{"id":8876,"date":"2026-04-13T14:32:42","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:32:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/04\/13\/movie-review-jackie-chan-still-kicks-up-laughs-in-panda-plan-2-upi-com\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T14:32:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:32:42","slug":"movie-review-jackie-chan-still-kicks-up-laughs-in-panda-plan-2-upi-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/04\/13\/movie-review-jackie-chan-still-kicks-up-laughs-in-panda-plan-2-upi-com\/","title":{"rendered":"Movie review: Jackie Chan still kicks up laughs in &#039;Panda Plan 2&#039; &#8211; upi.com"},"content":{"rendered":"<br \/>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"> \t\t\tarticle ul\tli { list-style: disc; padding: 5px 0; } \t\t<\/style>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom: 15px;\"> \t\t\t<script type=\"module\" crossorigin data-ll=\"1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/instaread.co\/js\/instaread.player.js\"><\/script> \t\t\t<instaread-player publication=\"upi\"><\/instaread-player> \t\t<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n<article itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<p><span class=\"story_dl\">LOS ANGELES, April 13 (UPI) &#8212;<\/span> <i style=\"letter-spacing: 0.04em;\">Panda Plan<\/i> was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/topic\/Jackie_Chan\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Jackie Chan\" class=\"tpstyle\">Jackie Chan<\/a>&#8216;s <i style=\"letter-spacing: 0.04em;\">Die Hard<\/i> in a zoo. Unlike <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/topic\/Bruce_Willis\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Bruce Willis\" class=\"tpstyle\">Bruce Willis<\/a>, the same thing can&#8217;t happen to the same panda twice so <i style=\"letter-spacing: 0.04em;\">Panda Plan 2: The Magical Tribe<\/i>, in theaters Friday, takes the action back to the panda&#8217;s natural habitat.<\/p>\n<p>Chan returns Jackie, as he&#8217;s often been named in movies since the &#8217;90s. Since panda Hu Hu was returned to the jungle after the zoo, Jackie travels to visit him. <\/p>\n<div class=\"mt-5 text-center mb-5\">\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"upi-com_incontent_reusable_24665\"> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\nfreestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable\", slotId: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable_24665\" });\n<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>An indigenous tribe chases Jackie and Hu Hu through the jungle and believes Hu Hu was foretold to climb Awe Summit and save them from an impending catastrophe. Since Jackie is friends with Hu Hu, the tribe believes he is the messenger sent with Hu Hu. <\/p>\n<div class=\"mt-5 text-center mb-5\" style=\"min-height: 305px;\">\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"upi-com_incontent_reusable_76671\"> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\nfreestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable\", slotId: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable_76671\" });\n<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Going back to nature makes <i>Panda Plan 2<\/i> more like <i>Crocodile Dundee 2<\/i> than <i>Die Hard 2<\/i>, but it is better than <i>Dundee 2<\/i>. Though not as inspired as the fight scenes in and around zoo exhibits, Chan still choreographs funny fights with multiple opposing agendas.<\/p>\n<p>The Chieftain&#8217;s (Ma Li) son, Tu Tu (Yu Yang) leads some of the tribesmen to thwart Chan and Hu Hu because they want to be the saviors. Fight scenes utilize their set and weapons. In one, the tribe wants Hu Hu to climb a pole for a trial, and Jackie just wants to stop the tribespeople from prodding the animal with spears.<\/p>\n<p>The fights are a tad shorter than Chan&#8217;s &#8217;90s performances, but it is remarkable that he barely even slowed down before his 70s. Now he&#8217;s eased back into normally thrilling fights rather than the overwhelmingly awesome ones he treated us to for decades.<\/p>\n<p>The content is still more clever than most basic Hollywood fight scenes. Once Chan and Hu Hu venture out, another fight involves a river raft pursuit in which Chan can use the current and paddles to evade attackers.