Kung Fu Panda (B or 3/4 stars)
The unlikeliest of hero's, a lazy, overweight Chinese Panda named Po, must somehow become a Kung Fu Master in order to save his home, the Valley of Peace, from a menacing snow leopard named Tai Lung. If he learns to believe in himself, he just may be able to defeat this foe. Oh, you've heard it all before. But 'Kung Fu Panda' (directed by Mark Osborne & John Stevenson) does everything just a little better than most previous formulaic animated films. Po isn't the 'most' charismatic creature ever, but Jack Black goes a long way in helping him out. The crispness & depth of the visuals are gorgeous (misty mountains, luscious lakes, fruit-filled trees, palaces). The comedy is modest, but offers flashes of brilliance. I just wish it were longer.
Po the Panda (voiced by Black) spends his free time daydreaming about being a kung fu martial arts hero. We bear witness to this 'dream' in a great opening sequence that uses 2-dimensional caricature animation. When he wakes up from this dream, we enter his real world, and the 3-dimensional vibrancy and pop really provides an amazingly stark difference. Po leads a simple life, working only as a noodle soup server at his father's (who's a goose) shop. Meanwhile, at a nearby temple, head monk Master Oogway has a vision that power-hungry Tai Lung (voiced by Ian McShane) will break-out of prison to ravage the Valley of Peace en route to dominance over the land. Oogway then fulfills an ancient prophecy by choosing the most unexpected of Dragon Warriors ... Po.
One would think that an obvious candidate for 'Dragon Warrior' (the one to stop Tai Lung) would come from an animal in the legendary Furious Five - Tigress (voiced by Angelina Jolie), Crane (David Cross), Viper (Lucy Liu), Mantis (Seth Rogen), or Monkey (Jackie Chan). Martial Arts guru, Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) is outraged by Oogway's selection of Po, a complete nobody. The Furious Five are none too pleased, either; especially Tigress, the most prominent & efficient of fighters. Since Po even has a hard time making it atop the temple stairs, all have reservations that he could slim down, learn to fight, beat Tai Lung, etc. And no one has more doubts than Po, himself. Obviously, Shifu trains him hard. And a stylish, well edited, inevitable showdown occurs btwn. forces of good & evil.
'Kung Fu Panda' is great because it shows kids (& adults) that physical and/or intellectual setbacks cannot and should not deter those from working hard to achieve their dreams. Yes, this is the kind of cliched, standard moral tale that we see in animated films all the time. But it's executed with enough freshness this time to make it stand out. The movie is light, goofy, & goes down easy. It also has its moments of wit. When Po makes it inside the temple for the 1st time, he acts ridiculously giddy at the very sight of ancient martial arts relics; just as a true baseball fan would go insane inside a hall of fame museum. For me, the film is a success for 3 main reasons. We love the rambunctious, eager Po. The animation (while not groundbreaking) is wonderful. And the sound mixing is astounding.
Other aspects are fine, but don't stand out: we barely get to know the personalities of the Furious Five; other than momentary tidbits. Dustin Hoffman's authoritative Shifu is a nice welcome, etc. But I don't think 'KFP' is an instant classic. The way Oogway chooses Po as Dragon Warrior is part of what I thought to be a bizarre series of events. The mystery of the Dragon Scroll is awkwardly handled. The fight sequences (paying homage to the likes of Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Crouching Tiger, Matrix, etc.) are pretty decent (though I am admittedly not a huge fan of martial arts). One of my biggest complaints is that it isn't long enough. At 79 minutes, I would have appreciated another 10 or so to flesh some things out. Add some dimension to the standard plot; gives us more to love about the characters. 'Kung Fu Panda' is very good, and lots of fun. It's certainly the best animated film of the year so far. I wonder if next weeks' Wall-e can eclipse it.
Po the Panda (voiced by Black) spends his free time daydreaming about being a kung fu martial arts hero. We bear witness to this 'dream' in a great opening sequence that uses 2-dimensional caricature animation. When he wakes up from this dream, we enter his real world, and the 3-dimensional vibrancy and pop really provides an amazingly stark difference. Po leads a simple life, working only as a noodle soup server at his father's (who's a goose) shop. Meanwhile, at a nearby temple, head monk Master Oogway has a vision that power-hungry Tai Lung (voiced by Ian McShane) will break-out of prison to ravage the Valley of Peace en route to dominance over the land. Oogway then fulfills an ancient prophecy by choosing the most unexpected of Dragon Warriors ... Po.
One would think that an obvious candidate for 'Dragon Warrior' (the one to stop Tai Lung) would come from an animal in the legendary Furious Five - Tigress (voiced by Angelina Jolie), Crane (David Cross), Viper (Lucy Liu), Mantis (Seth Rogen), or Monkey (Jackie Chan). Martial Arts guru, Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) is outraged by Oogway's selection of Po, a complete nobody. The Furious Five are none too pleased, either; especially Tigress, the most prominent & efficient of fighters. Since Po even has a hard time making it atop the temple stairs, all have reservations that he could slim down, learn to fight, beat Tai Lung, etc. And no one has more doubts than Po, himself. Obviously, Shifu trains him hard. And a stylish, well edited, inevitable showdown occurs btwn. forces of good & evil.
'Kung Fu Panda' is great because it shows kids (& adults) that physical and/or intellectual setbacks cannot and should not deter those from working hard to achieve their dreams. Yes, this is the kind of cliched, standard moral tale that we see in animated films all the time. But it's executed with enough freshness this time to make it stand out. The movie is light, goofy, & goes down easy. It also has its moments of wit. When Po makes it inside the temple for the 1st time, he acts ridiculously giddy at the very sight of ancient martial arts relics; just as a true baseball fan would go insane inside a hall of fame museum. For me, the film is a success for 3 main reasons. We love the rambunctious, eager Po. The animation (while not groundbreaking) is wonderful. And the sound mixing is astounding.
Other aspects are fine, but don't stand out: we barely get to know the personalities of the Furious Five; other than momentary tidbits. Dustin Hoffman's authoritative Shifu is a nice welcome, etc. But I don't think 'KFP' is an instant classic. The way Oogway chooses Po as Dragon Warrior is part of what I thought to be a bizarre series of events. The mystery of the Dragon Scroll is awkwardly handled. The fight sequences (paying homage to the likes of Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Crouching Tiger, Matrix, etc.) are pretty decent (though I am admittedly not a huge fan of martial arts). One of my biggest complaints is that it isn't long enough. At 79 minutes, I would have appreciated another 10 or so to flesh some things out. Add some dimension to the standard plot; gives us more to love about the characters. 'Kung Fu Panda' is very good, and lots of fun. It's certainly the best animated film of the year so far. I wonder if next weeks' Wall-e can eclipse it.