Why Kung Fu Panda 4's Rotten Tomatoes Score Is Worrying

Jack Black has dominated the animated world ever since his furry on-screen counterpart, Po, lumbered onto the scene in 2008's "Kung Fu Panda." His initial success in vanquishing Tai Lung (Ian McShane) and becoming the Dragon Warrior launched a then-new franchise into the spotlight. The movie received critical acclaim along with heartwarming support from audiences, and the "Kung Fu Panda" universe has only gained momentum in the 16 years since.

Even so, heading into 2024, there may finally be a chink in the Dragon Warrior's armor — not that he actually wears any. Early reviews for "Kung Fu Panda 4" have started to trickle in during the week before it hits theaters — the movie's release date is slated for March 8 – and they are categorically lower than all three of the previous films.

Rotten Tomatoes shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the early Tomatometer reading (i.e., the critical consensus, not the audience score) kicked off at 81%. Initially, this looked pretty good. In reality, it was tied with the second film's rating — the lowest of the franchise to date.

As is typically the case when these early reviews are posted, the rating has also started to slide lower in the hours since. Rotten Tomatoes shared the post shortly after noon on March 6. As of this writing, a few hours later, the score has dropped to 75%.

2023 was a year marked by Hollywood strikes and industry-shifting box office flops. These have already led to seismic shifts from Tinseltown's elite. Disney CEO Bob Iger, for instance, announced in early 2024 that the House of Mouse was already making ruthless cuts to its upcoming movie production plans.

However, the dismal tone of 2023 has started to shift in 2024. Multiple projects released early in the year have begun to restore many entertainment fans' faith in the moving and streaming worlds. FX's "Shogun" series arrived on Disney+ and Hulu with extreme ratings success. The series has a 94% audience score and a jaw-dropping 99% critic rating. Denis Villeneuve's "Dune: Part 2" also blew up the box office and is sitting pretty with a 95% audience score and 94% critical approval.

Major entertainment events like these are showing that Hollywood isn't dead and buried. On the contrary, the entertainment sector is making a comeback on big and small screens alike. Projects like "Dune" and "Shogun" have set a high bar for the rest of the year. They've established right out of the gate that people will still show up at theaters and tune in on streaming services if a project is actually good. This means much of the success or failure of each upcoming 2024 release will reside in the quality of each production. While this is as it should be, it's not great news for Jack Black and company based on the early reactions to the latest "Kung Fu Panda" film.

While the initial Rotten Tomatoes score of "Kung Fu Panda 4" is worrying, it isn't set in stone. On the contrary, even if the critic score continues to drop, there is a chance that things could flip in a more positive direction once fans get their say on the matter. Jack Black already had a similar experience less than a year ago when critics slammed "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" — where he voiced the villain Bowser — before it was released in theaters.

In that case, the movie debuted with a middling critics score of 59%, taking Black by surprise. Regarding the harsh critical reaction, the legendary comedian later said, "I was like, 'What movie did they see?' Luckily, the world didn't listen to Rotten Tomatoes, and it was one of the biggest hits of all time." Black is right. The audience score skyrocketed, settling in at 95% when all was said and done.

Perhaps we'll see the same with "Kung Fu Panda 4." Audiences have firmly entrenched their appreciation for the overall franchise, with the lowest audience score (for "Kung Fu Panda 2") sitting at 74%. The highest is "Kung Fu Panda," which general viewers rated at 83%. If the critics' rating for "Kung Fu Panda 4" continues to slip toward doldrum territory, Black may have to count on audiences to help lift his latest animated movie to ratings glory once again.