<\/p>\n<p>The tribe moves with more wirework and CGI defying gravity like <i>Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon<\/i>. However, this is a comedy so they are more akin to the live action cartoon antics of <i>Kung Fu Hustle<\/i>. <\/p>\n<div class=\"mt-5 text-center mb-5\" style=\"min-height: 305px;\">\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"upi-com_incontent_reusable_48933\"> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\nfreestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable\", slotId: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable_48933\" });\n<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The tribal shenanigans are somewhat a retread of <i>Who Am I?<\/i>&#8216;s sequence with the African tribe. In <i>Panda Plan 2<\/i> they are here for the entire movie, and happen to speak the same Mandarin language as Chan.<\/p>\n<p>The first hour of the film remains in the tribe&#8217;s camp, and though that hour is still filled with action and comedy, one wishes they&#8217;d get on with the journey sooner. There is a brief dance number in that first hour though.<\/p>\n<p>Hu Hu is animated with CGI, and while never convincing as a real panda, he&#8217;s cute. The end credits have no outtakes from stunts gone wrong. Instead they include more original scenes.<\/p>\n<p><i>Panda Plan 2<\/i> stretches credibility more than the original, but still has fun thinking up absurd scenarios for Chan and a panda. If the Hu Hu effect is established now they could keep putting the duo in more outrageous adventures but the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Entertainment_News\/Movies\/2023\/04\/05\/Movie-review-Jackie-Chan-horseplay-energizes-Ride-On\/1071680636629\/\" target=\"_blank\">horse from <i>Ride On<\/i><\/a> deserves a sequel too.<\/p>\n<p><i>Fred Topel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012 and the Critics Choice Association since 2023. Read more of his work in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/author\/Fred-Topel\/\" target=\"_blank\">Entertainment.<\/a><\/i> <\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-block embed-object\" contenteditable=\"false\" readonly=\"readonly\"><emb><iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" data-ll=\"iv\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V3jKsgAqFas?si=3ghb4VlytEmA2UyY\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/emb> <\/div>\n<div class=\"mt-5 text-center mb-5\" style=\"min-height: 305px;\">\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"upi-com_incontent_reusable_34825\"> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\nfreestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable\", slotId: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable_34825\" });\n<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"read-more-inline lato\">\n<h3 class=\"arimo bold\">Read More<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Entertainment_News\/TV\/2026\/04\/09\/TV-review-Malcolm-in-the-Middle-revival-amplifies-chaotic-comedy\/4661775674581\/\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Related Article', 'Movies');\"  title=\"TV review: &#039;Malcolm in the Middle&#039; revival amplifies chaotic comedy\">TV review: &#8216;Malcolm in the Middle&#8217; revival amplifies chaotic comedy<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Entertainment_News\/Movies\/2026\/04\/09\/Movie-review-You-Me-and-Tuscany-muddles-basic-love-story\/7661775673119\/\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Related Article', 'Movies');\"  title=\"Movie review: &#039;You, Me and Tuscany&#039; muddles basic love story\">Movie review: &#8216;You, Me and Tuscany&#8217; muddles basic love story<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Entertainment_News\/Movies\/2026\/04\/08\/Movie-review-Exit-8-captures-vivid-recurring-nightmare\/1871775579071\/\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Related Article', 'Movies');\"  title=\"Movie review: &#039;Exit 8&#039; captures vivid recurring nightmare\">Movie review: &#8216;Exit 8&#8217; captures vivid recurring nightmare<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"read-more-about\">\n<ul>\n<li>Topics<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/topic\/Jackie_Chan\/\">Jackie Chan<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/topic\/Bruce_Willis\/\">Bruce Willis<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<div data-widget-host=\"revcontent\" data-lz-widget data-pub-id=\"49476\" data-widget-id=\"288021\"><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"upi-com_incontent_reusable_94646\"> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\nfreestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable\", slotId: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable_94646\" });\n<\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"sections\">\n<div class=\"sections-header m-t-20\">\n<div class=\"widget-header\">\n<h3 class=\"l-s-25\">Latest Headlines<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row story list m-t-30\">\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Entertainment_News\/Movies\/2026\/04\/12\/super-mario-tops-north-american-box-office-second-weekend\/3781776006286\/\" title=\"'Super Mario' tops North American box office for 2nd weekend\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'Movies');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/3781776006286\/2026\/upi\/eabf0722d5eb5845fade1ebca7f60d89\/v1.2\/Super-Mario-tops-North-American-box-office-for-2nd-weekend.