Po packs less of a punch as Black dials down exuberance

Film: Kung Fu Panda 4 (PG) Released in cinemas today Damon Smith 3/5

Sixteen years after Jack Black growled his first “Skadoosh!” while demonstrating a perfect Wuxi Finger Hold in the original KungFu Panda, dumpling-obsessed hero Po is showing his age.

Fur and feathers fly with pleasing regularity in a high-kicking fourth instalment of the computeranimated franchise but the jokes in Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger and Darren Lemke’s script punch disappointingly low and light, and a power-hungry villain has to absorb the kung fu moves of previous antagonists to become a palpable threat.

Black’s seemingly inexhaustible exuberance from previous instalments is dialled down from 11 to a sensible seven, offering less distraction from a simplistic quest-driven plot that preaches the positivity of change.

“If things stay the same forever, sooner or later they will lose their flavour,” counsels a wise master of noodle broth.

Sadly, Kung Fu Panda 4 proves its own point.

Mike Mitchell’s picture, codirected by Stephanie Ma Stine, throws together the same ingredients – frenetic fight sequences, wisecracks, cross-species co-operation – and serves up the blandest dish of the series to date.

There is almost nothing in Po’s latest jaunt to excitedly slurp and savour.

Black’s cover of Britney Spears’ … Baby One More Time over the end credits feels like an acknowledgement that filmmakers are going through the motions to boost the franchise’s box office, not because of any dramatic necessity.

“Destiny calls for you to take the next step on your journey,” Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) counsels his panda protege, who must ascend to Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace just as Grand Master Oogway intended.

Po (Black) is resistant to change and the current Dragon Warrior focuses on the re-emergent threat of villainous snow leopard Tai Lung (Ian McShane), who has seemingly escaped from the Spirit Realm.

Fox thief Zhen (Awkwafina) warns Po that appearances are deceptive and the bullying big cat is a disguise of powerful shape-shifting sorceress The Chameleon (Viola Davis).

Bidding farewell to his protective fathers Mr Ping (James Hong) and Li (Bryan Cranston), Po ventures to The Chameleon’s fortress in Juniper City via the Happy

Bunny Tavern run with an iron trotter by Granny Boar (Lori Tan Chinn).

En route, the benevolent bear mentors Zhen in the art of self-sacrifice and makes merry in a den of thieves controlled by pangolin Han (Ke Huy Quan).

Kung Fu Panda 4 exhausts affection for Po and his anthropomorphic chums despite solid vocal work from Black and Awkwafina, who polish lacklustre one-liners as they riff off each other.

Davis deserves sharper writing to swathe her megalomaniacal magician in menace and a running visual gag with a cliffside drinking den is over-extended.

Colourful animated visuals are richly detailed, packing a punch that is otherwise lacking in Mitchell and Stine’s pedestrian and fitfully entertaining smackdown.

It is a case of grin and panda bear it.