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Everything You Need to Know About Kung Fu Panda 4's Dueling Dumplings Short
Kung Fu Panda 4 has its own short film, Dueling Dumplings, and it's a delicious part of Po's canon.
Still the fourth highest grossing domestic theatrical film of 2024, Kung Fu Panda 4 has skadooshed all expectations! And there's more skadooshing to come, as the DreamWorks Animation film is now available in your house via streaming on Peacock and home video release on 4K and Blu-ray.
The latest chapter in Po the Panda's (Jack Black) ongoing kung fu adventures has Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) revealing that Po must ascend to Dragon Warrior status so that he may fulfill his destiny as the next spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace. Initially bummed out, Po decides to take one last epic mission with the fox thief Zhen (Awkwafina), who must lead him to the city to thwart a rising threat.
As with other Kung Fu Panda films, the animation team also made an exclusive short — Dueling Dumplings — that extends the fun in a tasty, bite-size format. Where does it fit in the narrative? We've got some answers.
For More on Kung Fu Panda:
Kung Fu Panda 4 Streaming Exclusively on Peacock This Month: How to Watch
Kung Fu Panda 4 Ending Explained by Jack Black
What Was It Like Playing Po in Kung Fu Panda, and Bowser? Jack Black Reveals the Key Differences
What's the Kung Fu Panda 4 Short, Dueling Dumplings, All About?
Dueling Dumplings is the fifth official short film created to extend the storytelling within the Kung Fu Panda universe. It's a sequel to Kung Fu Panda 4, which takes place after the big reveal at the end of the film pertaining to Po and Zhen's new roles in their quiet home in the Valley. Ever a rambler though, Zhen opens the short returning from another trip to the city where she brings back her culinary discovery, green chive dumplings. But a welcoming Po is certain they can't beat Mr. Ping's Valley recipe for dumplings. What ensues is a chopstick challenge with both stubborn kung fu masters engaging in the most graceful food fight ever.
If you like your physical media still, the Kung Fu Panda 4 home video release is the only place to watch the short right now. In the bonus content are also two deleted animatic scenes from the movie: "Dads on the Trail" and "Mahjong." Both are black and white scenes that were part of the script but then cut before they went into full production.
For kids who love to draw, the bonus features also include several "how to" featurettes meant to inspire budding artists. "How to Draw" and "Shadow Puppet Theater" explain how to create the main characters on paper or in a drawing app.
And last but not least, there's a rare feature length commentary for Kung Fu Panda 4 with director Mike Mitchell, co-director Stephanie Ma Stine, production designer Paul Duncan, head of story Calvin Tsang, and head of character animation Sean Sexton, who provide their insight and stories behind the making of the fourth sequel that not everyone was sure was going to happen. For those who are interested in how a computer animated film gets made today, and specifically how DreamWorks Animation is still innovating, this is a great resource.
To catch Dueling Dumplings, check out Kung Fu Panda 4's home video release. If you just wanna stream the film without the short, the latest chapter in the saga is streaming now on Peacock, alongside Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2, and Kung Fu Panda 3.
