The series "Kung Fu Panda: Dragon Knight" is the worst thing that could happen to the franchise

On July 14, Kung Fu Panda: Dragon Knight premiered. This is not the first continuation of the story of panda Po: in addition to three feature films, serials and short films about this hero were released in different years. But each new project looks worse than the previous one, and Kung Fu Panda: Dragon Knight was no exception. Now Netflix has taken up the destruction of the cartoon's legacy.

The plot of the series is simple: the villains attacked the village and stole the magic glove, and Po could not stop them. For this, the emperor deprives the panda of the title of Dragon Knight, because criminals can destroy China with the help of a stolen artifact. Po decides to find the villains and take away the magic weapons in order to regain his good name. Wandering Blade becomes the panda's assistant - a bear-knight from England.

What are the disadvantages of the series "Kung Fu Panda: Dragon Knight"

The series takes almost nothing from the original trilogy, although it is a storehouse of interesting finds. Instead, a new "Kung Fu Panda" is invented, which cannot be an interesting standalone spectacle.

Illogical plot

As you remember, Po could not stop the criminals who stole the magic glove, and for this he lost the title of Dragon Knight. This may seem logical if you ignore the three parts of the film.

The fact is that the Dragon Knight is not a document or certificate. Po becomes a Knight because it comes true prophecy, and this happens in the very first part of Kung Fu Panda. The second and third parts are tied to the fact that Po is a Knight, his status is unshakable.

The first episode of the series simply crosses out everything that happened before it. But the surprises don't end there.

In the first episode, Rogue Blade comes to Po to ask for help in catching the thieves. Po mistakes the bear for one of the criminals, after which the heroes fight. But in the process, they realize that they have nothing to share, and move on to a conversation. Rogue Blade reveals that he's going to go after the thieves, and Po volunteers to help. And suddenly the heroine says that she does not need help, because she always works alone.

Three minutes before, she went to ask for help, now she needs to be persuaded. How it works is unclear.

Bad animation

The first part of Kung Fu Panda was released in 2008. Since then, 14 years have passed, during which cartoons have made a huge step forward, the best technologies of those years have managed to go into circulation.

But in a completely unimaginable way, Netflix has made a series that looks older than the original film. And it's especially strange when you consider that it was Netflix that released "Love, death and robots”, demonstrating the possibilities of modern animation.

In Kung Fu Panda: Dragon Knight, the characters are made of wood. It is enough to review any episode from the first part of the trilogy to see a huge difference. Not only were the heroes of the original mobile, but each of them had his own style. The goose and the pig moved differently, the panda did not look like a tiger. In the series, everyone moves the same way. Not the same way.

The same problem with the faces of the characters. Articulation dissolves in textures, emotions are not conveyed. All the animators do is raise Poe's eyebrows endlessly. However, the face of his companion does not express emotions at all. Sometimes she hides it behind a mask - a great idea if you don't want to bother with the details.

Bad new heroes

Po goes to save China with the Rogue Blade. The Knight Girl from England looks like a copy of Brienne of Tarth from "The game of thrones». It's not only about appearance, but also about behavior - she is cold, silent, serious. But if Brienne of Tarth is a complex character from an adult drama, then Rogue Blade turned out to be a boring cartoon comedy character.

In addition, her gender plays a greater role than personality characteristics. "You are a woman, how can you be a knight?" Po is surprised. "Even women can be knights!" the bear answers. About once in half a series, the dialogue is repeated.

Two weasels act as villains. They are insidious, but too simple. In the original trilogy, the villains were full of mystery and complicated destinies, but the weasels behave like teenagers.

The problem of new heroes is not only in behavior, but also in appearance: they look like characters from other cartoons.

What are the advantages of the series

Plus exactly one - jokes. It's still a funny show with a funny main character. The panda solo scenes are really reminiscent of the original trilogy, which fans will love franchises.

Given that this is a continuation of a quality cartoon, the presence of only one positive feature can be considered a failure.

At the same time, the dialogues turned out to be boring, Poe's interactions with other characters are uninteresting. The dialogue of the characters consists of silly pearls about appearance or gender. New characters are deprived of independence: while Po jokes, the rest serve as mannequins.

Is Kung Fu Panda: Dragon Knight Worth Watching?

Perhaps it is better to revise the original trilogy than to torture yourself with such a sequel. Yes, Po is still funny, but now around him is not a bright and interesting world, but faded animation with boring characters.

Whether children will like it is a separate question. To a sophisticated child, Kung Fu Panda: Dragon Knight will seem too gray, and to a long-time fan of the trilogy, it will simply be a mockery of the original.