The first trailer of "Kung Fu Panda 4" just released today.
The internet was able to witness the first theatrical return of the lovable Po the Dragon Warrior after the success of "Kung Fu Panda 3" in 2016.
What's surprising is that many old fans of the franchise are not enthusiastic about the newest installment. Here's why:
Where are the Furious Five?
The first trailer of "Kung Fu Panda 4" has shown us Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman reprising their roles as Po and Master Shifu respectively.
Even the first film's villain Tai Lung, voiced by Ian McShane, made a surprise reappearance. However, many fans noticed that several important characters seem to be missing in the trailer.
Most notable is the absence of the Furious Five. Neither presence nor shadow of Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu), and Crane (David Cross) can be seen in any part of the trailer.
Of course, the trailer does not mean that the possibility of the kung fu masters of the jade palace returning is zero but the Furious Five has not appeared in any of the recent shows in the franchise.
Director Mike Mitchell and producer Rebecca Hunt confirmed that the Furious Five will still appear in the fourth film, although no confirmation on the significance of their roles in the film, the Collider reported.
Many longtime fans, however, are still disappointed as the Furious Five will surely be sidelined in favor of the new characters. Which brings us to the next reason.
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The Anti-Awkwafina Movement
Many fans were very vocal that they did not want Awkwafina in the film. The American rapper and actress will be starring as the quick-witted thief Zhen who will accompany Po on his journey.
Awkwafina has been repeatedly accused by the internet of egregious cultural appropriation. In turn, the actress vowed to "always listen and work tirelessly to understand" Black American culture.
The controversies surrounding the actress are further made worse by the design of her character, Zhen.
Many fans pointed out that the character does not look like the typical character in the franchise and is more similar to anthropomorphic animals in Disney.
Disney has been criticized for many times for making all its anthropomorphized female characters look the same in contrast to their male counterparts.
Still, try to check out the trailer for the film. Despite criticisms, it is still worth the watch.
"Kung Fu Panda 4" will be released in theaters on March 8 next year.
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