Kung Fu Panda

In Kung Fu Panda, Jack Black voices Po, a rather large and verbose panda, who dreams of being a martial arts expert. After gate-crashing a ceremony, he is selected by the wise turtle Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) to be the prophesised saviour of the village. A band of elite warriors, the Furious Five, are less than impressed that this clumsy amateur has displaced them and their life’s work, and neither is their Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), who has the unenviable job of training Po.

But things take a turn for the worse when the deliciously evil snow leopard, Tai Lung (Ian McShane), escapes from jail, impressively ‘out-kung-fu-ing’ 1,000 rhino prison guards. He is hell-bent on getting his paws on the ancient scroll, holding the key to ultimate power, and which the hapless Dragon Warrior, Po, is sworn to protect.

Po is an incredibly likeable character; he eats when he is upset and boundlessly adores the Furious Five, and all things Kung Fu. He doesn’t think he is worthy of his title, but in the face of disbelief, sets about proving everyone, including himself, wrong. When he hears the Furious Five mocking the fact he can’t even see his toes, he realises that those words can’t cause him more pain than he feels inside. It makes a refreshing change to have a hero who is riddled with self-doubt, rather than being over-confident, and to see him go on a journey of self-discovery.

Kung Fu is often impressive to watch, so combining it with CGI makes it even more appealing. Not only is the Eastern world beautifully represented (for example, when the ancient Master dies he turns into petals that float away into the sky), but the fight sequences are well-constructed, entertaining and humorous. Po’s training is built around his all-consuming love of food, and it is scenes such as withholding mouth-watering dumplings to develop his skills, that are the funniest.

But what I liked most about this movie is the philosophy that underlines Po’s trials and tribulations. Lines such as: ‘We all have a place in this world’, ‘Nothing is impossible’ and ‘A real warrior never quits’, are familiar but work well in this light-hearted, family-oriented animation.

Made by the creators of Shrek, Kung Fu Panda is head and shoulders above the famous green ogre.

Kung Fu Panda is released in UK cinemas on 4 July.

[Reviewed and posted by KC]

Comments

[IP address finder]

Its really nice movie, I like very much