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"&#039;Super Mario&#039; tops North American box office for 2nd weekend\" alt=\"&#039;Super Mario&#039; tops North American box office for 2nd weekend\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>Movies<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 18 hours ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">&#8216;Super Mario&#8217; tops North American box office for 2nd weekend<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> April 12 (UPI) &#8212; &#8220;The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is the No. 1 film in North America for a second weekend, earning an additional $69 million in receipts this Friday through Sunday.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Entertainment_News\/Movies\/2026\/04\/12\/lorenzo-de-moor-you-me-and-tuscany-interview\/2711775925880\/\" title=\"Lorenzo de Moor saw self, friends in 'You, Me &#038; Tuscany' character\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'Movies');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/2711775925880\/2026\/i\/17760154082667\/v1.2\/Lorenzo-de-Moor-saw-self-friends-in-You-Me-Tuscany-character.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"Lorenzo de Moor saw self, friends in &#039;You, Me &amp; Tuscany&#039; character\" alt=\"Lorenzo de Moor saw self, friends in &#039;You, Me &amp; Tuscany&#039; character\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>Movies<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 20 hours ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">Lorenzo de Moor saw self, friends in &#8216;You, Me &#038; Tuscany&#8217; character<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> NEW YORK, April 12 (UPI) &#8212; Lorenzo de Moor told UPI it was easy to say &#8220;yes&#8221; to starring in the new rom-com, &#8220;You, Me &#038; Tuscany,&#8221; alongside Halle Bailey and Reg\u00e9-Jean Page.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Entertainment_News\/Movies\/2026\/04\/10\/hamlet-modern-shakespeare\/9711775241028\/\" title=\"'Hamlet' and 8 other modern reimaginings of Shakespeare\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'Movies');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/9711775241028\/2026\/upi\/3e022f762d29ed0556fb605c3bf0840a\/v1.2\/Hamlet-and-8-other-modern-reimaginings-of-Shakespeare.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"&#039;Hamlet&#039; and 8 other modern reimaginings of Shakespeare\" alt=\"&#039;Hamlet&#039; and 8 other modern reimaginings of Shakespeare\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>Movies<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 3 days ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">&#8216;Hamlet&#8217; and 8 other modern reimaginings of Shakespeare<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> April 10  (UPI) &#8212; &#8220;Hamlet,&#8221; releasing Friday and starring Riz Ahmed, is the latest film to reimagine Shakespeare&#8217;s works in a modern setting. Here are eight others.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Entertainment_News\/Movies\/2026\/04\/10\/faces-of-death-horror-movie-remakes\/2561775482229\/\" title=\"'Faces of Death' and 10 other horror movie remakes\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'Movies');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/2561775482229\/2026\/upi\/64d374f46035179b3f56bd5608eb2a35\/v1.2\/Faces-of-Death-and-10-other-horror-movie-remakes.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"&#039;Faces of Death&#039; and 10 other horror movie remakes\" alt=\"&#039;Faces of Death&#039; and 10 other horror movie remakes\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>Movies<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 3 days ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">&#8216;Faces of Death&#8217; and 10 other horror movie remakes<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> April 10 (UPI) &#8212; &#8220;Faces of Death,&#8221; a new horror film starring &#8220;Euphoria&#8221; alum Barbie Ferreira, opens Friday. Here&#8217;s a list of 10 other remakes in the horror genre.