by Released : 2024-04-09
1. Kung Fu Panda (2008)
The original and best of the franchise Kung Fu Panda was a sensation when it was released back in 2008. Jack Black was perfectly cast as the loveable panda, but it’s the film's stacked support cast including Oscar winners like Dustin Hoffman and Angelina Jolie and popular character actors like Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, and James Hong that help flesh out the film. A simple, but emotional story the film is bolstered by breathtaking animation and a great soundtrack. Despite being a kid’s film the movie has some dark moments particularly with Tai Lung’s backstory. Ian McShane gives a deliciously evil performance as Tai Lung and brings a level of Shakespearean depth to the character not present in most kid films. A huge box office success making over 600 million at the box office, no wonder the film went on to spawn a franchise.
2. Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
Although not as good as the first film, Kung Fu Panda 2 is the closest the franchise gets to capturing the magic of the first film. The film benefits from an excellent villain turn from Gary Oldman as Lord Shen. The film provides a dark backstory to what happened to Po’s people as well as great set design. The audience feels the size of the city they are fighting in, unlike in Kung Fu Panda 4 where the animation is lacking when there is no action happening. Action legend: Jean Claude Van Damme also lends his voice here as master Croc, his only theatrical released film of the 2000s besides Expendables 2. A thrilling final battle where Po unlocks inner peace and a great after credit scene showed that this franchise was not a fluke and had plenty of steam after one. To this date it is the biggest box office hit of the franchise with a worldwide gross of 665 million.
3 Kung Fu Panda Legends of Awesomeness (2011)
The first and best Kung Fu Panda tv show, although Jack Black did not return the show does not miss him. The voice cast does a great job, Mick Wingert as Po sounds just like Jack Black. A catchy theme song, fun villains, and world building make this underrated show a must watch for any fan of the Kung Fu Panda films.
4. Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)
Living up to the promise of the after credit scene in Kung Fu Panda 2, Po reunites with his family and the other pandas. Including his real father, played by Bryan Cranston. Excellent animation and fight sequences make this a film fun for the whole family, despite a weaker villain compared to the first two films.
5. Kung Fu Panda 4
The most recent Kung Fu Panda film was a box office smash making nearly 500 million dollars at the box office. The film also introduced a new dragon warrior, Zhen, played by Awkafina. Awkafina gives a good performance as a quick witted fox, however the furious 5 is pushed to the side because of her introduction. Viola Davis is a great actress, but poor writing makes her villain bland lacking depth of previous villains in the franchise. Although released in 2023 somehow the animation in this film looked worse than it did in 2008. The chemistry between Bryan Craston and James Hong as Po’s two fathers is the best part of the movie.
6. Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny (2018)
After the third film the franchise was dormant for a few years until amazon tried to take a new spin and focus on younger pandas. An interesting premise that never lived up to its potential because of its premature cancellation. Solid animation and action scenes make The Paws of Destiny an interesting diversion for fans of the franchise.
7. Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight (2022)
Despite being the only tv show in the franchise to utilize Jack Black’s voice the shower suffers from bland writing and cheap animation. The events of the show seem to have no impact on the film and was quickly canceled by Netflix.
