grow.
Met during the promotion of the film, director Mike Mitchell told us on this subject: “The theme of change applies to everyone, whether it is a child moving from elementary school to middle school or from middle school to high school or an adult changing jobs or homes. .Change can be anxiety-inducing and is often frightening.
DreamWorks
I think this film shows that change can be a very positive thing, that you shouldn’t be afraid of it and that you don’t lose anything from your past. We rely on him and we evolve, we grow. So that was an important theme. But we also have sub-themes about heroes and villains and judging a book by the color of its cover.”
Co-director Stephanie Stine then specifies: “Yes, we like to say that Po’s world begins in the fourth movie. His worldview is sort of black and white, just like him. Black and white because he sees people as either good guys or like bad guys. But through his journey with Zhen the Fox, he learns that the world is pretty gray like his new friend. So we visually see this sub-theme that we have.”
Cat the feature film therefore also allows young people to understand the subtleties of the world and living beings, everything is not black or white.
Kung Fu Panda 4 is the coming-of-age film and can be seen in theaters with the family from this Wednesday, March 27.