The new sequel lacks the tear-jerking revelations and darker edge that characterized its predecessor. Visually though, it's a candy-colored 3-D treat, from the exquisite sunset that shimmers over the panda enclave to the psychedelia of the spirit world.
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Kung Fu Panda 3 is a 2016 3D American-Chinese computer-animated action comedy martial arts film, produced by DreamWorks Animation, and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni. The film was written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, produced by Melissa Cobb, and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro. It is a sequel to the 2011 film Kung Fu Panda 2 and the third installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise. The film features the voices of Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, J. K. Simmons, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, David Cross, Kate Hudson, James Hong, Randall Duk Kim and Jackie Chan.
The film received a limited release in China on January 23 for a special three-hour sneak preview and was released starting from January 28 in South Korea and Russia and on January 29 in the United States and Canada in 3D. The film grossed $518 million worldwide.
In the Spirit Realm, Grandmaster Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) fights against an adversary named Kai (J. K. Simmons), who has defeated other kung fu masters in the realm and taken their chi, turning them into small jade charms. Oogway willingly gives in and also has his chi stolen, but not before warning Kai that the Dragon Warrior, Po (Jack Black), will stop him. Kai takes this as a challenge to steal the chi from the Dragon Warrior and returns to the mortal realm.
Meanwhile, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) announces his retirement from teaching to begin his training to master chi and passes the role of teacher to Po. Excited at first, Po discovers that teaching kung fu is not as easy as he expected, as the Furious Five members Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Crane (David Cross), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu), and Monkey (Jackie Chan) are injured as a result. Po is demoralized as a teacher, which makes him question who he really is and whether he is the Dragon Warrior. In response, Shifu advises Po that instead of trying to be a teacher, he should try to be himself.
