Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016), PG, ★★★

Like father, like son. 

I have always liked the Kung Fu Panda franchise in which the creators balance the slapstick kung-fu humor with some vulnerable detachment and heart all wrapped in one character: Po. The first movie is basically Po wanting to learn the ways of being the Dragon Warrior or learning kung fu. In the second movie, Po wants to enhance himself and learn more spiritual ways of kung fu and learning about his past in the process. This is a perfect Segway to why the third movie is made. Here's a tiny spoiler if you have not seen the movie: we, the audience, find out, in the end, that Po's father is alive. But, this is not your typical third movie in a franchise that derails the series like a train wreck. This movie is an entertaining film with heart and laughs and leans towards the jokes towards the audience for children.

In the beginning, Master Oogway (voiced by Randall Duk Kim) is fighting with Kai (voiced by J.K. Simmons) in the Chinese Spirit Realm and has his chi stolen. Oogway warns Kai that his chi will be defeated by the Dragon Warrior. In the present, Master Shifu (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) announces his retirement and passes the role of teacher to Po (voiced by Jack Black) and again, Po is unconfident as to if he will be a great teacher. But, the role of teacher is more complicated as the Furious Five members, Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey (voiced by Angelina Jolie, David Cross, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu and Jackie Chan) gets injured.

Another subplot was the revelation of Po's father, Li Shan (voiced by Bryan Cranston) which angers Po's adoptive father, Mr. Ping (voiced by James Hong). Li Shan breaks Po's dumpling-eating record and compares his belly to Po's. They both soon find out that Li Shan is actually Po's biological father and get along well. The Valley of Peace is attacked by past Kung Fu Masters turned into jade statues under the control of Kai. Po and Li, along with Mr. Ping, travel to the village where Po lived originally while Shifu and the Furious Five stay behind. He learns both the ways of chi and the panda life as he also meets Mei Mei (voiced by Kate Hudson).

Po, learns from Master Tigress in which her chi was the only one not destroyed as Kai destroyed everybody else's chi, is tempted to teach Li and the other pandas in order to defeat Kai. Po agrees and teaches the ways of the chi and the everyday activities and how their assets will be values to defeat the bad guys.

Who is this bad guy? LOL. 

This is a fun and enjoyable ride and even this is my least-favorite movie of the series, this is an entertaining movie serving both the action and the laughs that gets the Kung Fu Panda train steaming and rolling. However, I enjoyed the action-adventure more than the laughs because the jokes are lighter and more predictable and there were at times, to be honest, I laughed at a few of the stupid jokes because I did not care however it did not serve the purpose. But, the best run-on joke is regarding the villain which everybody does not know who he is. It's a good extra layer onto his character.

Jack Black can voice the main character in the sleep like how Woody and Buzz fits Tom Hanks and Tim Allen and how Marlin and Dory fits Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres or the cream of the crop, Genie fits Robin Williams. J.K. Simmons is good as the villain, Bryan Cranston provides some fatherly tones and levity in his character and Kate Hudson, let's just say, this is one of Hudson's best movies. It's an animated movie, so, I'll take it.

Even though the narrative is a bit simplistic and a bit clunky, the movie gives us visual splendor in its animation in watching China at its best. There is a myriad of likable characters who does not annoy me at all and with a side of ambitious and detailed animation to delight the adults more than the children. The kids will be delighted with the jokes and the action sequences as the movie is fast-paced with such an interesting story but not a great story from the villain. Thankfully, the core of the movie is Po's family past and his relationship with other pandas and it works. A pleasant animated movie to end January.

***