Yes, you read that sub-heading right: Kung Fu Panda is not just one of the best kids' films around...with style, grace and a keen wit, it firmly establishes itself as one of the best movies--period--to come out so far this year. Not only that, but it has definitely found a spot on my top five best for my impending year end review in December.
P.S. in advance: Be absolutely certain to stay until the end credits have finished rolling, for a sweetly touching epilogue to the overall story.
The most amazing thing about Kung Fu Panda is not the excitingly impressive CGI--which at times is so photo-realistic that one could almost swear you're not watching animated objects and creatures move about. The most amazing thing is also not the acting, although the voice work by stars such as Jack Black(Be Kind Rewind, the upcoming Tropic Thunder), Lucy Liu(Cashmere Mafia, Rise), Jackie Chan(the Rush Hour trilogy, The Forbidden Kingdom) and others is applause-worthy. No, the most amazing thing is that the story itself is not the most original...it is, in fact, a common tale within the realm of martial arts films...but the method in which the story is told, and the combination of dazzling CGI, acting, music and presentation elevates the overall material far above all other contemporary fare.
Po(voice of Jack Black) is a panda living in the Valley of Peace in an unknown time somewhere in ancient China. His father Mr. Ping(voice of James Hong) owns a noodle restaur-ant and dreams of one day turning the business over to his layabout son. Po however has dreams of being a great martial artist and fighting alongside the heroes of the land, the Furious Five. These are legendary warriors whose fight-ing style corresponds directly to what manner of animals they are: Viper(voice of Lucy Liu), Monkey(voice of Jackie Chan), Mantis(voice of Seth Rogen), Crane(voice of David Cross) and Tigress(voice of Angelina Jolie). They dwell high upon a mountaintop at the edge of the city, in the Jade Palace with their master Shifu(voice of Dustin Hoffman).
Unbeknownst to Po, Shifu's own master, the turtle Oogway (voice of Randall Duk Kim) has had a prophetic dream that Shifu's greatest student, the snow leopard Tai Lung(voice of Ian McShane), who once turned to evil, will escape from prison and return to wreak his vengeance. Both masters know also that part of Tai Lung's wrath will involve getting his paws on the ancient and sacred Dragon Scroll, which is supposed to bestow the powers of the universe itself upon the Dragon Warrior...a chosen being whose identity is not yet known. Feeling that one of his own students must be the Dragon Warrior, Shifu and Oogway choose to hold a tournament to reveal the Warrior's identity. It is during this tournament that Po makes an unexpected entrance, and to the astonishment of all present, is chosen by Oogway himself to take up the mantle of the Dragon Warrior.
As one can see, the story itself is nothing new. Again how-ever, it must be said that all the details and the path to true excitement and laugh-inducing fun within the picture lay within the execution. The primary thing which is both liberating and simultaneously stifling about using animation as a medium is that not every story works with animation. Godzilla for instance, is a hit when it comes to theaters but the lackluster cartoon of the late '70s is all but forgotten. In contrast, the story of Akira--soon to be remade and reset to take place in America--is the type of story that could probably only work in the animated realm. In such fashion, Kung Fu Panda is the type of movie that simply would not work as a live action set piece.
The cast itself is top notch as well as being diverse. All the performers rise to the challenge of portraying their characters with both accuracy of personality and believability. For a comedic film, the subject matter of Po's training in the martial arts is taken seriously, not parodied, although the desired level of laughter within the situation is still achieved. In fact, Po's training by Shifu is among the liveliest and most enter-taining of such sequences ever put in any martial arts film. The character of Tai Lung is fearsome, but not frightening enough that it will scare little children, and his escape from prison is simply a breathtaking thing to witness. The final battle between Lung and Po will leave audiences of every age cheering on the underdog...or perhaps in this case, the underpanda.
The greatest secret of the film itself--and also its greatest lesson--is one which is often told in tales such as these, but never gets old: that all one needs to do is believe in them-selves, and they will gain the ability to do anything to which they set their mind. And again, stay until the end credits finish, for a wonderfully touching moment.
Kung Fu Panda is a triumph of technical wizardry, a cast that gels well together and obviously had fun with their roles, and good old fashioned storytelling. It is a film that will have you laughing constantly no matter what age you are, and which will allow you to leave the theater with honest tears of joy in your eyes. It is a wonderment to behold, and when you step out into the daylight again, be sure to find an adult to hold hands with, even while you take hold of your own child's for crossing the street, because this movie will make you feel like a kid again as well.
Bravo, Dreamworks. Bravo.
Official Archives of LanceReviews...
Love That Panda!
Skadoosh! Kung Fu Panda bursts onto movie screens to set itself up as one of the best films of the year!
Big surprise: Po, the Kung Fu Panda, stands ready to rock the box office!
Master Shifu(center) and the Furious Five(left to right: Viper, Mantis, Monkey, Tigress and Crane) are at first skeptical of the abilities and worthiness of their weighty new partner, Po.
The malevolent and powerful snow leopard Tai Lung escapes from prison, intent on destroying Shifu and the inhabitants of the Valley of Peace.
Finally ready to accept his destiny, Po begins his training in earnest.
"Snatch this dumpling from between my chopsticks, and you too may learn the secret ways of kung fu, noble reader!"
