Kung Fu Panda
Directed by Mark Osborne,
John Stevenson
Written by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
Starring Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu,
Ian McShane, David Cross, Jackie Chan
Rated PG
Release date: June 6, 2008

The latest release from DreamWorks Animation Studios, Kung Fu Panda, is a charming martial arts film that the whole family can enjoy. This film borrows its general premise from a late 70’s kung-fu flick, The Five Deadly Venoms, except here the animals (and their corresponding fighting styles) are not represented by men in masks, the various creatures (panda, monkey, tiger, crane, viper, mantis, etc.) are played by themselves…anthropomorphized, of course.

The plot of Kung Fu Panda focuses on Po (Jack Black), an obese panda who dreams of being a kung-fu master and not of schlepping away in his father’s lowly noodle shop. As fate would have it, the clumsy Po is surprisingly picked to be the next Dragon Warrior who is destined to save his peaceful village from the ferocious Tai Lung (Ian McShane).

The plot though is really inconsequential here and the film’s central theme of “believe in yourself and you can accomplish anything” is standard, kiddie movie fare. What really and truly makes Kung Fu Panda stand out above the rest are its glorious, digital animation techniques and its dizzying fight sequences. The most notable being, in my mind, the battle between the Legendary Warriors: Monkey (Jackie Chan), Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Crane (David Cross), Mantis (Seth Rogen), and Viper (Lucy Liu), and the villain, Tai Lung, on a collapsing rope bridge. This sequence is truly breathtaking on the big screen and I don’t think DVD will do it justice. Put simply, it is some of the best fight choreography I’ve seen in quite some time, digital or real world.

My only real gripe with Kung Fu Panda lies in the almost criminal under-usage of some of its stars. While Black, Dustin Hoffman (as Master Shifu), and (especially) McShane shine in their voice acting roles, Jolie, Rogen, Liu, Chan, and Cross are left to die on the vine. Why sign up this big name talent (and pay their big name salaries) if you aren’t going to give them anything good to work with? It makes no sense to me…but I guess that’s why I’m not a big-time, Hollywood dick swinger, right?

Kung Fu Panda is fine, family fun that lacks the sly wit and humor of animated classics like, Shrek or Toy Story, but what it lacks in those departments it certainly makes up for in the visual pyrotechnics department. And I think everyone can appreciate some good fireworks on a hot, summer evening, so round up the kidlings and take ’em to see a fat panda and his furry pals kick some serious butt. You won’t be disappointed…