Kung Fu Panda - That Boy Is Fast As Lightning!
Written: Jul 23 '08 (Updated Jul 24 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Funny, good action sequences, very good animation, great music...
Cons: ... starts off a bit weakly...
The Bottom Line: Funny and action-packed, Kung Fu Panda is a very enjoyable animation.
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| captaind's Full Review: Kung Fu Panda |
Everybody was kung fu fighting... da de da de dum dum dum...
Well, yes. It’s a song we all know and some of us love (if we are prepared to accept its cheesiness). So when it was used as the background for the trailers of Kung Fu Panda, it made a lot of us instantly want to see the film. Actually from the trailer it looked like it was going to be very good anyway, so even without the cheesy music I would have wanted to see it.
The plot revolves around a panda named Po (voiced by Jack Black), who sells noodles but really wants to be a kung fu master. The only problem is his shape... it’s not exactly ideal for kung fu, especially when his greatest skill is eating. Undaunted however he attempts to make it to watch the fabled Dragon Warrior being chosen when mega-evil-baddie Tai Lung (Ian McShane) breaks out of prison and the land prepares to be plunged into darkness. Locked out even from the viewing circle and knowing that his father (Mr Ping [James Hong] – who isn’t even vaguely panda-like) is going to be upset with him for leaving the noodle cart unattended, life looks pretty bleak for Po. However things take a surprising (surprising, that is, if you have never seen a movie before...!) turn when Po ends up being chosen as the Dragon Warrior. But... how on earth can a fat panda become a famous warrior? What hope does he have when his master, Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) has no faith in him, and the Furious Five (the famous kung fu fighters whom Shifu had been instructing with the express purpose of having one of them chosen to be the Dragon Warrior) against him?
It’s all a little predictable since the same basic “loser becomes hero” has been done in so many films before, and the early parts of the movie drag a bit and seem a little too cruel to be funny, but the storyline is done quite nicely and about halfway through the film really picks up. It culminates with one of the most insane action sequences I’ve ever seen, and lifts the whole movie experience enough to make this worth four stars. The voice acting is mostly superb, with Jack Black perfect in the lead role, Hoffman effective in his and the ancient and wise master Oogway (a tortoise) voiced to perfection by Randall Duk Kim. The Furious Five consist of Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan – he just had to be in here somewhere!), Mantis (Seth Rogan), Viper (Lucy Liu – her inclusion was also pretty inevitable) and crane (David Cross), who all do their job well. James Hong’s timing in the comedic scenes with Jack Black is spot on.
The whole thing is a good blend of action, humour and homage to martial arts films. As I’ve never really been much into this sort of film I’m sure I missed a whole load of movie references, so if you’re a fan you will probably get more from the film than I did. While it starts a little slowly and concentrates too much on Po getting whacked many, many times during his early training (think a Simpsons episode where all the humour comes from Homer getting injured), once Master Shifu has worked out that the way to train Po is via food, there are some great scenes and the pacing is just right. The music is great throughout and culminates with the song I mentioned at the beginning.
The animation is very good, extremely fluid, and the locations are lovingly created and have an authentic look to them. The characters are well created, with a certain Chinese quality to them. The only criticism I have of the animation is that the characters’ eyes look very flat and lifeless – not a major issue, but since the rest of the visuals are so good, it’s quite noticeable.
Overall I really enjoyed Kung Fu Panda - the set-up is a bit laboured but the pay-off is well worth it, the action sequences are well done and the humour, a bit hit and miss at first, keeps getting better throughout the movie. Recommended to the young and young at heart alike.
Kung Fu Panda runs for 92 minutes and is rated PG for sequences of martial arts action.
Directed by Mark Osborne and John Stevenson.
Music by John Powell and Hans Zimmer.
Cinematography by Yong Duk Jhun
Quotes
Mr. Ping: This is a sign, Po!
Po: Uh, a sign of what?
Mr. Ping: You are almost ready to be entrusted with the secret ingredient of my secret ingredient soup. And then you will fulfil your destiny and take over the restaurant just as I took it over from my father who took it over from his father who won it from a friend in a game of mahjong.
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Po: I know you're trying to be all mystical and Kung Fu-ey, but could you tell me where we're going?
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Oogway: One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it.
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Po: I just ate, so I'm still digesting, so my kung fu may not be as good as later on.
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Tai Lung: What are you going to, big guy? Sit on me?
Po: Don't tempt me.
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Po: The Furious Five! You look a lot bigger than your action figures! Except you, Mantis. You're about the same.
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Oogway: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.
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Related Links
Top Ten Computer Animated Movies
Top Ten Animated Movies
Recommended:
Yes
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