MOVIE REVIEWS

Kung Fu Panda 3 does not disappoint. It has great animation, great music, and a great story. We loved it. My son, who is 9, enjoyed the story and thought the movie was very funny. The panda theme was adorable as pandas are cute animals. Also, the scary guy wasn't that scary - and was more funny. Jack Black is hilarious and everyone in the theater was laughing. There were some sad moments and some happy moments but you leave the theater feeling uplifted. If you like action movies, you will like this because many things explode but there is no gore. The colors of the film are quite beautiful and lush. Go see it! You will enjoy it. Take your kids.

> This time no Skadoosh, but Chi time. Three successful films in an animation franchise is a great achievement and according to the production house, yet another 3 films are going to hit the screens in a decade of time. So if you are an animation fan, especially 'Kung Fu Panda' and Po's fan, brace yourself for the future treats. This film was amazing. After two wonderful adventures, now this story has calmed down a bit with simplicity. Visually, it was spectacular with all those fight sequences, but the story was quite dramatised with enough comedies and then the final battle to conclude the 3rd installment on a high note. I think it was a well designed storyline in advance keeping in mind 5 to 6 films, that's why the flow was very smooth between all the three with those flashbacks placed at the right place. This particular part belongs to Pandas, the furious five were absent in most of the film, but good to see the return of Oogway. The master Oogway comes at the beginning and then during the end, though very happy for presence as he's my favourite character in this franchise. He's not a big player, but like Yoda, he's amazing and tell me who won't like him. This time no Skadoosh, but a new villain with a battle fought for a new powerful thing called Chi. Now Po got a promotion, so I'm very excited for the next film for how it will going to turn out. This is a beautiful family film and must not miss it. All the cast was returned from the previous two and a few more new were recruited and it is set in a new location for the most of the narration like the most of the animations has done in China. After all made in China is not so bad. 8/10

Kung Fu Panda 3 is about what you would expect. A roller coaster ride of gags, goof ups and outrageous martial art outbursts. Po is himself, clumsy, naïve, martial arts master and funny. As usual he is accompanied by his friends from the previous movies including the somewhat reluctant Shifu. The wise turtle Oogway from the first Kung Fu Panda is back as well, kind of. Naturally there is a big bad villain, General Kai, who it turns out have some past relations to Oogway. General Kai is pretty good as a villain with a suitable maniacal expression on his face. Then of course, a bull in itself is already projecting bad temper and violence so it is a good start. The main story is of course about defeating General Kai but Po’s reunification with his (real) father and the rest of the, funny and very clumsy, inhabitants in the Panda village is taking up a large part of the movie. In general the story is quite nice with some nice twists. It should come as no surprise that Po, as usual, saves the day in a cataclysmic showdown with General Kai. There are some great animation effects in the final battle. At the end of the day this is a quite recommendable family movie.

"Po" just wants a peaceable life but Master "Chifu" has other plans. He wants to go spend some more time with his chi, so asks his dragon lord to take over the training regime of his pals. The now fairly accomplished panda thinks that's a daft idea, but who is he to argue? In the village one afternoon he meets another, paunchier, giant panda that is looking for his log lost son? The briefest moment of confusion follows before hugs and tears and now "Po" has two dads! Just as well because we quickly learn that the long imprisoned bull "General Kai" has escaped from his inter-dimensional prison bent on destroying everything connected with his former mentor "Oogway" - and that includes just about all of them! Team "Po" has to get it's act together in the face of such a mighty foe - and that takes them to the hitherto secret land of the pandas and to an ultimate confrontation with their chain-swirling nemesis. Can "Po" believe in himself? Can his new-found family and his old one join together to help him? No, I don't suppose there is heaps of jeopardy here, but the characters are engaging and I like this creature that has a modesty about his skills that's quite refreshing. Team work? Yes. Family baggage? Yes. Loads of action scenes? Yes. Indeed, it's just a fun rehash of the others in the franchise that uses some characterful animation to tell an adventure story that anyone can watch and enjoy. It doesn't pontificate, which is another element to this strand that I rather like, and it mixes up just enough mythology to keep it a bit special. Not as good as the first one, but the strong ensemble of beasties and acrobatics works well for a quickly paced family adventure.