Dragon Blogger Review of Kung Fu Panda

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I have seen this movie so many times since Christmas with my kids it is not even funny.  We saw this movie in theaters when it first came out and loved it, when we bought it on DVD for Christmas it plays at least once or twice a day in our household.  The movie may be one of Jack Black’s best performances ever and it is done in a toned down and family friendly way that anyone and everyone can enjoy.

The movie is what you would expect a brilliant parody and tribute to all Kung Fu and Martial Arts films out there, the story is simple:

Po is a lazy, fat panda who loves Kung Fu more than anything and when he accidentally gets picked to be the Dragon Warrior who is supposed to be the greatest martial arts master of all time, he is caught between failure and reaching for something greater than anyone thought possible.

What makes this movie so great is Jack Black’s performance as Po, where he has a witty comeback and one liner in almost every scene, from his reverence to sacred and holy artifacts, to his teacher Shifu who is voiced superbly by Dustin Hoffman.  Kids love the movie because it is simple, funny and has slapstick humor mixed throughout.  It includes a few minor scary elements for little ones such as the prison escape by Tai Lung which is another great voice casting (Ian McShane lends such a deep raspy voice its as if he really were the Snow Leopard he portrays).  But this scene is only mildly scary and probably won’t bother a kid older than 5.

The Furious Five themselves are Kung Fu masters who were expecting to be selected as the Dragon Warrior instead of Po, and they are Tigress (voiced by Angelina Jolie), Monkey (voiced by Jackie Chan), Viper (voiced by Lucy Lui), Crane (voiced by David Cross) and Mantis (voice by Seth Rogen).  The Furious Five however have very little screen time in comparison to Po and Master Shifu, which the movie centers around Po and his training. I should point out that Michael Clarke Duncan’s deep booming voice as the Commander Vachir the Rhinoceros prison warden over Tai Lung is another outstanding example of how Dreamworks practically fit every voice perfectly with the characters.

This kind of is a coming of age story for Po who starts with silly failures but his determination, faith and can do attitude allow him to accomplish and reach feats that would be unthinkable.  This is a good philosophy and attitude to share with the audience and one that should inspire kids if they can get the subtle message.

The parody of martial arts movies and absurdly comical Kung Fu techniques is more fun to watch than virtually any other spoof on the movies (Wushi Finger Hold anyone?).  In addition the movie has some of the best animated action sequences such as the fight scene between the Furious Five and Tai Lung at the bridge that virtually rival any other animated film, possibly even The Incredibles.

I would give this comedy Dreamworks movie 5 out of 5 stars and really is probably the best Dreamworks film since the original Shrek.  (That being said, I saw the preview to Monsters Vs Aliens and it looks fantastic to be released in March 2009)

-Dragon Blogger