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Kung Fu Panda review
Jun. 26th, 2008 11:30 amKung Fu Panda.
Po the panda is kung fu obsessed. He reads about it, dreams about it, and even collects the action figures. And when he is identified as the Dragon Warrior by possibly senile Master Oogway, he's sure he has fulfilled his destiny.
Unfortunately for Po, he's also the ultimate overweight slacker and possibly the least likely animal to become a kung fu master. Like he says, "Even master Praying Mantis has those... err... claw things!". Training with his heroes Tigress, Crane, Viper, Monkey and Mantis is a recipe for disappointment, and Po's cheerful disregard for discipline and physics is soon eroded by Master Sifu, Po's increasingly frustrated teacher.
Can Po overcome his physical handicaps and self-delusion, becoming the mythical Dragon Warrior in time to save the town from the evil Tai Lung? Of course he can, this is Dreamworks, not Michel Gondry, but the journey is sure to be entertaining.
Kung Fu Panda is definitely aimed at kids, unlike some of Dreamworks' other movies which had distinctly adult moments. The plot is a staple of childrens stories, with the underlying theme being that you can do anything if you believe in it enough. It's not exactly a novel narrative, and it's never been stretched so thin as in this movie, but there's comedy to be had at Po's expense and Dreamworks manage to extract every last laugh.
Dreamworks have also managed to produce stunning visuals. The perfectly executed Samurai-Jack style opener reveals how much work has gone into the movie, with lush sets and action sequences which would make 'Crouching Tiger' proud, despite the obvious difficulties Dreamworks must have faced. How do you get an overweight panda to perform kung fu believably? I wont spoil it for you, but the result is equal parts awesome and hilarious.
An A-list celebrity cast with names like Jolie, Liu, and Chan bring the characters to life, but Jack Black's rollicking rendition of Po pulls the rug from under them. Jack Black is once again larger than life and is the perfect person to bring a big merry buffoon like Po to the screen, but he also nails the more sensitive moments, making Po a fully realised character the audience can really empathise with. Dustin Hoffman does an equally superb job of voicing Sifu, Po's exasperated tutor, capturing the nervous, tense energy necessary to play against Po's relaxed slacker.
The other notable performance is Ian McShane as the evil snow leopard Tai Lung. It's not easy to bring a bad guy to a kids movie- they have to be identifiably evil (or maybe just drawn that way) but you cant give the kids nightmares. McShane's Tai Lung is the perfect blend of lurking menace and emotional hurt, evoking from the viewer just the right amount of fear, distaste and sympathy.
I suspect Kung Fu Panda will become the bane of many a parent's life, the DVDs destined to become worn out and the cases tripped over every other day. But dont miss out on seeing it on the big screen- there's more than enough eye candy and humour to keep grownups amused for the full 90 minutes, and the kids are going to be thoroughly engrossed.
Po the panda is kung fu obsessed. He reads about it, dreams about it, and even collects the action figures. And when he is identified as the Dragon Warrior by possibly senile Master Oogway, he's sure he has fulfilled his destiny.
Unfortunately for Po, he's also the ultimate overweight slacker and possibly the least likely animal to become a kung fu master. Like he says, "Even master Praying Mantis has those... err... claw things!". Training with his heroes Tigress, Crane, Viper, Monkey and Mantis is a recipe for disappointment, and Po's cheerful disregard for discipline and physics is soon eroded by Master Sifu, Po's increasingly frustrated teacher.
Can Po overcome his physical handicaps and self-delusion, becoming the mythical Dragon Warrior in time to save the town from the evil Tai Lung? Of course he can, this is Dreamworks, not Michel Gondry, but the journey is sure to be entertaining.
Kung Fu Panda is definitely aimed at kids, unlike some of Dreamworks' other movies which had distinctly adult moments. The plot is a staple of childrens stories, with the underlying theme being that you can do anything if you believe in it enough. It's not exactly a novel narrative, and it's never been stretched so thin as in this movie, but there's comedy to be had at Po's expense and Dreamworks manage to extract every last laugh.
Dreamworks have also managed to produce stunning visuals. The perfectly executed Samurai-Jack style opener reveals how much work has gone into the movie, with lush sets and action sequences which would make 'Crouching Tiger' proud, despite the obvious difficulties Dreamworks must have faced. How do you get an overweight panda to perform kung fu believably? I wont spoil it for you, but the result is equal parts awesome and hilarious.
An A-list celebrity cast with names like Jolie, Liu, and Chan bring the characters to life, but Jack Black's rollicking rendition of Po pulls the rug from under them. Jack Black is once again larger than life and is the perfect person to bring a big merry buffoon like Po to the screen, but he also nails the more sensitive moments, making Po a fully realised character the audience can really empathise with. Dustin Hoffman does an equally superb job of voicing Sifu, Po's exasperated tutor, capturing the nervous, tense energy necessary to play against Po's relaxed slacker.
The other notable performance is Ian McShane as the evil snow leopard Tai Lung. It's not easy to bring a bad guy to a kids movie- they have to be identifiably evil (or maybe just drawn that way) but you cant give the kids nightmares. McShane's Tai Lung is the perfect blend of lurking menace and emotional hurt, evoking from the viewer just the right amount of fear, distaste and sympathy.
I suspect Kung Fu Panda will become the bane of many a parent's life, the DVDs destined to become worn out and the cases tripped over every other day. But dont miss out on seeing it on the big screen- there's more than enough eye candy and humour to keep grownups amused for the full 90 minutes, and the kids are going to be thoroughly engrossed.
