My family was able to attend a special premiere of Kung Fu Panda 3 this past Saturday. The event was held at our local Cinemark and was sponsored by a local radio station. It was a super fun event that we all enjoyed. We each got our own set of panda ears before the movie and a movie poster to take home (which proudly has a place on my son’s wall).  Before the movie the kids got to pick out their own balloon animals (each picked a panda of course) and we got some complimentary popcorn and drinks. There were a few Make a Wish kids in attendance and we were able to cheer for them as they walked the red carpet that had been set up and got their pictures taken by a photographer.

The movie brings back the lovable and funny character Po (voiced by Jack Black) and other favorite cast members like Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, and Lucy Liu. Po is enjoying life as the Dragon Warrior, when Po’s long lost father returns and they journey together to the secret panda village. There’s a new villain Kai, who is determined to gather all the Kung Fu master’s “chi”, including Po’s.

We were able to see the movie in 3D. There are some movies that I have really enjoyed in 3D and others that I thought weren’t worth the expense. This one was excellent in 3D. So many of the sequences were really fun and enhanced by the 3D experience. The movie’s bad guy, Kai, uses axes on chains as his weapon of choice and those were again really fun to watch in 3D.  Our 2 year old had a hard time keeping the glasses on, so I wouldn’t recommend the movie in 3D if you have ones younger than 3 (our 4 year old loved the action in 3D).

Overall we thought the movie was really fun and enjoyable. I feel like it’s  suitable for any age. The villain wasn’t a scary character. My husband felt like it was a little more predictable than the other two movies and not his favorite. When we were discussing that it wasn’t quite as good as the first two afterwards, my son chimed in that he thought it was awesome. I think it will for sure be a hit with the kids and fun for parents too. Kung Fu Panda 3 opens Friday, January 29th in theaters.