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Entertainment_News\/Movies\/2026\/04\/09\/Guillermo-del-Toro-Pans-Labyrinth-3D-rerelease\/4381775775724\/\" title=\"Guillermo del Toro supervised 3D 'Pan's Labyrinth' for October release\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'Movies');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/4381775775724\/2026\/upi\/96f22c03d6c3fb159fb9376191e38425\/v1.2\/Guillermo-del-Toro-supervised-3D-Pans-Labyrinth-for-October-release.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"Guillermo del Toro supervised 3D &#039;Pan&#039;s Labyrinth&#039; for October release\" alt=\"Guillermo del Toro supervised 3D &#039;Pan&#039;s Labyrinth&#039; for October release\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>Movies<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 3 days ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">Guillermo del Toro supervised 3D &#8216;Pan&#8217;s Labyrinth&#8217; for October release<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> April 9 (UPI) &#8212; Cineverse announced Thursday that Fathom Entertainment is re-releasing &#8216;Pan&#8217;s Labyrinth&#8217; on Oct. 9 in a 3D edition supervised by Guillermo del Toro.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Entertainment_News\/Movies\/2026\/04\/09\/jerry-maguire-tom-cruise-returning-theaters\/4931775735775\/\" title=\"Tom Cruise celebrates 30 years of 'Jerry Maguire'\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'Movies');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/4931775735775\/2026\/upi\/3db2fe4624d71ce16ce8a4fd46e8cd0b\/v1.2\/Tom-Cruise-celebrates-30-years-of-Jerry-Maguire.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"Tom Cruise celebrates 30 years of &#039;Jerry Maguire&#039;\" alt=\"Tom Cruise celebrates 30 years of &#039;Jerry Maguire&#039;\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>Movies<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 4 days ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">Tom Cruise celebrates 30 years of &#8216;Jerry Maguire&#8217;<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> April 9 (UPI) &#8212; The classic romantic comedy, &#8220;Jerry Maguire,&#8221; is returning to cinemas this weekend in celebration of the 30th anniversary of its release.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Entertainment_News\/Movies\/2026\/04\/09\/halle-bailey-rege-jean-page-lorenzo-de-moor-attend-you-me-tuscany-premiere\/2901775731692\/\" title=\"Halle Bailey, Reg\u00e9-Jean Page light up 'You, Me &#038; Tuscany' red carpet\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'Movies');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/2901775731692\/2026\/upi\/fa3b2b957ef35abb07a90f3d5ca697e3\/v1.2\/Halle-Bailey-Reg-Jean-Page-light-up-You-Me-Tuscany-red-carpet.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"Halle Bailey, Reg\u00e9-Jean Page light up &#039;You, Me &amp; Tuscany&#039; red carpet\" alt=\"Halle Bailey, Reg\u00e9-Jean Page light up &#039;You, Me &amp; Tuscany&#039; red carpet\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>Movies<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 4 days ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">Halle Bailey, Reg\u00e9-Jean Page light up &#8216;You, Me &#038; Tuscany&#8217; red carpet<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> April 9 (UPI) &#8212; Halle Bailey, Reg\u00e9-Jean Page and Lorenzo de Moor attended the premiere of their new romantic comedy, &#8220;You, Me &#038; Tuscany,&#8221; in New York Wednesday.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Entertainment_News\/Movies\/2026\/04\/09\/You-Me-and-Tuscany-movie-review\/7661775673119\/\" title=\"Movie review: 'You, Me and Tuscany' muddles basic love story\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'Movies');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/7661775673119\/2026\/i\/17756734766440\/v1.2\/Movie-review-You-Me-and-Tuscany-muddles-basic-love-story.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"Movie review: &#039;You, Me and Tuscany&#039; muddles basic love story\" alt=\"Movie review: &#039;You, Me and Tuscany&#039; muddles basic love story\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>Movies<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 4 days ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">Movie review: &#8216;You, Me and Tuscany&#8217; muddles basic love story<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> LOS ANGELES, April 9 (UPI) &#8212; &#8220;You, Me and Tuscany,&#8221; in theaters Friday, is so busy repeating the plot every scene that Halle Bailey &#038; Reg\u00e9-Jean Page never explore their chemistry.