7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
When Po's long-lost panda father suddenly reappears, the reunited duo travels to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new panda characters. But when the supernatural villain Kai begins to sweep across China defeating all the kung fu masters, Po must do the impossible—learn to train a village full of his fun-loving, clumsy brethren to become the ultimate band of Kung Fu Pandas.
Starring: Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, J.K. SimmonsFamily | 100% |
Animation | 93% |
Adventure | 92% |
Comedy | 59% |
Action | 21% |
Martial arts | 9% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
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.
Po Pose!
Kung Fu Panda 3 unsurprisingly looks fantastic on Blu-ray. Fox/DreamWorks' 1080p presentation is a sight to behold, another example of how the Blu-ray medium can really pounce on material like this and dazzle even after all these years. The image is slick and clean. Details are ridiculously impressive, with obvious things like animal fur the highlight considering density, movement, and overall clarity. Yet it's often other elements that really shine, particularly considering the attention to detail in background and support elements. Attire -- Po's patchwork pants, more resplendent garments on characters like Master Shifu and his silky robe -- reveal seemingly every textural nuance the digital animators have thrown into them. Natural vegetation, wooden planks, old armor, just about anything and everything from the world of Kung Fu Panda looks magnificent. Colors are extraordinary, too. Pop is plentiful, balance bountiful, and shading just right. Perhaps the single best example comes in the ridiculously lush green pastures of Po's panda populated home. It's a rich, attractive green that's very well saturated and about the most heavenly shade of natural green one can imagine. The more stylized segments are sharp and clear, and even a purple-tinted montage sequence looks gorgeous. Black levels hold firm. No technical shortcomings were observed beyond a brief blast of aliasing visible on a set of stairs leading up (and up and up some more, to Po's dismay) to the Hall of Heroes. Fans should expect the best from a movie like this, and the studio delivers.
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 contains an assortment of kid-friendly bonus features. A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy
are included with purchase.
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 release of Kung Fu Panda 3 delivers the top-flight 1080p video and lossless audio fans have come to expect. Supplements are a bit on the kid-centric and fluffy side of the equation, but there's some good stuff for fans of all ages. It's a shame a UHD wasn't released alongside, but it's difficult to imagine a significantly better technical package than this. Very highly recommended.
Awesome Edition
2016
Awesome Edition | bonus disc
2016
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with 2 Poppin' Penguins Toys
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PIXAR
2016
Ultimate Collector's Edition
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