Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight follows Po on another epic, fun-filled journey. With new characters by his side, the first season of the series brings the viewers another adventure story.
Story
Po is awaiting his culinary tour throughout China where he will enjoy the many delicacies of the country and specific restaurants and is leading a rather peaceful life with his father.
His goal is to get to a village where Pei Pei runs a restaurant called “fat gobs.” He finds a throng of admirers waiting for him when he gets there, and since he can’t go to Pei Pei’s restaurant, he is starving. Two weasels named Veruca and Klaus Dumont are dedicated to stealing “The Gauntlet,” a powerful glove.
Po is forced to leave his village to travel the world in search of justice after this mysterious pair of weasels set their sights on the collection of four potent weapons, The Gauntlet included.
Wandering Blade, a no-nonsense English knight, joins Po on this mission. Together, these two mismatched warriors embark on an epic quest to discover the magical weapons first and prevent the end of the world.
They might even pick up a few tips from one another along the way. By trusting each other through the journey and hell-bent on saving the world from the bad guys. But soon Po gets to know she is not a real knight but a commoner seeking revenge for the murder of her brother. Nevertheless, Po forgives her, and the dynamic duo fights the crooks with real valour and power.
Performances
Po, voiced over by Jack Black, is a comedic genius as he has always been. With the hilarious antics and valuable life lessons, Po has once again brought the best to the viewers. The voice of Jack Black makes it even more special this time.
The knight from England, Wandering Blade marks the brave character, voiced over by Rita Ora. The chemistry between Po and Blade is one of the best in the series.
Positives
It’s been challenging to find media that parents and their younger children can both appreciate, but the creators of The Dragon Knight have made sure that Kung Fu Panda’s latest instalment continues the franchise’s positive trajectory.
This series puts the story first, which is one of the things that really makes it stand out. It is also unafraid to address some adult subjects.
Seeing Po back in action is entertaining from beginning to end, with amusing antics and unexpected life lessons. In Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, Jack Black once again demonstrates his hilarious brilliance.
The most notable scene of the entire series should be when Po pleads with Blade to let him be her page, the first step in a knight’s journey. Po, amazed by the knight’s valour and bravery, is ready to embark on the terrifying journey to save the world. This particular scene brings out the best in everyone who watches it.
Negatives
The animation of the series is one of the drawbacks; it varies between appearing passably good and utterly awful. Some of the prominent characters, like Po, have good visual appeal, and the occasionally dynamic camerawork gives the animal fight scenes life.
Additionally, due to the limited budget available for small-screen CG animation, the movements in the battle scenes are much less smooth. Moments meant to showcase Po or Wandering Blade’s physical strength suffer from unnecessarily rigid actions, which sap their cathartic power. The worst cases, though, are when characters’ lipsyncing clearly diverges from their spoken words.
Verdict
Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight is a great watch, with its shorter run time and fun-filled scenes. It is a perfect watch for the whole family and it offers the whole package.
Rating: 3/5
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