Happy Easter Everyone!!
Sorry that it has been a while since I have uploaded. The college life has been very busy, however, I am on break for the next couple of weeks so I am free to post a couple times. I plan to do one film post (this one), and one to two sports posts time permitting. Thank you everyone for the continuous support.
Nostalgia is one of life's most bittersweet emotions. A time when we reminisce about the past appreciating the joys we once had. One of the most common forms of nostalgia is viewing our favourite children's movies. So, when KFP 4 was released recently, I was EXCITED to see the return of everyone’s favourite Panda, Kung Fu Master and the Furious Five. However, the character of Po was not really developed, Master Shifu screen time was reduced once again, and the furious five were only seen in the last scene. There is a lot of warranted disdain towards the release of KFP 4. Should it have even been released in the first place? Did it ruin the trilogy? However, if there is one thing that nostalgia does to a person, it blurs their view. Although we can consider all of these things, one thing is for sure, KFP has always produced the BEST villains. So when reveals the kung fu-wielding sorceress, how can we not be intrigued to the idea of the Chameleon being the strongest villain yet.
For most franchises the villain is not the immediate focus, but with the historic greatness of Tai Lung, Lord Shen, and General Kai, how can we not first ask about the Chameleon. The shape-shifting sorceress proclaimed to take over China by growing her villainous army to take over the crime-ridden Juniper City and the rest of the lands. Unfortunately, the villain that was hyped up as the most powerful villain yet in the franchise was a massive letdown. The previous 3 villains all had some sort of depth to them. Tai Lung wanted to impress his father figure, and claim the Dragon Warrior title, a desire he still possesses in the fourth film. Lord Shen was a pure evil character driven by his hatred towards destiny even going as far as committing Panda genocide. Kai felt betrayed by his brother who did not uphold his legacy removing his name from history. But the Chameleon? She kind of just existed? Yeah, she had sorceress powers, but no one wanted to teach her Kung Fu. After all, she was TOO SMALL. Did we forget about Mantis??? If the angle for the writers was to try to create this villainous figure trying to get revenge on the world after being raised in an impoverished background, sure, I get it, but there are two main issues with this.
Sorcery is probably just as hard to learn as Kung Fu. Sure, you can read books and go to different temples, but that does not make sorcery so much more difficult than Kung Fu to learn. I would have loved to see how the Chameleon learned sorcery if there was some library she went to, a mentor that she had, but nope…. She was just a sorcerer
Lack of a backstory - This ties in with the first reason, but the Chameleon did not have any backstory whatsoever. The most we get throughout the film is that she understands ‘the streets’ and teaches the rules of ‘the streets’ to Zheng, who is treated as royalty. However, that’s it. The previous 3 films had entire scenes dedicated to their past, and their history, and an attachment was made between the viewer and villain. However, this one was kinda just…. Kinda just there.
In addition to this horrendous writing of the Chameleon herself, both ‘fight’ scenes were very anti-climatic.
The first fight scene featuring the Chameleon is not even really a fight scene as much as it was just Po being trapped in a cage after being tricked by Zhen in a plot twist which almost everyone above the age of 8 saw coming. Even when Po just escapes, we are not really exposed to the true power of the Chameleon. Yes, I am aware that she didn’t possess any ‘kung-fu’ skill up to this point, but sorcery is still a cool tool that could be used in a fighting scene. Lord Shen’s first real counter with Po was not so much a Kung Fu showcase; instead, it showcased Shen’s technological monopoly over the metal industry. Although you could argue that this was done to increase the ‘hype’ or build anticipation for the Chameleon’s capabilities as a villain, it kinda just made her a letdown. It built her up to be a whole lotta nothing….
This nothingness culminates in the last fight scene. While the animation was amazing, and one of the few positives of the movie in my eyes, the apparent ‘struggle’ of Po throughout the fight just for the Chameleon to LOSE TO ZHENG AFTER SHE LEARNED ONE MOVE, then for Po to finish her off IN ONE BLOW! Like bruh… Dreamworks, how do you expect us to take her seriously? For all the hype and buildup both during the trailer and in the movie itself, this last fight scene was very anticlimactic.
These disappointing fight scenes, which are often the pinnacle of martial arts movies, truly represent the letdown of the Chameleon as an overall villain. We establish zero connection with her as a villain, and we have no sympathy, empathy, remorse, or anything emotional at all. All we feel is a heavy heart as the franchise we adored growing up slowly rots itself away into the old friend who has overstayed his welcome.
If I was to post my overall thoughts on the entire movie, that post would be wayyyy too long, and there was wayyyy too much to cover. However, my thoughts on the Chameleon sum it all up. An overhyped villain that failed to shine when the lights were bright.
While it is sad that I return with a bit of a rant, I hope you guys still enjoyed this little snippet into my thoughts. Next time I will return back to some sporting content as it is the bulk of the content on this page, but the occasional passion post on film never hurts.
Thank you guys so much for reading, and until next time,
Have a Blessed Day :)