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Entertainment_News\/Movies\/2026\/04\/08\/remarkably-bright-creatures-trailer\/4841775657548\/\" title=\"Alfred Molina narrates 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' trailer as Marcellus\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'Movies');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/4841775657548\/2026\/upi\/e785e6e07ce88e2656abe5bb4b13084a\/v1.2\/Alfred-Molina-narrates-Remarkably-Bright-Creatures-trailer-as-Marcellus.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"Alfred Molina narrates &#039;Remarkably Bright Creatures&#039; trailer as Marcellus\" alt=\"Alfred Molina narrates &#039;Remarkably Bright Creatures&#039; trailer as Marcellus\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>Movies<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 4 days ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">Alfred Molina narrates &#8216;Remarkably Bright Creatures&#8217; trailer as Marcellus<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> April 8 (UPI) &#8212; &#8220;Remarkably Bright Creatures,&#8221; a new film based on the Shelby Van Pelt novel and starring Sally Field and Lewis Pullman, releases on Netflix in May.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Entertainment_News\/Movies\/2026\/04\/08\/Exit-8-movie-review\/1871775579071\/\" title=\"Movie review: 'Exit 8' captures vivid recurring nightmare\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'Movies');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/1871775579071\/2026\/i\/17755795488479\/v1.2\/Movie-review-Exit-8-captures-vivid-recurring-nightmare.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"Movie review: &#039;Exit 8&#039; captures vivid recurring nightmare\" alt=\"Movie review: &#039;Exit 8&#039; captures vivid recurring nightmare\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>Movies<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 5 days ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">Movie review: &#8216;Exit 8&#8217; captures vivid recurring nightmare<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> LOS ANGELES, April 8 (UPI) &#8212; &#8220;Exit 8,&#8221; in theaters Friday, captures the nightmare of being trapped in an inescapable room, with both subtle and graphic expressions of horror.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"story_dl\">LOS ANGELES, April 13 (UPI) &#8212;<\/span> <i style=\"letter-spacing: 0.04em;\">Panda Plan<\/i> was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/topic\/Jackie_Chan\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Jackie Chan\" class=\"tpstyle\">Jackie Chan<\/a>&#8216;s <i style=\"letter-spacing: 0.04em;\">Die Hard<\/i> in a zoo. Unlike <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/topic\/Bruce_Willis\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Bruce Willis\" class=\"tpstyle\">Bruce Willis<\/a>, the same thing can&#8217;t happen to the same panda twice so <i style=\"letter-spacing: 0.04em;\">Panda Plan 2: The Magical Tribe<\/i>, in theaters Friday, takes the action back to the panda&#8217;s natural habitat.<br \/>Chan returns Jackie, as he&#8217;s often been named in movies since the &#8217;90s. Since panda Hu Hu was returned to the jungle after the zoo, Jackie travels to visit him. <\/p>\n<div class=\"mt-5 text-center mb-5\">\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"upi-com_incontent_reusable_24665\"> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\nfreestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable\", slotId: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable_24665\" });\n<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>An indigenous tribe chases Jackie and Hu Hu through the jungle and believes Hu Hu was foretold to climb Awe Summit and save them from an impending catastrophe. Since Jackie is friends with Hu Hu, the tribe believes he is the messenger sent with Hu Hu. <\/p>\n<div class=\"mt-5 text-center mb-5\" style=\"min-height: 305px;\">\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"upi-com_incontent_reusable_76671\"> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\nfreestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable\", slotId: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable_76671\" });\n<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Going back to nature makes <i>Panda Plan 2<\/i> more like <i>Crocodile Dundee 2<\/i> than <i>Die Hard 2<\/i>, but it is better than <i>Dundee 2<\/i>. Though not as inspired as the fight scenes in and around zoo exhibits, Chan still choreographs funny fights with multiple opposing agendas.