Not as unexpectedly great as Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, but happily pretty good.

Whenever he’s not kicking butt as the legendary Dragon Warrior in the Valley of Peace, former kung fu nerd fanboy Po (Jack Black) lives with his two dads Mr. Ping (James Hong) and Li (Bryan Cranston). Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) wants Po to ascend, becoming the Spiritual Leader by choosing a new Dragon Warrior to replace him. That request is displaced when news of an old threat appears: Tai Lung (Ian McShane) appears to have returned from the land of the dead, even calling out the Dragon Warrior as a challenge. Connected to all of this is a new threat calling herself The Chameleon (Viola Davis), but for Po to uncover her evil plans, he’ll need the help of a lowly thief named Zhen (Awkwafina).

From The Bad Guys to The Last Wish, DreamWorks has been cranking out new fare and reinvigorating old ideas by playing to their strengths. It’s been eight years since the third so-so Panda film and sixteen since the best-in-series original, plenty of time to think up new ideas and directions… but audiences also know these sequels often fail to live up to expectations by stretching their concepts thin. Director Mike Mitchel has already cut his teeth on animated sequels including The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, so he knows a thing or two about working with existing properties. With a marketing campaign featuring Jack Black and Awkwafina being fun and silly together, the secrets of this fourth installment aren’t exactly being touted or spoiled; does that suggest there’s nothing to see here or that sheer awesomeness has returned to the Valley of Peace?

The most entertaining since the original? Possibly. After his turn as Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Jack Black has become even more Jack Black-ish, taking his performance and entertainment acumen seriously and enjoyably. Built around a story fully self-aware of its own tropes and willing to wink to the audience with them, Panda 4 hits the right highs and lows while stepping up the animation once again, including creating those special character moments that still surprise. Po has always possessed the same underestimate-me-at-your-peril qualities that made Star-Lord so formidable in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, although it should be no surprise a nerd fanboy who became what he loved is secretly one step ahead in the narrative. With a slow build-up, a solid middle, and an ending that exceeds expectations, this fourth installment should have no problem luring fans back to theaters… especially as the first animated family film of the year.

If there’s a sour note, it’s the Furious Five again taking a backseat to the story, this time not even needing the voice talents. That’s not okay, even with the voice cast of this film as already overstuffed as it is, possibly a dealbreaker for fans of the Five (which Po used to boast he was their greatest). While each installment came to their own conclusions, there’s a finality to this ending as a thoughtful bookend. It’s easy for critics of these films to pit them against one another instead of taken as a whole — it’s not as original as the first film, as serious as the second, or as meh as the third — but part four highlights what has worked throughout the series and who we like to see. And yes, Awkwafina is awesome, yet she keeps turning up as the up-and-comer or sidekick the way John C. Riley too often does. Wait: Ke Huy Quan has a bit role in this, too? Well, never mind.

Audiences know who’ll win, who’ll lose, and who’ll be unable to resist a clever song cover over the credits. Filmgoers have seen similar plots before, but powered by the vocal enthusiasm of the cast and the kinetic martial-arts movement on the big screen, Panda 4 is a heartfelt and entertaining distraction.

Kung Fu Panda 4 is rated PG for martial arts action/mild violence, scary images, some mild rude humor, and going off the rails (on a crazy train).

Three skull recommendation out of four