This movie had every indication of being a shallow and cheaply-written piece of family schlock. It was made by DreamWorks, a studio known for its hit-or-miss CGI movies, and it has been accompanied by a major marketing blitz that is normally used to compensate for a movie’s lack of quality. Fortunately, "Kung-Fu Panda" breaks the preconceptions of the audience and delivers a vibrant and funny movie filled with humor, heart and hard-hitting kung-fu action.
Jack Black (in his best performance since "School of Rock") plays Po, a large and unhappy panda who is a noodle seller in ancient China. While watching a kung-fu tournament, Po is accidentally chosen as the legendary Dragon Warrior, who will save the kingdom from the evil Tai-Lung. He is instructed by his reluctant master Shi-Fu (Dustin Hoffman), and teamed up with the Furious Five; five animals that represent the five different styles of kung-fu.
The five carry some surprisingly strong voice talent, with Angelina Jolie as Tigress, Seth Rogen as Mantis, Lucy Liu as Viper, David Cross as Crane, and last but not least, Jackie Chan as Monkey. Po must learn kung-fu and overcome his personal defects to save the day.
The tone of this movie is different then what audiences have come to expect from DreamWorks. Noticeably absent were any pop-culture references or silly musical numbers. Instead, the movie felt as if the filmmakers were actually taking their work seriously and decided to let the film stand on its own merits, without resorting to cheap jokes. "Panda" has eye-popping visuals with large, stunningly beautiful sets and environments not often seen in CGI films. The character designs were well done, and each character had a distinctive feel and tone that all blended together to give the movie its own distinct atmosphere, creating a detailed imaginary world that was compelling to watch.
The story was well-written and funny, never dull and with plenty of heart-tugging moments that only cute animals can deliver. The fight scenes were a work of art, and I would wager Jackie Chan had a hand in choreographing the sequences, which contain a lot of his trademark prop-oriented fighting.
The only problem this movie has is one that befalls most kung-fu movies: no matter how good your montage is, you cannot train someone to be a martial arts master in one day. Apart from that, "Panda" is tremendously fun and funny, and left me wanting more when its hour and 20 minutes had come to an end.
