Kung Fu Panda - A WoW movie review

Friday, June 13, 2008

The Wu-Xi Finger Hold
Malach, the wife and the kiddos went to see Kung Fu Panda yesterday, and I must say, it was excellent. It was thoroughly enjoyed by the 5 year old daughter, the 6 year old son, and my wife and I who are both in our 30's.

The film is by Dreamworks Animation, and stars Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, David Cross, and Al Swearengen. It is rated PG, mostly for intensely animated Martial Arts scenes (which frackin' rocked). The film is CGI animated, and well done, and stylized.

The Plot revolves around a Panda named Po (Jack Black) who works in his father's (who is a goose) noodle shop. He is a Kung Fu fanatic, and fan boy, who dreams of someday becoming a Kung Fu master, though his father wants to raise him up in the noodle business and have him take over the shop. The local Kung Fu master, a tortoise named Oogway, has a premonition that and old student of his protege Sifu (Hoffman), and now most evil Kung fFu master snow leopard Tai Lung (Al Swearengen) will escape from prison and reign terror upon their valley once more.

Oogway orders a ceremony so a might Dragon Warrior can be chosen to defeat Tai Lung. Everyone assumes it is one of the members of the Furious Five, Sifu's best students (Jolie as Tigress, Chan as Monkey, Rogen as Mantis, Liu as Viper, and Cross as Crane). As the students show off their skills to the assembled crowd, Po who got accidentally got locked out of the ceremony, tries increasing foolhardy was to gain entrance, finally doing that and landing directly in front of Master Oogway as he is pointing out who the Dragon Warrior will be, making Po the Dragon Warrior. Of course everyone assumes it is an accident, and wise old Oogway states "there are no accidents".

Sifu is stuck training a overweight noodle vendor with no Kung Fu experience, and despite his protests, and those of Po's, Oogway does not change his mind. Sifu attempts to get Po to quit, but no matter what physical and mental tortures and humiliations he puts him through Po refuse to quit, and the fan boy is him actually enjoys living in the Kung Fu world, even with the beatings.

Tai Lung as per the prophecy escapes, and heads to the valley to seek his revenge, and claim the Dragon Scroll (with untold universal power). Oogway then passes away (Ascends to Nirvana) leaving a final request that Sifu train Po. Sifu and Po are both at a loss to do this. Meanwhile, the Furious Five are defeated and almost killed in a battle with Tai Lung.

No more spoilers from here, the movie goes another hour after this.

Wonderfully acted, and animated, the movie is very funny for both adults and kids, and has some killer Martial Arts scenes. It plays very much in the style of those old 70's Kung Fu movies, Bruce Lee, and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. I would highly recommend taking a child to this movie if you don't want to go as creepy adult. I would also recommend this to the Angry Piper, it is right up his alley.

The Opening title sequence is pretty amazing and ground breaking. They are a hand drawn, vividley colored dream sequence, that has been stylized to somewhat resembly Chinese Shadow Puppetry. It also harkens stylistically to anime like Samurai Champloo or Afro Samurai.

Kung Fu Panda gets 3 1/2 Rubbersuit Masks out of 4 for kids and 3 out of 4 for adults.

As and added bonus to this review, click me to hear Cee-Lo Brown and Jack Black doing Kung Fu Fighting.

I am Malach and I am Kung Fu Fighting