Kung Fu Panda
“Prepare for Awesomeness” as the tagline states, which is an adequate way to sum up Dreamworks latest CGI venture Kung Fu Panda. A simplistic yet sweet foray into a whimsical ancient China inhabited by animal warriors, mysticism, and one comical panda by the name of Po.
Following a familiar direction, Kung Fu Panda is the basic children’s movie formula of a misunderstood lead character going through scene after scene of comical situations and heartwarming moments, while learning plenty of lessons along the way. Now though Kung Fu Panda may look like another rushed “Cash- In” kids movie, I think it’s safe to say that there’s actually a lot of hardwork going on here. The slapstick comedy works for all ages, while the flowing animation is smooth and vibrant with some great effort towards detail. Though I really don’t think this movie would of worked on the same level without Jack Black. His grand comedic delivery and trademark enthusiasm are what really tied this film together. It was also nice to see some other stars lending their voices to this flick, even if they didn’t have that significant of roles. Of course Dustin Hoffman performance as the cynical, yet wise Shifu was entertaining, it was also a treat to have some other celebs such as; Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, David Cross, Lucy Liu and the great Jackie Chan get in on the fun. One thing is for sure, is that this film’s quality certainly surprised me. I mean it’s almost like the definition of “Pleasant Surprise” considering it’s so-so trailers and wacky idea, but somehow they pulled it off and probably made the best CGI movie I’ve seen since Ratatouile “Ske doosh!”