Home Top

Po still packs a winning punch: Kung Fu Panda 3 is enormous fun, writes BRIAN VINER

Published: 02:01 GMT, 11 March 2016 | Updated: 02:02 GMT, 11 March 2016

View
comments

Kung Fu Panda 3 (PG)

Rating:

Po the chubby panda and his fellow anthromorphs return for another exhilaratingly silly DreamWorks adventure, this time with a formidable new villain to vanquish, in the form of Kai, an enormous, snorting, bull-like creature from the Chinese spirit world.

He is voiced — or rather, bellowed — by J.K. Simmons, whose bullying jazz teacher in Whiplash was a pussycat by comparison.

The starry voice cast is again led by Jack Black as Po, with Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie and Seth Rogen also returning, but Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston is another splendid new addition.

He does a lovely job of voicing Po’s long-lost biological father, Li, who introduces him to his fellow pandas for the first time, including cousins Dim and Sum.

It’s easy enough to be cynical about film franchises, especially one about a martial arts-loving panda, but the first two films weren’t huge money-spinners by accident.

They were beautifully animated, carefully plotted, and above all, great fun.

So it’s pleasing to report that Po’s third outing, again directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson, is at least as enjoyable.