Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)
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Po must master the power of chi and protect his home from a powerful spirit warrior.
The story
After Master Shifu announces his retirement, he names Po his successor. However, Po's initial attempts to teach the Furious Five are unsuccessful. Shifu advises Po to master the art of chi. While struggling with his new role, Po is reunited with his biological father, Li Shan, and discovers a secret panda village. Together, they must prepare to defend the Valley of Peace against General Kai, a spirit warrior who has stolen the chi of many masters and seeks to destroy Master Oogway's legacy. Po must now learn to master chi and lead the pandas in the upcoming conflict.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the Spirit Realm, Master Oogway fights General Kai, who has stolen the chi of deceased kung fu masters. Kai returns to the Mortal Realm, where he is forgotten by history. Master Shifu names Po his successor, but Po struggles to teach the Furious Five. Shifu advises Po to master chi. Po meets his biological father, Li Shan, and they bond, much to the jealousy of Po's adoptive father, Mr. Ping. They discover a hidden panda village where Oogway was once hidden by allies. Kai eventually destroys the Jade Palace and steals the chi of all living masters, leaving only Tigress to warn Po. After a period of training and a falling out with Li, Po reconciles with his father and trains the other pandas. When Kai attacks the village, Po uses the Wuxi Finger Hold on himself to send both him and Kai to the Spirit Realm. There, Li and the others send their chi to Po, empowering him to defeat Kai and free the masters. Po is then named the true successor by Oogway and receives the Staff of Wisdom, ultimately training the pandas and the Valley of Peace.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 95
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jennifer Yuh Nelson; Alessandro Carloni
- Writers
- Jonathan Aibel · writer; Glenn Berger · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jack Black · Po; Dustin Hoffman · Master Shifu; Angelina Jolie · Master Tigress; J. K. Simmons · General Kai; Jackie Chan · Master Monkey; Seth Rogen · Master Mantis; David Cross · Master Crane; Lucy Liu · Master Viper; Bryan Cranston · Li Shan; James Hong · Mr. Ping; Randall Duk Kim · Grand Master Oogway; Kate Hudson · Mei Mei
- Genres
- animated; martial arts; comedy
- Themes
- father-son relationships; identity; legacy
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; funny
- Setting
- A mythical land featuring the Valley of Peace and a hidden panda village.
- Premise and plot tags
- martial arts; fantasy; adventure
- Franchise connections
- Kung Fu Panda
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews for its visuals and narrative.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 87% · scale: percentage · review count: 179; Metacritic · score: 66 · scale: 100 · review count: 34; IGN · score: 8.5 · scale: 10; Screen Rant · score: 2.5 · scale: 5; RogerEbert.com · score: 3 · scale: 4; The Escapist · score: 3 · scale: 5
- Awards and nominations
- Best Animated Feature · Annie Awards · 2017 · nomination; Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Production · Annie Awards · 2017 · nomination; Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Feature Production · Annie Awards · 2017 · nomination; Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production · Annie Awards · 2017 · nomination; Best Virtual Performance · MTV Movie Awards · 2016 · nomination; Most Wanted Pet · Kids' Choice Awards · 2017 · nomination; Best Animation/Family TV Spot · Golden Trailer Awards · 2016 · nomination; Kid's Vote — Film · British Academy Children's Awards · 2016 · nomination; Best Animated Film · Saturn Awards · 2016 · nomination; Best Animated Film · Georgia Film Critics Association Awards · 2016 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was the first time any major American animated feature was co-produced with a Chinese firm.; The film's antagonist, General Kai, is the first supernatural villain of the series.; The film was the first Kung Fu Panda film not to be nominated for an Academy Award.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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