Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Kung Fu Panda 3 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

More rotund, and exciting, in 3D

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 1, 2016

DreamWorks is no stranger to the great animated film, and it's certainly no stranger to the great animated film franchise. From Shrek to Madagascar, the world's top animation studio not named "Disney" or "Pixar" has captured the imaginations of audiences around the world with a steady stream of unforgettable characters, big adventures, plenty of laughs, tons of heart, and cutting edge digital craftsmanship. Arguably the greatest of all the studio's successes, and this reviewer would argue in all of digital animation-dom, is the Kung Fu Panda franchise, now three films strong and telling the story of Po, a gluttonous, overweight Panda who may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound -- or climb up more than a couple of its stairs before collapsing from exhaustion -- but who has mastered the art of Kung Fu, gained the respect of his much more agile peers, and foiled many an attempt to take over the world and whatnot. The movies are as fun as they are cuddly, as sharp as any animated feature out there, and voiced to perfection. The latest installment sees Po reconnect with his roots when his world, and everyone he loves, is threatened by a new menace who harnesses the most dangerous power Po has yet faced.

Flying big, flying high.

It's Master Shifu's (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) last day on the job. He's handing teaching duties over to the Dragon Warrior, Po (voiced by Jack Black), in hopes of escaping to solitude to master his inner chi. Po's training isn't exactly as precise. He concocts wild trials and tribulations that leave all members of the Furious Five -- Tigress (voiced by Angelina Jolie), Mantis (voiced by Seth Rogen), Monkey (voted by Jackie Chan), Viper (voiced by Lucy Liu), and Crane (voiced David Cross) -- battered and bruised and Po's name forever soiled in the training arena. But things are about to get just a little bit wild. Turns out it's Po who is in need of finding his inner chi, a power that's sure to be handy when he and the team face off against their biggest threat, the dangerous Kai (voiced J. K. Simmons). But to find his inner chi, Po must find himself. To do that, he must know himself, better than he already does. Enter a mysterious visitor named Li Shan (voiced by Bryan Cranston) who claims Po as his own and convinces the rotund Panda to return to his roots and discover who he is and from where he has come.

Kung Fu Panda 3 delivers a risk-averse continuation of the franchise. Neither as consistently funny nor dramatically relevant as the first two entries, this third film largely settles into routine, which means it's still a good bit better than many of its peers but a mild disappointment within the franchise canon. The story revolves around crude combat antics as Po and his friends -- a much larger cadre of them this go-round -- battle a new and even more sinister fiend. But beyond that, and more interesting, too, is the story of Po's emotional maturity as he reconnects with his past which, in turn, aligns him with his future and deeper inner powers that extend beyond his ability to punch and kick (and, of course, consume mass quantities of dumplings and noodles). It makes for solid character progression and satisfies in seeing Po continue to grow beyond his ample girth. However, the film doesn't necessarily leave the door open for more, or provide the franchise with anywhere to go, certainly not in the same way the second film concluded with a tease of great emotional pull that this film satisfies, but without the same sort of immediate punch as one might have been led to believe.

Still, Kung Fu Panda 3 is a fun all-around movie and if nothing else a satisfying entry into the universe that's 90 more minutes of Jack Black inhabiting a character in a way quite unlike any other voice actor has been able to accomplish in the digital world. Black's command of Po's personality, which, admittedly, is as much Black's as it is the character's, is the film's single greatest asset, beyond its cast of colorful characters, its action-packed antics, its tight digital construction that still impresses and even inspires this deep into digital's lifespan. The film stays true to its roots, hearkening back to jokes from previous films, particularly as Po reconnects with his past, which allows the movie to feel fresh while recycling some of its premiere gags along the way. The action is fine if not a little repetitive -- there's really only so many ways for a Panda and his friends to do their thing -- but fans should get a kick out of watching their furry (and not-so-furry) friends get back in the swing of things. Best of all, however, aside from the kicks and punches, richly refined world, and technical razzle-dazzles is a core story about the importance of self confidence and family, biological and life experience constructed alike. It's Po's ability to not only realize the power he wields, but grow confident in it and accepting that it does indeed flow through him, that is at the center of the story. The movie constructs a positive lesson about accomplishment, trust, and positive self affirmation that plays nicely with the softer and funnier front for which the film, and indeed the franchise, is best known.

