Kung Fu Panda [PG]
Inept panda must save his jungle friends. |
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Po the Panda spends his days working in his dad’s noodle bar and his nights dreaming of being a Kung Fu hero. His dreams start to come improbably true when he is revealed to be none other than the Dragon Warrior – the ultimate Kung Fu hero destined to save the valley from the destructive rage of evil snow leopard Tai Lung; much to the disgust of genuine Kung Fu experts Monkey, Tiger, Mantis and Crane.
The plot is comfortingly familiar. Po stands firmly in the tradition of Jack the Giant Killer and Arthur in the Sword in the Stone. Many of the supporting characters, too, are familiar and a special mention must go to the rhinos (last seen in Robin Hood) who give a first rate performance as the guards charged with keeping Tai Lung in his mountain prison. The film takes a while to get started, but once it does, it’s a visual feast. The animators’ imaginative exploration of the film’s Chinese theme gives us scenes which are both entertaining and breathtaking. Tai Lung’s escape from his Mordor –like prison more than justifies the price of the ticket. Some reviewers have criticized this film for encouraging children to think that you don’t have to work at success: being true to yourself is enough. This is unfair to the overweight and distinctly un-athletic Po who submits to a rigorous programme of training under the guidance of Kung Fu master Shi Fu and aided by Monkey and friends who have overcome their prejudices to give the not-so-little panda a sporting chance. In this Olympic year, you will find more genuine sportsmanship in this unpretentious film than 100 hours of highlights from Beijing. Kung Fu Panda is essentially a children’s film and younger audiences will be delighted by Po and his chums, but the PG rating is about right and parents should be wary of taking very young children. Many adults will also enjoy it and it is surely a must for animation aficionados and overweight Kung Fu enthusiasts everywhere. HB, 16/08/08 A paunchy panda's dreams of kung fu glory come colourfully alive in the aptly titled Kung Fu Panda. Punching above its not inconsiderable weight, Panda's strength is its eye-poppingly beautiful animation. Too gab-happy in places, there's still enough humour and action to entertain almost everyone. Po the panda works for his dad in the family restaurant, peddling buns. But his dreams of learning kung fu like his heroes Tiger, Crane, Viper, Mantis and Monkey turn to reality when he gate-crashes a ceremony to name the Dragon Warrior. Accidentally or not, Po's named as The One, much to the dismay of Tiger and the rest of the heroes. But Po's unfit in more ways than one to take on the terrible enemy, a snow leopard called Tai Lung, newly escaped from prison and intent on stealing a fabled scroll. Can Po learn enough kung fu and prove himself before it's too late? Featuring the voices of Jack Black (Po), Jackie Chan (Monkey) and Angelina Jolie (Tiger), Kung Fu Panda relies almost as much on its script as its scraps. Pity really as the repartee isn't as witty as it thinks it is and gets a tad wearying. And while Jolie growls away nicely, Chan only gets a couple of lines. Black holds himself back as Po, making the pudgy panda a likeable unlikely hero. But it's the animation that astounds. Saturating the screen with colour, Kung Fu Panda makes knowing nods to the studiedly beautiful martial arts movies of Zhang Yimou (Hero) and Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger) and more than matches their vibrant visuals. Probably the most ravishing computer-generated animated movie yet, Panda certainly makes the most of its medium. One watch is not enough to take it all in. Thrills and spills occur, albeit not frequently enough. Tai Lung's escape from his rhino-guarded prison is impressive, his rope-bridge battle with Tiger is exciting and the chopstick-bun-fight between Po and his master is brilliant - it worked well in one of Jackie Chan's early films and the homage here is fun. Similarly, the mock slo-mo action as Po arcs across the screen during yet another failed move is amusing in itself and a nifty dig at martial arts movie moments. Faithful to the Chinese setting, the martial arts are well-choreographed and surprisingly well-rooted in tradition. But there are plenty of special effects for those who like their action fast and furious: too furious on occasion with exploding walls upping the sound-and-fury at the expense of the lavishly detailed animation. Pandering to formula a little too much, Panda isn't as original as it could have been. But its animation is outstanding. And, quibbles aside, Kung Fu Panda is cinema as it should be - colourful, creative and entertaining. Glenn Watson, 10/07/08 |
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