Kung Fu Panda
posted June 5, 2008 7:01 PM
Panda delivers a pretty solid animated kick
Jack Black provides the voice for Po, a panda with a yearning to unleash some kung fu, in Dreamworks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda. Panda is pretty much a competently told “chase your dreams” tale that also offers some pretty exciting visuals and some standout voice work. Younger audiences are the bread and butter here, but their parents won’t be totally dozing off either.
Whatever may be irritating about Black’s often overly quirky big screen presence is less distracting when applied to an animated character. Black should really consider doing more voice work (take that however you want) because he injects Po with the right amount of humor and heart.
Yet it comes as no surprise that the comedy vet is totally upstaged by Dustin Hoffman, who provides a voice to Shifu, the pint-sized kung fu master who is forced to train Po so that he can stop the threat of Shifu’s former student, Tai Lung. Hoffman injects nuances and emotional notes that really add to his cynical, overly-serious character. Older audiences will be relieved by Hoffman’s grounded presence in between all the goofiness.
Ian McShane (of HBO’s Deadwood) also adds some real menace to Tai Lung, whose fall-from-grace backstory is presented in a surprisingly compelling way. Tai Lung belongs in a category with Scar from The Lion King. He’s a truly scary animated villain.
Even though Panda is one of the last animated flicks that Dreamworks won’t be making in 3D it’s still very easy on the eyes and it should help to keep the studio in competition this summer with the juggernaut that is Pixar.
Distributor: Dreamworks Animation
Cast: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, Ian McShane
Director: Marc Osborne, John Stevenson
Screenwriters: Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
Producer: Melissa Cobb
Genre: Animated Action/Comedy
Rating: PG for sequences of martial arts action
Running time: 91 min.
Release date: June 6
11 Comments
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Alan Donald Tan said:
This movie is yet to be seen... but so far from the trailers that i saw its very funny and exciting... i cant wait for this to be release in theater...
May 26, 2008 11:49 AM
The Questioner said:
Can you explain that last line of your review? The movie is very definately all 3d.
May 30, 2008 12:41 PM
a blind person said:
even a blind person can see this movie IS in 3D...
June 3, 2008 10:53 AM
Phil Contrino said:
To answer your questions, the movie is not in 3D.
For proof read this article: http://losangeles.bizjournals.com/losangeles/stories/2007/11/12/daily15.html
Or even just this part of it:
"...A fourth title, "Kung Fu Panda," is slated to be released in the standard, two-dimensional IMAX format in June 2008."
Hope that helps.
June 3, 2008 11:23 AM
babel fish said:
The confusion comes from animation production process versus projection technology. The movie IS entirely "made" in 3D (as opposed to 2d cel animation like DreamWorks' earlier Prince of Egypt), but is only rendered out for standard film projection format and not IMAX 3D (as in the kind with goofy polarized or lcd glasses). So Panda, is made no differently than any of the Pixar movies.
As soon as you say "making in 3d" it's assumed you are talking about 3D CGI in contrast to 2D. IMAX 3d projection is still a very niche market, and is the delivery format, not the creation process.
Probably more info than anyone wanted, but I guess everyone is right, in a sense :)
June 4, 2008 1:11 AM
Lightshedder said:
2D+3D=5D
2D-3D=-1D
2Dx3D=6D
Angelina Jolie has a couple of Double D's.
June 7, 2008 2:23 PM
WalterNeff said:
"That's not even half a D!" - Count Floyd, Monster Chiller Horror Theatre
June 12, 2008 12:11 PM
zuhudi said:
i think kungfu panda can be the best animation this years. kongritulation
June 13, 2008 1:00 AM
JoZe said:
Se salio esta pelicula _// This movie es very funny /// Viva Dreamworks // Dreamworks Rules
June 17, 2008 4:17 AM
Mitchell said:
This movie was entertaining to watch. The cast selection was great. Black did an outstanding performance. This movie was not only action packed and had a lot of jokes. Animation was great storyline too. I hope to see a sequel or similar movie with the same cast. It made my heart feel like a kid again watching this animated feature. I hope others feel the same way.
June 26, 2008 1:08 AM
Anonymous said:
I saw the movie last night! I am 23 and I have to say it was the funniest movie I have seen in years!
June 26, 2008 7:32 AM