JPF Home Page Forums Creative Arts Forums Acting, Theater, Film and TV Forum "G-A-C" Review: "KUNG FU PANDA"/J.Black/Dustin Hoffman/Etc.

What do "A-List" Stars DO between Big Budget Movies & Talk Shows (& Pregnancies?).. Why, they "Voice" Big Budget ANIMATED Movies, of course!

And I'm elated, because it was a DELIGHT to hear Jack Black (as Po), Dustin Hoffman (Stifu), Angelina Jolie (Tigress), Jackie Chan (Monkey), Ian McShane (Tai-Lung), Lucy Lieu (Viper), and a Bevy of Their Fellow-Luminaries ALL Giving Great Voice Performances in "KUNG FU PANDA!"

Dreamworks Animations (The kind folks who brought you "SHREK") bring you this Early-Jacki-Chan-Style Martial-Arts Flick, SANS the Blood & Gore of the Real Thing. (Only For-Sure "Fatality's" due to Old-Age!) Animation "borrows" from those Float-in-the-Air Chinese Ballet-Style Fight Scenes..& goes 'em One Step Better with Camera Angles seemingly no Human ever could come up with. Creatively-Directed by Mark Kosbans and John Stevenson; Well-Written by Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Barger.

Jack Black SHINES as an Overweight Panda with an Obsession for Martial Arts. His "Po" is that Panda-cized Kid who always got picked LAST for Everything, and it's Great Entertainment to watch the progress he makes...even when it's Accidental! Heh! His Ineptitude requires ALL the strength he's got..he's rejected by the 5 Already-Trained Members in the Stable of Peace City Warriors their Master (Dustin Hoffman, as Stifu) has trained. Even Master Stifu has his Doubts about Po...from Day One.

But..Stifu's elderly Trainer, the Uber-Tortoise "Oogway" (Voiced by Randall Duk Iam), is SURE Po is the Next "Dragon Warrior"..sent to rescue Peace City from whatever threat might ever arise.

That potential Threat is Tai-Lung (Ian McShane)..who was trained by Stifu, but, miffed at NOT being named a Dragon Warrior, became quite dangerous to his Master & to the Town. So..Tai-Lung is, at first, shown well-restrained in a Nearby-Prison.. But..(Should he escape) ONLY a Dragon Warrior can save the town from him...&, with None-Named, CAN Po get Trained Quickly and Successfully-Enough..in time?

Kids-thru-Grownups will LOVE the Trials-Involved, & both the Training & Fight Scenes have plenty of Action and Laughs!

Incredibly Good Animation, BEAUTIFUL Settings foreground-to-background, INTERESTING Characters, Excellent-Pacing, & Multi-Levels of Humor (For ALL Age Groups) Make this movie a WINNER in the "Summer Blockbuster" Tradition. The Background Scenery here's like visiting a Japanese Woodblock Collection..Even the Calligraphy provides Beauty (& Laughs!)..& the Fireworks-Humor reminds a lot of some of the Better Warner-Brothers Cartoons-of-Old.

"Hats-Off" to Cast & Crew, & let's give this Beauty of a Flick that says "Listen to Your Elders & Believe in Yourself"...a "9-Outta-10" for Viewability...AND add a Wee-Recommendation to Viewers to LINGER-ON thru the End-Credits, where even MORE Elegant Artwork awaits, with 5-or-so-Seconds of Extra-Sweet Animation (That'll Mist-You Up) which everyone ELSE is gonna Miss!!!) AT LAST, A Movie WORTH the Increased Admission Prices!

JMO...Keep-or-Sweep-it!
Big Hugs,
Stan

I was really surprised that this got great reviews as it looked like it could be a disaster... thanks for the info Stan.. I will definitely check it out when it is on DVD.

Are you going to see Wall-E?

Brian

HiDee Bro!

It's a perhaps Sad Comment that This'n' and WALL-E are the 2 BEST Flicks I've seen in Months.

BOTH are Worth The Loot (& Popcorn) to take Your LadyChum out to.

I, personally, liked WALL-E even better than KFP, but I'm more into Mechanical Stuff than Martial Arts. Either of these Flicks WILL give ya a fine Evening of Entertainment AND a Feeling of Well-Being for the Planet's Fate.

Hollywood CAN Deliver. HOPE they can get the LIVE Characters & Plotline Up To Speed with these Cartoons-in-essence... But..ALAS..so far, "IRON MAN" (WITH Live Actors) WAS based on a Comic Book...& Ditto for the forthcoming BATMAN Flick..which already looks like a Fun Evening Out...

WAS happy to give Jack Black a Backpat for this one....When He's Good, He's Great!

Big Guy-Hug,
Stan