OPINION:
With Disney and Pixar both struggling to recapture their lost magic of yesteryear, it’s nice to see other animation studios pick up the slack and like Po himself, “Kung Fu Panda 4” is sweet, fun and unexpectedly sage.
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Kung Fu Panda 4 – In Theaters
Change is hard. Just ask Po, who’s having a hard time giving up his role as the Dragon Warrior. Just ask Zhen, who struggles to reform her bad habits. Even the Chameleon herself — who reminds us that she changes all the time — has difficulty embracing change outside her own shape-shifting ways.
And just ask the makers of “Kung Fu Panda 4,” who, eight years after giving Po a nice bit of closure in “Kung Fu Panda 3,” bring back Po and his spirit person, Jack Black, for one more encore.
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But let’s be honest: It’s a pretty worthwhile encore.
The “Kung Fu Panda” franchise certainly has more than its share of issues — most of which we’ve also documented in our reviews of “Kung Fu Panda 1-3.” The series’ sense of Eastern spirituality is still in play, as is its superficial mix-and-match sense of faith. The intense slapstick cartoon violence here is unrelenting: If the film ever goes 10 minutes without someone throwing a fist or falling from a rooftop, I’d be a little surprised. And does a PG film really have to use the word “butt” quite so often?
For all of that, however, Po remains a worthy and relatable hero — absolutely goofy and utterly incorruptible. He tries to make those around him better, too. And when it counts, he kinda succeeds. “Kung Fu Panda 4” offers some really nice messages about friendship, family and how it’s “never too late to do the right thing” (as someone says explicitly in the film). It reminds us that heroism comes in unexpected forms.
Oh, and it’s a really fun film, too. The violent bunnies display a streak of sadism you’d not want your own little ones to emulate—but they did make me laugh.
With Disney and Pixar both struggling to recapture their lost magic of yesteryear, it’s nice to see other animation studios pick up the slack. “Kung Fu Panda 4” may not have the richness and depth found in the best of animated movies. It may have more problems than we’d like. But like Po himself, “Kung Fu Panda 4” is sweet, fun and unexpectedly sage.
And that’s worth a hip-hip skadoosh.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
Cabrini – In Theaters
To say that Mother Cabrini was kind, brave, loving, caring and just would not be enough. In fact, I’m not really sure how to describe a woman who believed in God’s purpose for her life so strongly that she was willing to risk everything — even her own life — to see it through.
“Cabrini” is a powerful story that teaches us what it means to pursue justice in the face of extreme persecution. The odds were against this determined nun from the start. She was Catholic, Italian and a woman. She didn’t have funding or influence. And yet, her faith that God would provide — that God would bring her Empire of Hope to fruition — never failed.
Compelled by her faith and ideals, Mother Cabrini fought for the impoverished immigrant. She protected the sick and the dying. She loved her children. Because even though she didn’t give birth to them, she took it as an ordinance from God to give them the love of a mother.
And through it all, she also demonstrated what women are capable of. She wouldn’t let anyone tell her no, because she knew that God had told her yes. And she certainly wasn’t going to let sexism, racism, or anything else stand in her God’s way.
“Cabrini” isn’t the easiest film to watch. The perils we witness onscreen, the hardships people face, the hatred carried out by those bent on preserving their own fabrication of the “American Dream” are all heavy topics. Some light language pops up on occasion, too.
But for families looking for a faith-based biographical drama, the story of Francesca Saverio Cabrini, aka Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, is pretty inspiring.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
Damsel – Streaming on Netflix
You can’t really make a stereotypical fairy tale these days. You know, one where a really good prince kills a really evil dragon and rescues a really imperiled princess. We’re all a little too cynical to swallow such stories now, apparently. And society is way too enlightened to suggest that any princess needs saving.
The irony is, of course, that revisionist fairy tales — the ones where the princess kicks some villainous keester and rescues a rascal in distress — have themselves become a bit stereotypical.
“Damsel” joins the ever-growing ranks of the revisionist fairy tale. Even its title — playing on the idea of a damsel in distress — paired with star Millie Bobby Brown brandishing a sword, makes that clear. This ain’t “Snow White.”
But “Damsel” flips the script in a more organic way than some. We don’t get the sense that Elodie hates frilly clothes or flowers: She likes them just fine, and her sister just loves ‘em. But when you’re alone in a maze-like cavern with a person-eating dragon, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. That makes this story feel both traditional and empowering — a nice combination, really.
Indeed, “Damsel” can be, at times, a nice movie. Sometimes, it feels delightfully old-fashioned, what with its gleaming castle and glittering costumes. The fact that Queen Isabelle is played by Robin Wright — who found fame as Princess Buttercup in “The Princess Bride” — adds a nice wink to this fantasy.
But, alas, that’s about the only wink this too-serious story makes to better its fantasy forebears. While “Damsel” minds its manners in many respects, it still feels grim and heavy. And where it doesn’t rein in its content — in its violence — the film can be surprisingly gruesome. The carnage here is a notch or two heavier than your average superhero film or bloodless actioner: People are burned, melted and occasionally squashed into jelly.
And while all those fatalities are still kept at a PG-13 remove, plenty of folks here do not live happily ever after.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
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Plugged In is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate, and impact the culture in which they live. Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”
Reviews written by Paul Asay, Emily Tsaio.
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