Dreamworks has had quite the history. Sometimes, they make something everyone loves, like How to Train Your Dragon, or Shrek, or the new Puss in Boots movie, and sometimes they make Megamind 2. I, like many 2000s kids, grew up with these movies. We also grew up with the Kung Fu Panda movies. I have watched these movies more times than I can count. I find them to be one of the best trilogies you could ask for. I was skeptical when I heard about a fourth one. I am pleased to say though, that there is still not a bad Kung Fu Panda movie.

So, first things first, Jack Black. He has not lost his touch as Po at all. I know that Jack Black voices do not change much, but this just feels so natural. It’s like there wasn’t almost an entire decade between this one and the last one. Same goes for everyone else in the cast. They all sound just like they used to…ok not everyone.

The Furious Five are not in this movie. Almost the entire side cast of the last three movies, who have always played a role, are just not here now. They try to explain it as just, “Oh they’re off doing other cool stuff right not,” but that is just disappointing. They were always important before, and now to see them just get sidelined like that does not sit well. No, they are not replaced either. They just stay offscreen because the movie would’ve cost way too much otherwise. Can you imagine how much it would have cost just to get Angelina Jolie to say two words?

The writing of the movie is a little off, but not to the point where it feels worse than the others. Not as many of the jokes land, but it is still a funny movie. The plot also remains consistently good, although it is not as good as the others. It still feels like a Kung Fu Panda movie with it’s writing, it just feels a little less heartfelt than the others.

Speaking of plot, the villain! The Chameleon is a good villain, in theory. The idea that someone could look like anyone and be able to copy their moves is a great idea. It leaves a lot of room open for creative fight scenes when trying to take her down. Sadly, those rooms are still very much open. Unlike all of the villains before, The Chameleon just does not feel menacing at all.

First impressions are very important when telling a story. Every other villain in the series has had a very strong first scene. Tai Lung broke out of what was basically his own personalized Alcatraz, Lord Shen took out two masters, and a third with giant cannon, and Kai took out Oogway.  What did The Chameleon do in her first scene? Make a guy fall down some stairs. She didn’t hit him or anything, not even a small fight, she just scared him off the stairs. That does not show why we should fear this villain. Also, every other villain had some kind of backstory to them that showed why they came out the way they did. Chameleon just told her backstory. No special sequence, just told instead of showed. There is also the pure madness that she was told she was too small to learn Kung Fu, when a MANTIS and a SNAKE were A-ok!

There is one thing clear in this movie. It is probably the weakest out of all four. This does not mean it is bad. It just means it’s not quite there with the rest. The writing and action scenes are still there, but the overall story and villain just are not quite up to snuff when it comes to the others. The only major disappointment this movie had was not bringing in the Furious Five for just one fight scene at the end. If we can have Mr. Beast say Skadoosh, we can get the Furious Five for five minutes.