Kung Fu Panda (Widescreen Edition)
Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po works in his family’s noodle shop while daydreaming about becoming a Kung Fu master. His dreams soon become reality when he is unexpectedly chosen to join the world of Kung Fu and study alongside his idols-the legendary fighters Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey-under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it’s up to Po to defend everyone
List Price: $ 19.99
Price:
Delightful yet amazingly faithful!,
With deep foreboding, I walked into this movie braced for second rate animation (at least compared to Pixar), endless fights between cartoons (as in the CGI “Clone Wars”), and a cultural sensitivity that was either painfully preachy (like “Mulan”) or outright insulting (like “Aladdin”).
At first, my dread seemed confirmed. Poor Dustin Hoffman mangles Chinese names without mercy – so much so that James Hong, Lucy Liu and Jackie Chan have to deliberately mispronounce stuff just to match what he says.
But once the movie got rolling, I found myself grinning from ear to ear in sheer delight. Yes, it’s true, Dreamworks can’t compete with Pixar’s technology, but they make up for it with beautiful graphic design, sheer wit and – of course – those hilariously quivering “Scrat Eyes”. What’s more, the animators somehow manage to make Kung Fu battles between cartoons both exciting and enjoyable – every bit the match of live action fights (which nowadays are nothing more than CGI with faces pasted on).
However, the most remarkable thing about this film is how faithful it is to Chinese culture – family dynamics, Buddhist philosophy, values, and even martial arts – this film simply HAS to have been written by Chinese. There is never a moment where it strains to “score points” with political correctness. Its characters are never tediously noble “anti-stereotypes”, but are instead lovingly depicted with all their flaws intact while uniquely Chinese messages are delicately hidden within a plot crammed with excitement and laughter. Here you experience how parental love turns into suffocating pressure, here you see teenage rebellion as a monstrosity rather than a virtue, here you see the quirky characters of a city (complete with that wobbly “bound foot” walk), here you hear the wisdom of Zen detachment, and here you experience the sacred relationship between student and teacher.
Perhaps my opinion is biased by the surprise this movie gave to my low expectations, but I can’t help but see this film as an unappreciated but precious gem. Now if only someone could do the same thing with Islamic culture…!
Was this review helpful to you?
|Cute Animated Comedy That Inspires Lessons in Life,
From the very beginning, Kung Fu Panda had me practically falling out of my seat — laughing. It was the perfect blend of comedy, heart, and action, all necessary elements in a successful and great animation/CGI film, in the tradition of The Incredibles and (less action, but containing the heart and laughter) Ratatouille, Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc.
I was laughing, smiling, and guffawing at Po, the main protagonist (voiced by Jack Black) and his misadventures at becoming a Kung Fu expert. This was certainly a flawed character, one that a lot of people can relate to because he dreams, he’s funny, and he can laugh at himself. Also, the story was pretty clear and easy to follow because the storytelling was well crafted, and the animation was paired well with characters brought vividly to life by some of the most famous names in Hollywood.
Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman are downright excellent as the main characters, and Ian McShane as the bad dude gave it the right fearful presence. Other big name stars don’t shine as much, but that’s because their roles are rather limited in the film. But that’s still okay because the animators should be given equal credit (if not more) for delivering the funny, action and heart elements of this movie in an effective, amazing and (I’ve got to use this) AWESOME manner. Visually, this movie is stunning (notice all those scenic shots of the Chinese mountains, bodies of water, and the bridge scene; not to mention the action animation version of “The Matrix” with slow-mo)… simply a delight to watch.
It’s clear that Dreamworks has gotten back in the animation game with Kung Fu Panda, after slight ho-hums in Shrek 3 and Bee Movie (call me crazy, but I liked Over The Hedge more than those two). Hopefully, it should earn well over $500M worldwide because it is so good.
This movie rightfully belongs in the top animation movies of all time (okay, let’s not include the classic fairy tales of old; let’s begin with the 90′s onwards), alongside my faves “The Incredibles” “Finding Nemo” and “Beauty & The Beast.” Has the makings of being a classic.
Enjoy!
Was this review helpful to you?
|