When I walked into the theater to see this movie, I expected nothing more than a soulless cash grab from Hollywood, yet another attempt to milk one of their most beloved children’s movie franchises for every penny it’s worth. Was I wrong? Well… only partly.

Anyone who has kept up with the franchise knows that this movie was made for the sole purpose of making money. While most franchises believe in the power of three, Kung Fu Panda 4 walks the edge of repetition. Since the last installation shows Po (Jack Black) reaching the absolute pinnacle of his powers, it was hard to imagine the franchise creating a new installation that would top Kung Fu Panda 3. After all, what else is there for Po to possibly learn?

However, somehow the producers found a way. Just like at the end of the third movie, Po is extremely powerful in Kung Fu Panda 4, but he still has much to learn about spirituality. Not only does this decision feel surprisingly natural to the continuity of the existing Kung Fu Panda universe, but it’s oddly refreshing. The shift from focusing on making Po a competent, elite fighting force to having him grapple with internal struggles was a clever way to continue his story while not diminishing any of the payoffs from the previous three films.

Although it took a full three movies for Po to finally become a master at Kung fu, he is finally called to leave that behind to try something else in the newest movie. We see him struggle and attempt to resist this change only for him to learn that change is a natural part of life. Through the thematic exploration of trying to be a jack of all trades but a master at none, the message of the movie is incredibly streamlined.

Only 94 minutes long, the movie is incredibly well-paced. It’s fast when it needs to be, but slows down in crucial moments to emphasize character development and growth. That being said, the runtime is also a hindrance to the film at times, as the new co-lead, Zhen (Awkwafina), is barely developed as a character given the time limitations. Had there been more scenes explaining her backstory and moral compass, her character arc would have felt far more triumphant.

Extra runtime could have helped the movie with its villain’s backstory as well. The main antagonist, The Chameleon (Viola Davis), was not given a compelling story, making her seem like just another generic boss battle that Po had to face, causing her to seem rather bland. 

Besides Davis, everyone who reprises their previous roles from the prior movies, including Jack Black as Po, Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu and James Hong as Mr. Ping, turns out a consistently solid performance. 

It was disappointing, however, that the Furious Five, a team of the world’s best Kung Fu fighters (and Po’s best friends), were not in the movie, as it would have been interesting to see how the other characters that we have grown to love would react to Po’s new role.

The movie’s animation tells the story well. After viewing the trailer, which seemed somewhat unpolished and aesthetically pleasing to viewers, I was nervous that this film wasn’t going to be high-quality. Luckily, the promo shots were clearly not the finished product, as the action set pieces looked as great as they were entertaining. As long as you don’t expect anything as breathtaking as “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” in the looks department, you will leave the theater feeling quite satisfied.

Was I wrong to think this movie was going to be a soulless cash grab? Not entirely. The decision to make the film was motivated by money, it’s also clear that there was a lot of passion put into this project. While it is slightly inhibited by its short runtime, the main issue of “Kung Fu Panda 4” is that it’s more or less the same as the other movies in the franchise. At the end of the day, it’s the same panda making the same fat jokes being taught by the same red panda and wise turtle. Unfortunately, because so many of the jokes were repeated, the humor began to feel quite stale. 

The Kung Fu Panda movies will always hold a special place in our hearts, but I think the writers at DreamWorks Animation should take their own advice: embrace change and try something new, just as Po did in Kung Fu Panda 4.