Childrens, Animated, Adventure, Martial Arts, Slapstick, Personal Triumph, Animals, Computer Animation, Theatrical Release, Family (General), Kung Fu, Battles, Animated Characters
Description
With 2008's KUNG FU PANDA, the talking-animal CGI film enters a new era, one that makes room for both painterly artwork and fierce martial-arts action. Po (voiced by Jack Black), a clumsy and ever-hungry panda, is a huge kung fu fan, but seems destined to sell noodles like his father, Mr. Ping (James Hong), who inexplicably happens to be a goose. When Po literally crashes a ceremony involving martial-arts masters Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) and their pupils, the Furious Five--which includes Tigress (Angelina Jolie, in a surprisingly small part) and Crane (David Cross)--he ends up being selected by the latter elder as the revered Dragon Warrior. As the skeptical Shifu reluctantly trains the hapless Po, his former star pupil, Tai Lung (Ian McShane), escapes from a high-security prison, setting up a collision course between the bumbling bear and the powerful villain.
One of the finest animated films released under the Dreamworks banner, KUNG FU PANDA deftly avoids many of the pitfalls of the genre (i.e. cheesy musical sequences), juggling action, heart, and humor in a highly entertaining way. While Black (in endearingly restrained mode), Hoffman, Kim, and McShane voice their characters with verve, the real stars of PANDA are directors Mark Osborne and John Stevenson and their animators, who lovingly depict ornate Chinese chambers and vast mountainous vistas, as well as blazing kung fu battles. A movie with remarkably wide appeal, KUNG FU PANDA delivers on its quirky, high-concept title with gleeful aplomb.
DVD Features
No Feature Information currently available.
Related Items
People who purchased Kung Fu Panda (Full Screen)/Secrets of the Furious Five (Widescreen) 2-Disc Back-to-Back DVD Set also purchased:
'Kung Fu Panda' is a charming animated family film, surprisingly funny and good-natured, entertaining to children and adults alike. I expected Jack Black to go over-the-top as the title character,... Read the whole review at MatchFlick
Posted on June 7, 2008
Reviewed by: Zara
Let me get the most important note out of the way. The theater that we regularly attend was going through renovations for the last few months, finally upgrading its seating to stadium style, making... Read the whole review at MatchFlick
Kung Fu Panda (Full Screen)/Secrets of the Furious Five (Widescreen) 2-Disc Back-to-Back DVD Set
