His goal is to bring his supernatural army to the mortal world and defeat Po, his anointed opponent.īut the important thing to know about Kai - Master of Pain, Beast of Vengeance, Maker of Widows - is that he’s voiced by J.K.

Kai has been spending the last few centuries collecting all the chi power from kung fu masters and storing it in amulets. The film, directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni, begins in the spirit realm, where Oogway, the ancient kung fu master (and tortoise), is suddenly attacked by the villainous bull Kai, a former friend. When he discovers that other pandas don’t use chopsticks to slow them down, he offers: “I always knew I wasn’t eating up to my full potential!” That was my personal favorite, but the kids in the audience were overwhelmingly partial to this one, hurled mockingly by the overmatched Po at his taunting, evil opponent: “Chitty, chitty, chat, chat. Of course, you’ll already know that Jack Black is back, and in fine shape, as Po, our rotund panda hero and reluctant Dragon Warrior.īlack’s goofy persona is perfect for some of Po’s lines. (If you plan to stay uninformed, then stop reading here). Much of the appeal of the “Panda” films is, of course, the starry cast of voices, and it’s fun to try to figure out who they are, rather than informing yourself beforehand. Like a well-made dumpling, it’s not too heavy but not too light, has the right amount of spice and leaves one with some appetite for the next time. In addition, the movie’s evocative DreamWorks Animation visuals are accompanied by just enough heart, witty dialogue and kid-friendly humor (dumplings are a frequent source of laughs) to make this an all-around extremely satisfying third installment in the popular movie franchise. If you’re one of those people (and I’m with you) who can’t keep from rolling your eyes when handed a pair of 3D glasses at the multiplex and wondering whether all this rigmarole is necessary, then take heart: The lovely, color-popping visuals in “Kung Fu Panda 3” are well worth those darned glasses.

Kung fu panda three