The Kung Fu Panda movies all have what can best be described as a two-and-a-half act structure, with the conventional end of the second and start of the third muddled together, leaving us with a finale comes out of nowhere. As with the humour, 3 still repeats this somewhat, although what makes it less of an issue this time is that it manages to actually deliver an impactful story. With the origin and establishing of the hero done, you'd think there's not really anywhere else for Po to go, yet with the introduction of his estranged family providing a species history with the power of Chi and an expansion of the knowledge of Kung Fu (it's not all high-fiving bunnies in the valley), the third film manages to take us on a strong emotional journey that departs from the "unexpected hero" thread and goes into more complex concepts of self-betterment and inner happiness. Conclusion: Kung Fu Panda 3 is far and away the best movie in the series, correcting some of the systemic issues that ran through the first two films while also refining what already worked. If this bizarre series really is going to run well into the next decade, then that's fine with me. Have you seen Kung Fu Panda 3? What did you think? Share your thoughts down in the comments.
