I love it! The story was great and the background was beautiful, it really felt like an ancient Chinese city. This original story is one of the best since Shrek. And the meaning behind the story may be even better! When you watch Kung Fu Panda you can’t help but wonder: why wasn’t this done before? Kung Fu and CGI make a terrific mix in this entertaining tale of a clumsy fat panda who becomes a true Kung Fu master.
The story is about Po (Jack Black), an overweight panda who is the son of a noodle maker, who dreams of Po following in his footsteps, while Po is a huge fan of Kung Fu. He has all the action figures of his idols, Tigress, Viper, Crane, Monkey and Mantis – also known as the Furious Five, and dreams of one day becoming a Kung Fu master himself. In the meantime he sells noodles.
When evil leopard Tai Lung (Ian McShane) escapes from prison and only “The Dragon Warrior” is chosen to defeat him. Without giving too much away, an “accident” seems to name Po as the Dragon Warrior. Yes, our reluctant hero Po turns out to be the one! He gets Kung Fu training from Master Shifu (voiced perfectly by Dustin Hoffman). One hilarious moment after another continues until Shifu recognizes Po’s true driving force But will Po be strong enough to beat Tai Lung?
Kung Fu Panda doesn’t start with a bang. The first laughs are results from the slapstick humor. Po is a lovable creature and everyone can relate to a person who dreams of the impossible.
When Tai Lung escapes you’re really into the story. This particular scene is pretty spectacular. It takes place in a dark cave and the way Tai Lung jumps around really gives you the impression that he’s an enemy to be reckoned with.
What also works in the movie is the chemistry between the voices of Po and Master Shifu. The latter easily steals the show as the grumpy Kung Fu Master who doesn’t believe in his mission to guide Po. The scene in which Shifu has a food fight with Po is an instant classic. There’s also a great action scene in which Tigress, Mantis and the others try to stop evil Tai Lung. They fail, of course…
And the down side? There aren’t that many bad things in Kung Fu Panda. Hoffman and Black make the movie. The role of Tigress could have been done by many other voice actresses. Monkey only has three or four lines and that’s a shame. The final fight is – at some moments – rather violent. That can scare away some of the younger (3-6 year old) kids.
Dreamworks wants to turn Kung Fu Panda into a Shrek like franchise. They’re right. There’s enough material in here to make at least two more sequels. And CGI animated Kung Fu kicks really work on the big screen! So let them make a Kung Fu Panda 2. As long as they keep Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu in the story!
