Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

6/10

Starring the voices of

Jack Black
Bryan Cranston
Dustin Hoffman
Angelina Jolie

Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson

Kung Fu Panda 3 didn’t wind me up as much as I thought it would. This third installment is filled with easy-to-swallow gags, action-packed fun, and a nice family-friendly theme, but the story was dull.

One thing I love about this franchise—and the reason I’d give it a 6/10—is how the writers and directors never leave any of the movies open-ended. Each film can stand alone, so you don’t have to wait years to see the end of a story that began in Part 2.

Jennifer Yuh Nelson returns as director (though she didn’t direct the first movie), and Melissa Cobb is back as producer of the franchise.

For me, the first movie in the series did the job, and the follow-ups to this DreamWorks 3D animation have never quite lived up to the original.

It feels like in every film, Po’s Dragon Warrior status is tested, and he has to level up to a new tier of Kung Fu mastery to defeat the latest foe. In this one, he has to step up by moving between worlds (spiritual and mortal) to become a chi master.

This time, the antagonist, Kai, is a blast from the past—way back in Grand Master Oogway’s history. Kai has decided to absorb everyone’s chi into himself to become stronger. His quest brings us face-to-face with Po’s biological father and the other pandas, who were thought to be extinct. This ties back to the second movie, where Lord Shen led an army of wolves to exterminate the panda population to prevent the prophecy that “a warrior of black and white” would defeat him.

We learn that some pandas survived and are living together in a secret colony. When Po’s biological father, Li, learns of his son’s existence, he sets out to find him and eventually brings him to the colony, promising to teach him how to master chi.

Kai and Oogway once met in a panda colony long ago, where Oogway learned the way of chi—something Kai coveted for himself. Oogway had to banish Kai to the spirit world, but after being locked away for over 500 years, Kai finds his way back to the mortal world. Now, he’s continuing his quest to absorb all the chi and become stronger than anyone else.

I think there comes a time when a franchise needs to stop, Kung Fu Panda has already gone overboard with its movies, and should stop.

Deadpool (2016)

Deadpool (2016)

6/10

Starring

Ryan Reynolds

Directed by Tim Miller

Saying you won’t enjoy this movie would be a blatant lie and the understatement of the year. But I can bluntly say this won’t be the best or top superhero movie of 2016, nor the best movie of the year overall. Deadpool is cool, funny, and action-packed, but it was just… there.

For those who’ve seen X-Men Origins: Wolverine, you’ll remember a Deadpool character played by Ryan Reynolds who took on Wolverine. In that movie, he was a mercenary with a mouth, but they ruined the character by taking away his mouth, leaving us with just a mercenary who died way too easily.

When they decided to make this movie, with Reynolds also stepping into the producer’s chair, they made sure to stay true to the comics. Fans won’t be disappointed to see Deadpool break the fourth wall, chatting directly with the audience. And be prepared—he doesn’t just break the fourth wall; he breaks it within a fourth wall, like a sixteenth wall break or something.

One thing I loved about this movie’s production is the amount of time and effort that went into the marketing. I’d bet there are plenty of people who don’t know who Deadpool is. A friend of mine, who tagged along to see the movie, needed a quick intro to who Deadpool was and why he’s special. That didn’t stop him from dozing off during the long, drawn-out explanation of how Wade Wilson became Deadpool, but he was wide awake for the rest of the movie.

Back to the marketing—it was so well-crafted and trended so high on social media that even if you had no idea who Deadpool was, you’d still want to see this movie. Maybe not in theaters like the rest of us, but you’d definitely add it to your must-watch list.

The movie kicks off with a grand opening and some hilarious opening credits. Then it introduces our anti-hero in a freeze-frame scene that makes it clear: this guy is not a nice guy.

Wade Wilson is a former special ops agent turned mercenary, who chooses to help those who can’t help themselves—and gets paid for it. He’s in a serious relationship, heading toward marriage, when he gets the devastating news that he has cancer. He’s approached by a man who promises to cure his cancer and turn him into a hero. At first, Wade turns down the offer, but not wanting to burden his girlfriend with caring for a cancer-stricken lover, he leaves her and meets up with this man. He’s introduced to Ajax, who turns Wade into an ugly-looking mutant with accelerated healing powers and a touch of insanity.

Now hell-bent on revenge and a cure for his ugliness, Deadpool hunts down Ajax. His hunt doesn’t go unnoticed, as Colossus and his sidekick, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, track Wade down and try to convince him to stop his killing spree. As you might guess, it doesn’t work.

Like I said, this movie is fun and action-packed. You won’t regret watching it, and I highly recommend it—especially since Deadpool 2 (2018) is already in the works.