Kung Fu Panda

Review by Loc

Jack Black’s eccentricities have grown from nuanced mannerisms to full-blown caricature-defining personality traits. For some, that’s heaven on Earth and great comedy. For others, that’s the death knell to a once-funny-not-funny-anymore comedian. Maybe like Jim Carrey? But I’m not here to judge, just to critique. And what does this all mean for the animated Kung Fu Panda? Quick hit: average, entertaining fare.

Kung Fu Panda is Dreamworks Animated latest entry into the CGI pantheon. Set in the ancient realm of China, this world is inhabited by talking animals. You got your cranes, pigs, pandas, tigers, leopards, turtles, and other assorted furry things. In this world, a noodle-making Panda dreams of becoming a world class kung warrior, good enough to join the Furious Five of Master Tigress, Manta, Monkey, Snake, and Crane. Through random happenstance, Po the Panda receives his shot at the big-time as he’s anointed the future Dragon Warrior, destined to battle the infamous Tai Lung.

You can probably guess the entire plot of the movie. From the comedic introduction into the world of martial arts to the unlikely training of Po to the eventual showdown with the battle leopard Lung, this flick connects the dots not with a fine pencil, but a big, fat Sharpie making the lines. Yes, there’s little surprise or innovation in the story itself.

This leaves the intricacies of the storytelling to carry the movie. And while there are moments of chuckling and great action scenes, this flick fails to stretch to the stratosphere of its Pixar and Shrek brethren. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just a mundane thing.

For voice talent, this movie has assembled an A-list cast. Starting with Jack Black as Po the Panda, he does a very serviceable job as the titular character. Turning the volume down to a steady 6 or 7 on the Jack-o-meter, Black delivers a very even performance. Yet, there’s nothing great and there’s not even a glimpse of comedic gold throughout the film.

Other voices include Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogan, Lucy Liu, and Jackie Chan. Again, these are better than mailed-in performances, but you’d be hard-pressed to find gleaming instances of gold. The main baddie is voiced by Ian McShane, he of Al Swearagen fame from Deadwood. He does a good job of being a bad guy, but hearing that voice, you expect at least two or three “c*cksucker” bombs dropped in for good measure. Being family fare, that’s never gonna happen, but if they ever include the voice-over outtakes and bloopers for the R-rated bunch, that might be the comic gold you’re looking for.

The animation is top-notch. Details like fur and water are mostly good, they never reach Pixar levels of blow-your-mind visuals, but good nonetheless. However, the set designs that include fog-laden mountains, amazing temples, and a bottomless cave-like prison are grand. Plus, the action sequences are top notch, stuff you wish more films would utilize, live-action or not. There’s some real weight to the explosive punches or forceful thrusts, something The Hulk movies should pay attention to when modeling their CGI beasts.

Overall, this is a fairly entertaining film. There’s nothing groundbreaking, not in the story, not in the characters, not in the voice, not in anything. But for what it is, the film delivers a decent pop and fun martial arts action. Out of five furious furies, Kung Fu Panda delivers 3 explosive blows. Go for a matinee, wait for the DVD, catch it on cable, it’ll all be the same. Decent enough.