Au secours petit panda

I do remember 11 years ago (or so I don't know) seeing the trailer for this film, and I wanted to see it in theaters-but I didn't get a chance. But when it came out on video, I got it as a Valentine's Day gift from my mom. When I watched it, I really loved it, though I can remember having only watched it a couple of times long ago-until now, that is.

The film starts when 10-year-old Ryan Tyler goes to China during his spring break to visit his zoologist dad, Michael, who has been working on a project to rescue the dwindling panda population. But there was poacher trouble and Ryan, along with young assistant/translator Ling, decided to rescue an adorable panda cub, which had been "animal-napped" and they must return him to his mother, whom Dr. Tyler rescued from a trap and brought back to the reserve to care for. As they gain maturity and face unexpected adventures, the two youngsters learn to love and respect pandas as they gain maturity and tolerance for each other, of course.

Like I said (a million times), I was shocked by the negative reviews and ratings I would see on the web. I mean, I love films about human/animal relations; this film has heart and a little humor. And I think films like this one would enlist people's sympathies for the giant panda population.

GOOD - There is some wonderful Chinese mountain scenery in here, really beautiful. The pandas are "cute," too, as expected. They are always fun to watch.

BAD - Instead of this being about the pandas, the kids in here (or the screenwriters) make it more about themselves. Included in their scenes are some incredibly stupid dialog. Just as insulting was a big scene near the end where the children physically fend off the adult poachers. Yeah, right. In between, we get the normal plug for New Age "mountain spirits" and the like.

OVERALL - Entertaining but the kids in her are very annoying at times.....too annoying for a second viewing.

The movie offers a rare glimpse into China's countryside (looks spectacular), and the pandas are pretty cute (when they show the real McCoy, and not the animatronics). Aside from that, this is a slow, almost pointless movie.

The American kid is very annoying, and I wished he'd fall off one of those gorgeous mountains. The Chinese girl is a little better, but her character is weak - they never explain how come her English is so good. The chemistry between both these kids is pretty much nil. At the end, they don't seem to be either friends, rivals, or anything else.

Some viewers may be offended by the way the Tibetian people are portrayed - there's no evidence of the persecution they are under. The poachers are not scary or interesting as well. I grew tired of hearing the same bars of music over and over, and I grew tired of seeing the same shots over and over! I think even kids may be frustrated with this movie.

A nice adventure in a chinese countryside,with breathtaking landscape, rivers and lakes absolutelly in clean waters, amazing Panda's cub, but the plot and the dialogues are boring and doesn't make sense, a lot of standard clichés, childish behavior, just for the kids!!! A little of imagination shall be better!!

Resume:

First watch: 1998 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 6

I watched this movie with friends and we laughed the whole way through. This would be fine, if the movie was a comedy, but instead its a bland and ultimately forgettable childrens flick. You can tell that RYAN only got the part because he was Christian Slaters brother, as he hams up the screen throughout its entirety. LING is certainly no better, her fake asian accent is pathetic, as is her acting ability. I realize they are only kids but there have been good child actors before, and these two aren't up to scratch. The real star of the show is the panda, it shows character throughout, especially in the scene when it attacks Ryan on the bridge. This of course excludes the scenes in which it is played by a robot, did the director actually think that thing looked like a real panda? Overall this film is bad, but watchable Family material. The kids will probably love it, but there are better films around. Rehire E.T., the Goonies, or even Toy story, these films are more sincere and watchable then this movie, and will actually be remembered in time to come.