Kung Fu Panda 3 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kung Fu Panda 3's 1080p 3D Blu-ray presentation nails it. This is one of the more refined, even exquisite 3D transfers out there. It's the nearly perfect blend of basic depth, incredible dimensionality, extra-screen activity, and maintenance of the general color and detail excellence of the 2D-only transfer, which is also included in this set on a separate Blu-ray disc. Action scenes impress the most. The opening clash between Oogway and Kai comes alive with terrific environmental depth. There's no shortage of vast expanse to enjoy, with plenty of motion and chaos that extends through the third dimension, both way back into the screen and, seemingly, out in front. Kai's God of War-like blades rip though and beyond the screen. Audiences might very well want to duck and dodge. The final battle, too, sees plenty of debris push out of the screen. Through all the mayhem, the image never loses its fluidity, clarity, or ability to finely define its chaotic environment in three dimensions. One of the best moments comes when Kai's face smacks into rocks. The volume, the depth, and the extra-screen activity make it a perfect example of 3D's capabilities. Smaller details impress. Po's bubble bath, about 15 minutes into the movie, features bubbles floating out in the space in front of the TV, or so it seems, anyway. Basic character shape is excellent, particularly the rotund pandas.

As noted, the image holds up very well in terms of precise coloring and fabulous detail; neither is lost in translation. About the only negative to report is a marked increase in aliasing over the 2D image. Whereas it only appeared once or twice on the other release, it's much more commonplace here: Mantis' right leg in a shot before Po trains the five early in the movie; along the edge of the crossbows the ducks are carrying when they gossip about Po's failed training session; on those same stairs that provided the most jarring example in 2D; along the lines of the rhino battle armor. These are just a few examples from early in the movie. It's not debilitating, and more casual onlookers might not see it in quite so much abundance or really be bothered by it, but more demanding viewers may very well find it a distraction. Still, the raw benefits of the 3D presentation outweigh the negatives that come with it, in this case.

Kung Fu Panda 3 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Kung Fu Panda 3 rolls onto Blu-ray with a somewhat underscored, but nevertheless very effective, DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack. The added back channels add a very clearly defined layer of sound to the experience, creating a fuller, more immersive sound field to be sure that's used to nearly constant effect, outside of dialogue scenes. Battle sequences, training montages, anything with commotion of excess movement yield high activity sound immersion, with precise imaging and directional detailing to enjoy. Music follows suit, playing with a pleasantly immersive, though never aggressive, posturing. Bass is present throughout, but the low end never hits too terribly hard. It's instead a very deep variety of bass, never superficial but elegantly supportive in every way. Clearly defined and prioritized dialogue round a fantastic track into shape.

Kung Fu Panda 3 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Kung Fu Panda 3 contains all of its supplemental content on the included 2D disc. No 3D-specific bonuses are included. A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy are included with purchase.

• Everybody Loves a Panda Party (1080p, 2:34): Pandas sing and dance to their unique spin on "Kung Fu Fighting."
• Everybody Loves a Panda Party - Karaoke with Po (1080p, 2:34): The same supplement as above, karaoke-ized.
• Po's Posters of Awesomeness (1080p, 3:30): Po shows off some of the posters, featuring him, that decorate his father's noodle shop.
• Panda Paws (1080p, 2:23): Talent show audition mayhem!
• Make a Panda Party Paper Pal (1080p, 3:38): Po guides viewers in the creation of a Panda Party Paper Pal, using an insert included with the disc.
• Play Like a Panda (1080p, 4:44): Directors Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni discuss the inspirations for the baby pandas in the film by intermixing live views of baby pandas with scenes of the animated ones in the film.
• The Origin of "Skadoosh" (1080p, 2:21): The secrets of Po's catch phrase revealed!
• Faux Paws (Deleted Scenes) (1080p, 7:50): Directors Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni introduce several scenes cut from the film. Scenes appear in various stages of completion.
• Gallery of Epic Artfulness (1080p, 2:28): A series of still images from the movie with options to auto advance or manually advance the gallery. Auto advance plays like a montage screen saver. The gallery has no background music.
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:26).
• The World of DreamWorks Animation (1080p):Music videos and more from Shrek, Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, The Croods, Turbo, and Home.
• Sneak Peak (1080p): Trailers for Ice Age: Collision Course, Voltron Legendary Defender, Home, The Peanuts Movie, Dinotrux, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, Penguins of Madagascar, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, and DreamWorks Animation Original Series.

Kung Fu Panda 3 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Kung Fu Panda 3 doesn't innovate like the first film or capture the imagination or dramatic satisfaction of the second, but it's a solid enough entry into the franchise that smartly grows the characters and expands the universe while remaining comfortably within established lore. There's not enough pull or dazzle to leave the audience anticipating a potential fourth entry as there was for a third, but that said the movie accomplishes its basic goals with plenty of enthusiasm, from the storytellers (and Jack Black in particular, who is crucial in creatively developing Po) to the digital animators who have once again blown through all reasonable expectations of excellence and crafted what can be heralded, again, as amongst the current best the medium has to offer from a technical perspective. Fox/DreamWorks' Blu-ray 3D release of Kung Fu Panda 3 delivers fantastic 3D picture offset only by an unfortunate (though hardly deal-breaking) onslaught of aliasing. Audio is terrific and supplements are fine, though the lack of any 3D exclusive bonuses is disappointing. The movie is a pleasure to watch in 3D, and 3D capable fans are encouraged to spring for the experience. Very highly recommended.