The bumbling dragon warrior Po is back and he has got his biological father Li (Bryan Cranston), his adopted father, the furious five and a village of pandas with him. Visually thrilling and filled with heart, this third film in the Kung Fu Panda franchise is as endearing as its rotund hero.
What was my first reaction after watching Kung Fu Panda 3 with its A-list voice cast (Angelina Jolie, Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, JK Simmons, Dustin Hoffman blah blah), visual splendour, stunning 3D effects and the bumbling world saviour Po? That I wanted dumplings, and noodles, and soup. But mostly dumplings.
For those who came in late, Kung Fu Panda 3 is the third coming of Po, a food-loving panda who is destined to become the dragon warrior but simply can’t believe it. No sir, three films down and he is still to come to terms with it. This is his charm and his impediment – others have seen his greatness but he wants to stick to what he can do rather than what he is capable of. A little bit like all of us, and telling us that we can own the world only if we could be bothered to strive and believe.