<br \/>The Chieftain&#8217;s (Ma Li) son, Tu Tu (Yu Yang) leads some of the tribesmen to thwart Chan and Hu Hu because they want to be the saviors. Fight scenes utilize their set and weapons. In one, the tribe wants Hu Hu to climb a pole for a trial, and Jackie just wants to stop the tribespeople from prodding the animal with spears.<br \/>The fights are a tad shorter than Chan&#8217;s &#8217;90s performances, but it is remarkable that he barely even slowed down before his 70s. Now he&#8217;s eased back into normally thrilling fights rather than the overwhelmingly awesome ones he treated us to for decades.<br \/>The content is still more clever than most basic Hollywood fight scenes. Once Chan and Hu Hu venture out, another fight involves a river raft pursuit in which Chan can use the current and paddles to evade attackers.<br \/>The tribe moves with more wirework and CGI defying gravity like <i>Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon<\/i>. However, this is a comedy so they are more akin to the live action cartoon antics of <i>Kung Fu Hustle<\/i>. <\/p>\n<div class=\"mt-5 text-center mb-5\" style=\"min-height: 305px;\">\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"upi-com_incontent_reusable_48933\"> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\nfreestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable\", slotId: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable_48933\" });\n<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The tribal shenanigans are somewhat a retread of <i>Who Am I?<\/i>&#8216;s sequence with the African tribe. In <i>Panda Plan 2<\/i> they are here for the entire movie, and happen to speak the same Mandarin language as Chan.<br \/>The first hour of the film remains in the tribe&#8217;s camp, and though that hour is still filled with action and comedy, one wishes they&#8217;d get on with the journey sooner. There is a brief dance number in that first hour though.<br \/>Hu Hu is animated with CGI, and while never convincing as a real panda, he&#8217;s cute. The end credits have no outtakes from stunts gone wrong. Instead they include more original scenes.<br \/><i>Panda Plan 2<\/i> stretches credibility more than the original, but still has fun thinking up absurd scenarios for Chan and a panda. If the Hu Hu effect is established now they could keep putting the duo in more outrageous adventures but the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Entertainment_News\/Movies\/2023\/04\/05\/Movie-review-Jackie-Chan-horseplay-energizes-Ride-On\/1071680636629\/\" target=\"_blank\">horse from <i>Ride On<\/i><\/a> deserves a sequel too.<br \/><i>Fred Topel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012 and the Critics Choice Association since 2023. Read more of his work in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/author\/Fred-Topel\/\" target=\"_blank\">Entertainment.<\/a><\/i> <\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-block embed-object\" contenteditable=\"false\" readonly=\"readonly\"><emb><iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" data-ll=\"iv\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V3jKsgAqFas?si=3ghb4VlytEmA2UyY\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/emb> <\/div>\n<div class=\"mt-5 text-center mb-5\" style=\"min-height: 305px;\">\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"upi-com_incontent_reusable_34825\"> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\nfreestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable\", slotId: \"upi-com_incontent_reusable_34825\" });\n<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.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?oc=5\">source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LOS ANGELES, April 13 (UPI) &#8212; Panda Plan was Jackie Chan&#8216;s Die Hard in a zoo. Unlike Bruce Willis, the same thing can&#8217;t happen to the same panda twice so Panda Plan 2: The Magical Tribe, in theaters Friday, takes the action back to the panda&#8217;s natural habitat. Chan returns Jackie, as he&#8217;s often been [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8877,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8876","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8876","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8876"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8876\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8876"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8876"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8876"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}