Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Kung Fu Panda 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Justin Dekker March 22, 2024

'Kung Fu Panda' makes its debut on 4K UHD courtesy of Universal. The animated classic stars an excellent voice cast helmed by Jack Black who is joined by Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, and James Hong, just to mention a few. It's an excellent film that was justifiably the start of a franchise. The included Blu-ray 1080p disc is identical to the original 2008 release. 'Kung Fu Panda' 4K also comes with a slipcover and a Digital Code.

For an assessment of the film, please refer to the review of the Kung Fu Panda Blu-ray (2008).

Kung Fu Panda 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

When Kung Fu Panda arrived on Blu-ray, it looked brilliant and earned top marks in terms of depth, color, and detail. As such, one wonders how much room there is for improvement on this new 4K disc. After agonizing over both the Blu-ray and 4K discs for quite some time, the good news/bad news answer is not much. There isn't a quantum improvement on display here in terms of the 2160p presentation, and differences are largely slight and subtle. Colors offer a modest improvement in saturation when one considers, for example, the greens and reds seen in "The Secret Hall of Warriors" as Po's fandom and obsession are fully revealed when he rushes through a collection of weapons, paintings, and urns. The palette also receives a minor expansion, offering the opportunity for finer color gradations best seen over the surface of silk garments, skies, and landscapes. The fire as Viper trains is ever so slightly brighter, and Po's shabby rough-spun and patchwork shorts are delightfully tactile and fibrous, as is the burlap-covered training dummy. The fur on Po, Monkey, and Tigress is also very modestly better defined and precise, as are Crane's feathers, offering realistic and lifelike volume and movement. But again, all of these amount to a fractional increase, rather than a full point.

Please note that all screenshots are taken from the included 1080p disc.

Kung Fu Panda 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Kung Fu Panda 4K is paired with a Dolby Atmos track that never fails to impress, exhibiting both greater nuance and power. Immersion is one of the areas that receive a noticeable boost over the Bllu-ray's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless audio. Throughout the feature, music swells through the surrounds and envelops the audience, sometimes for mere moments, but other instances can last much longer. More intimately, the surrounds are used to place us inside Po's head as he sluggishly blinks and regains consciousness after his hilarious mishap with a chair outfitted with an impossible number of fireworks. It's a brief moment, but surprisingly effective. Environmental sounds like the chatter and background noise in the noodle shop is more complex and discernable as well. The tournament serves as an excellent showcase for the track providing a concise taste of everything the track can do. Distant fireworks echo through the surrounds as Po approaches at the beginning of the scene, fireworks erupt from every direction as Crane faces the "Thousand Tongues of Fire", the rapid and impressive directionality exhibited by Po's makeshift bamboo tree catapult is impossibly precise and fluid, and cheers encircle as the dragon warrior is named. Bass is substantial and frequently leveraged, providing depth and power to explosions, breaking stones and doors, punches and kicks, and frequently falling pandas. Sound effects are rendered with incredible realism, from the simple closing of the massive doors to the 'Sacred Hall of Warriors", to the coins that clatter on the wooden floor during Po's dream in the opening moments. Dialogue is always clear and easily discernable. Typically placed front and center, it's properly prioritized even in the film's frequently raucous moments. It's a terrific audio track.

Kung Fu Panda 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Kung Fu Panda 4K contains a selection of extras found on the original 2008 Blu-ray but not all of them, as well as two others brought forward from other editions of Kung Fu Panda. They are:

• Meet the Cast (13.19) - Jack Black dominates the running-time of this feature about the voice cast. We also hear from Jackie Chan, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogan, Lucy Liu, David Cross, and Ian McShane. Watch out for a surprise appearance by the legendary James Hong.

• Pushing the Boundaries (7.09) - Mark Osborne (Director), John Stevenson (Director), as well as animators and character designers, and others discuss how they brought the film to life and broke new ground mixing fur with clothing and kung fu. Special effects are also addressed, and special focus is given to the rope bridge scene.

• Learn the Panda Dance (4.31) - Learn dance moves inspired by the animals and fighting styles found in Kung Fu Panda

• Learn to Draw (31.56) - The artistically inclined will appreciate several quick lessons on how to draw Po, Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Viper and Crane.

• Sound Design (3.55) - Mark Osborne (Director) Ethan Van Der Ryn (Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer), and Erik Aadahl (Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer) discuss bringing the film to life through realistic and inventive sound effects

• 'Kung Fu Fighting' Music Video (2.30) - A video of Cee Lo Green's song for the film.

• Do You Kung Fu? (10.55) - Learn the basics of Kung Fu styles and poses.

• Mr. Ping's Noodle House (4.44) - Alton Brown narrates the noodle-making process at Mr. Chow as demonstrated by Danny Yip, Mr Chow's Executive Pasta Chef.

• How to Use Chopsticks (2.58) - With the help of a narrator, a young girl demonstrates how to hold and use chopsticks.

• The Animals of Kung Fu Panda (6.19) - Take a closer look at some of the most respected animals in China including the tiger, crane, mantis, monkey, and viper.

• Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll (23.14) - Having first appeared on Kung Fu Panda Ultimate Edition of Awesomeness Blu-ray (2016), this story is set years before the events of the first film, Tigress works to redeem herself in Shifu's eyes by confronting a warrior named Boar and developing her own style.

• Feature Commentary - Likely sourced from the Kung Fu Panda Blu-ray (2011) release comes a commentary track from Directors John Stevenson and Mark Osborne. The pair discuss their inspirations for a variety of elements in film, their own fandoms, the evolution of the story, the importance of the improvisation done by some members of the voice cast, visual effects, the elevated sound design, and more. It's a very relaxed and organic conversation that is informative and engaging.

All of the legacy features are present on the Blu-ray disc which is identical to the 2008 release. Read about those here. But, the additional short, Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll, and the commentary are not on the Blu-ray disc.

Kung Fu Panda 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Universal's Kung Fu Panda 4K is the best the film has ever looked and sounded. The film itself has aged well and is as entertaining today as it was when it was originally released 16 years ago. Propelled by manic, slapstick action and an incredible voice cast led by Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, and Angelina Jolie, it's a classic tale of the power of friendship and teamwork that reminds us that sometimes heroes can be found in the most unlikely of places. The special features included on the 4K disc are a collection of some of the more interesting segments from several previous Blu-Ray releases with unfortunately no new material to reward long-time fans. Still, even though it isn't new, most will be excited to see Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll included here. While the 4K UHD video presentation may not be a substantial improvement over what can be seen on the excellent existing 1080p disc, the Dolby Atmos track yields more discernable gains, and Kung Fu Panda 4K comes highly recommended.