Like a jolly big panda tiddled on bamboo juice, the Kung Fu franchise has been taking a bit of a breather before hauling its loveable if slightly unfit hero out of his tree for another run. Kung Fu Panda 3 (no subtitle yet) is the third of six trips to the Pandaverse promised by DreamWorks Animation’s Jeffrey Katzenberg. Here’s a first look at its chubby hero back in action.
This one sees Po’s (Jack Black) long-lost panda dad (pandad?) suddenly reappearing and reuniting with his son to venture to a secret panda paradise where, promises the synopsis, plenty of new characters will be found. But before you can say “LOL! Sneezing panda!!”, bad guy Kai turns up with a supernatural scheme to destroy China’s kung fu masters. And to misquote Black Dynamite, his devilish plot is only outmatched by his zest for kung-fu treachery.
Alongside the returning Black, Angelina Jolie and Seth Rogen come Jackie Chan, Bryan Cranston, Mads Mikkelsen and Rebel Wilson to lend their talents in the recording booth.
With Alessandro Carloni and franchise veteran Jennifer Yuh Nelson calling the shots, Kung Fu Panda 3 lands with us in the UK on March 18, 2016.