Of all the Jackie Chan films to get a sequel, I can’t say I was exactly clamoring for a follow up to Panda Plan (2024). But here we are, with director Derek Hui’s Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe released in the U.S. in April.
In a way, I can understand out of the more recent Chan movies that Panda Plan is the one to have a sequel rushed into production. Unlike the awesome The Shadow’s Edge (2025), Panda Plan is more suited to younger viewers, opening it up to a much wider audience. Whilst it didn’t exactly garner great reviews (possibly some of the worst of Chan’s illustrious career), it clearly garnered enough of a profit to have a sequel in such quick succession.
To be honest, I didn’t think the first film was as bad as some other reviewers. It was certainly no Chan classic, with much of the comedy falling flat, but it had a couple of moments of that old Chan magic to keep me entertained. Ultimately, it was a piece of fluff, which I commented on during my review.
The sequel is no different, although it actually improves upon the original film in some areas. Unlike the mostly grounded original, the sequel is a full on fantasy adventure. This may seem strange, but it at least differentiates the film from what came before. Sure, this will never be considered a Chan classic, but it at least attempts to offer something different.
The sequel doesn’t waste any time getting to the action, with Chan finding himself and panda Hu Hu transported to a mysterious land where they stumble upon a tribe with magical powers. The tribe live their lives according to a series of ancient stone slabs which have foretold the arrival of Hu Hu. According to the slabs, the village is facing destruction unless Hu Hu and Chan can reach the top of the nearby Awe summit, a deadly mountain that is near impossible to climb.
Befriending the villagers, Chan and Hu Hu begin to train for the climb as well as start to change the ways of the villagers, who have been forbidden from showing any form of affection. Of course, Chan and Hu Hu won’t stand for that, and it isn’t long before they’ve converted them to their way of thinking. Well, most of them.
Unlike the original, the filmmakers seem to realize the ridiculousness of the situation and have some fun with it. Marking his third feature, director Derek Hui plays up the comedy aspects, with none of the plot being particularly serious. Even when the fate of the villagers are on the line, there always seems to be time for some comedic pratfalls.
How funny Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe ultimately is really depends on your tolerance for this style of comedy. Perhaps my viewing of Hong Kong comedies over the last 30 years has enabled me to garner some enjoyment from such silly antics. I’m not saying I found the comedy “rib-splitting” like some would say, as much of the jokes fall flat, but I still found myself laughing at quite a few of the scenarios throughout the film.
The comedy also plays into the action. Most of the characters take a level of punishment that should kill them, but here it is shrugged off. This could be explained away due to the tribe’s magical powers. However, this doesn’t exactly explain away Chan’s abilities. Maybe we should just accept how capable he is down to the fact he is Jackie Chan.
Saying that, the filmmakers smartly rely on Chan’s current capabilities. He never pulls off moves of a man half his age. Saying that, Chan doesn’t exactly move like most 72 year olds, with him still showing a fair amount of agility in the film’s fight scenes. He has slightly slowed down, but still convinces as an action star. I wasn’t expecting Police Story (1985) level fight scenes, so I was more than entertained with his action scenes.
Being a family film, there is nothing inherently violent during the fight scenes. Even when some of the villagers are plotting to kill him, the lighthearted nature of the film makes it clear that this will never come to pass. Really, there isn’t any actual villain in the film, with the film’s ultimate message being that everyone needs encouragement and should work together. This could be seen as twee, but I wouldn’t say that it is a poor message to deliver.
Chan is his usual likeable self. Like the first film, he is essentially playing a fictionalized version of himself, although they never actually call him by name during the entirety of the film. The only other character linking this to the first film is the titular panda, Hu Hu, who actually gets top billing over Chan. Like before, the CGI for Hu Hu isn’t exactly top tier, with it still looking extremely unconvincing throughout the majority of the film.
Of the supporting cast, Qiao Shan impresses the most, with a scene stealing role as an assassin hired to take care of Chan. Easily foiled by Chan, he instead falls prey to his own trap which gives him amnesia. Mistakenly thinking Chan is his savior, he accompanies him on his quest. However the fun comes whenever he is bumped on the head and he reverts back to his evil ways, only to quickly be bumped yet again and change personality again. Surprisingly the filmmakers get a lot of mileage out of such a simple joke, with this happening several times during the film.
Like the first film, the action is handled by fight choreographer Lu Shijia, a regular Chan collaborator going back to Chinese Zodiac (2012). Interestingly, the introduction of the tribe and some of the action was actually reminiscent of Chinese Zodiac, specifically the section in that film where Chan and friends deal with a gang of inept pirates.
The choreography doesn’t just stick to the action, with several musical numbers thrown in for good measure. In certain regards, Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe almost feels like a Bollywood movie, with its everything but the kitchen sink method of filmmaking. There’s comedy, action, musical numbers and even the slightest (extremely slight) hint of romance.
Typically for a Chan movie, you should stick around during the closing credits. This time we aren’t presented with outtakes, rather further scenes of Chan teaming up with his magical friends. Played for laughs, most of these scenes are disposable for one that features a cameo from Hong Kong movie legend Yu Rongguang.
I would advise anyone who had little tolerance for the first Panda Plan to steer clear of its sequel. Although it may be somewhat different, it is still made with the same audience in mind. This is more for the unassuming movie viewer and die hard Jackie Chan fans. Being the latter, I still garnered some enjoyment but I must admit, I really would rather see a sequel to The Shadow’s Edge (2025).
Plot: 2.5/5
Acting: 3/5
Action: 3/5
Overall: 2.8/5