KungFu Panda 3 - at breaking point!

I saw KungFu Panda 3 over the weekend and safe to say many would have already seen the movie or have read about it so there will be little or no spoilers in this post.

The third movie in the franchise goes the tried and tested way of Po saving the valley from yet another powerful adversary. There is little to be disappointed with the premise but the problem with sequels is that it seems like stretching a rubber bank further with every new addition that the rubber band is put to great strain and so it is with KP3.

The introduction of Po’s dad, not the feathered one and the story of fatherhood is among the many nice bits in the movie. There is also the usual sly humour that is cleverly inserted in the dialogues that evoked hearty laughter in the theatre from those who caught it instantly. There was a hint of a romantic angle in the movie and I think somewhere in their minds the team behind the story must be regretting that Tigress is a tigress.

So the story in brief, Po is given charge by master Shifu as the new Master and after initial reluctance Po starts teaching and discovers that he is terrible at teaching. Then Po’s lost Panda dad returns to reclaim him causing jealousy from his goose dad. There is a new bad guy who strangely reminded me of some comical Tamil film villain despite looking menacing. The story then goes into telling how Po as expected will triumph; there are many references to the spirit world and life after death and back. We would have seen all this in Harry Potter 7 and for a moment Oogway does a Dumbledore.

Like I said there are some long drawn out scenes that you feel are simply inserted to enhance the 3D viewing experience. The story seems to end with a climax that seemed to say that this rubber band is at breaking point, but hey, stranger things have happened.

Go if you are a fan of Po and his band.

P.S. Jackie Chan may have had his longest lines in this movie if I am not wrong