Kung Fu Panda

I was almost dreading seeing this movie - we won tickets to the screener and from the first scene I found myself laughing out loud. The movie is so much better than I thought it would be (and that was bad) - I expected the comedy to be slapstick/junior/potty but it wasn't. The story was also good enough to keep my kids focused glued to the screen. The animation is wonderful. Music is tasteful. I can't imagine anyone but Jack Black pulling off the voice though - he definitely made the movie for me. The only thing distracted me was that most of the movie I spent trying to figure out who was doing the voice of Tai Lung (Ian McShane). As mentioned previously in the forums about the pop culture references in this movie - I don't remember one - very nice indeed - it works with some of the other movies but I can do without. This is the first movie in a while I'd like to see again.

One of the best comedy movies I've seen, this animation feature is both packed with action and intelligent at the same time. It's yet another variation on "You can do anything if you believe in yourself" and carries strong morale and educational message. But the way it's done, the incredible visual side of the story, as well as the dialogs, is just exceptional. You can't but love the fat Panda boy who's dreaming about being the greatest warrior of all China only to wake up to the reality of hawing to serve noodle soup in his father's shop. Unlike his father, who also dreamed but never found the courage to act on it, Panda follows his calling and by "luck" get chosen to be the legendary Dragon warrior by the Kung-Fu grand master, the old turtle, to defeat the evil tiger. That's when his training and troubles start. It's really for anyone between 3 and 100 and I laughed and loved it from the titles in the beginning to the very end. Much recommended.

(Synopsis) Kung Fu Panda is the story of Po, (voice Jack Black), a sweet, but clumsy Panda who has dreams of fighting with the legendary Furious Five and protecting the city against all threats. The only problem is that Po has no real life experience of kung fu, and his real job is serving noodles at his dad's noodles shop. News of selecting the Dragon Warrior is sent out from the Jade Temple, and the whole city along with Po, go to the celebration. The competition is between the Furious Five: Tigress (voice Angelina Jolie), Viper (voice Lucy Liu), Crane (voice David Cross), Monkey (voice Jackie Chan), and Mantis (voice Seth Rogen). Po accidentally enters the contest and is named the Dragon Warrior. Master Shifu (voice Dustin Hoffman) must find a way to train Po and make him a Kung Fu Master, especially, after they learn that the snow leopard, Tai Lung (voice Ian McShane), is headed their way.

(My Comment) This is a cute animated comedy that also inspires lessons in life. The audience can relate to people who have dreams of doing the impossible, just as Po. Po ultimately learns that if he believes in himself, he can do anything. Jack Black (Po) and Dustin Hoffman (Shifu) voices were just right for their parts, and the chopstick fight between them is fantastic. Ian McShane (Tai Lung) was also wonderful as the villain, and his battle sequence on the rope bridge is spectacular. This film is for the whole family, because adults will enjoy the movie just as much as their children. (DreamWorks, Run Time 1:28, Rated PG)

Like many others, I saw the "trailers" featuring Jack Black. The featurette made me think "Okay, at least I got to check this out". Not much more. It didn't make me think "This is gonna be awesome" or anything like that.

Boy, was I ever under-expecting.

At first I thought it was quite okay, decent entertainment and at least not totally crap. But then the really funny scenes and details kicked in, after Po gets into the temple. From then on, it was laugh after laugh, excellent voice acting, amazing CG animation (but this is Dreamworks so I expected that).

The whole deal simply hit home run for me. Spot on. I love martial arts movies, I love Dreamworks CG movies and I must admit I find Jack Black amazingly funny (saw Be Kind Rewind the other day and loved it). There was so much charm and amusement in this movie. It's without doubt the best animation from Dreamworks since the first Shrek.

Now, I am not saying this will be for everyone. There IS a lot of fighting going on, and while it is (for most of the movie) comical (yet amazing to behold) violence, it might not be suitable for the smallest of children. But for any healthy kid aged 6-7 or above (especially boys), this will be kick-a**! I cannot really put my finger on anything bad. Sure, the movie is filled with clichés, but sometimes you can go a long way with those. And this one serves them perfectly. I even rated this higher than Ratatouille, due to the fact that it took me totally by surprise. With Ratatouille, I EXPECTED it to be great. Kung Fu Panda I only expected to be decent, but it was awesome. That deserves the last point.

Take it from me, this movie is brilliant. Don't go by it's silly child-pandering name, this film is for everybody. From little kids just looking for some simple fun for a little while to adults looking for a more compelling experience that makes you feel for the characters, this one's for everyone. Funny action adventure with some wise words scattered throughout.