Kung Fu Panda (2008) (PG)
Directed by Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
Voices: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan
Daddy Says:
In case you can't tell by the movies I've picked so far, I love a good kung fu movie. I'm sure you'll see more reviews in the future on them. Seven Samurai is one of my all-time favorites. Not that I'm saying Kung Fu Panda is as good as that classic film, but you can tell the makers of this animated feature had a genuine love for the genre when they made it.
Jack Black voices the titular character, a panda named Po who works with his father (possibly adopted father, his father being a duck after all) in a noodle shop in China. He dreams of being a mighty kung fu warrior alongside the Furious Five, the most famous martial artists in the land. When he hears that the Dragon Warrior is going to be chosen, he heads to the top of the huge mountain to see the selection. I'll give you three guesses as to who gets chosen, and your first two don't count.
His new master (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) tries to get rid of him at first, not knowing how to train someone so athletically challenged as a fat panda. Po, himself, even wants to give up at times, but when China's greatest enemy escapes from prison (voiced by the wonderful voice of Ian McShane), he realizes that he must become the great warrior he has dreamed of becoming.
This not being a Pixar film, I was prepared not to like it, but Kung Fu Panda is a really good movie. It has great voice work, really good animation, and it tells a wonderful story. It didn't always feel original, but when you're working with a genre like kung fu, there's not really a whole lot more you need than a hero and a bad guy for him to fight. This may be one of the best non-Pixar animated movies I've ever seen.
Rating for Kung Fu Panda: ****1/2
Daughter Says:
I don't agree with Dad at all on this rating. It wasn't the best film in the world and I found it outrageously ridiculous. Kung Fu Panda was meant for little children and that is how it should remain.
The story line was okay, it was also easy to follow, but the cartoon itself kept changing, which drives me insane. I also didn't find any character extremely likable. Po was too fat and slow, the master was rude, the tiger was a jerk, and the rest were too small to really even notice. I also found the end a bit dumb, but I won't ruin it for you, just in case you still want to see it.
That's all I can really say about this movie, but it had it's funny parts. It made me laugh just once. Most of the jokes were little kid jokes and not "smart adult referring to other movies" jokes.
I rate this movie **.
Directed by Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
Voices: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan
Daddy Says:
In case you can't tell by the movies I've picked so far, I love a good kung fu movie. I'm sure you'll see more reviews in the future on them. Seven Samurai is one of my all-time favorites. Not that I'm saying Kung Fu Panda is as good as that classic film, but you can tell the makers of this animated feature had a genuine love for the genre when they made it.
Jack Black voices the titular character, a panda named Po who works with his father (possibly adopted father, his father being a duck after all) in a noodle shop in China. He dreams of being a mighty kung fu warrior alongside the Furious Five, the most famous martial artists in the land. When he hears that the Dragon Warrior is going to be chosen, he heads to the top of the huge mountain to see the selection. I'll give you three guesses as to who gets chosen, and your first two don't count.
His new master (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) tries to get rid of him at first, not knowing how to train someone so athletically challenged as a fat panda. Po, himself, even wants to give up at times, but when China's greatest enemy escapes from prison (voiced by the wonderful voice of Ian McShane), he realizes that he must become the great warrior he has dreamed of becoming.
This not being a Pixar film, I was prepared not to like it, but Kung Fu Panda is a really good movie. It has great voice work, really good animation, and it tells a wonderful story. It didn't always feel original, but when you're working with a genre like kung fu, there's not really a whole lot more you need than a hero and a bad guy for him to fight. This may be one of the best non-Pixar animated movies I've ever seen.
Rating for Kung Fu Panda: ****1/2
Daughter Says:
I don't agree with Dad at all on this rating. It wasn't the best film in the world and I found it outrageously ridiculous. Kung Fu Panda was meant for little children and that is how it should remain.
The story line was okay, it was also easy to follow, but the cartoon itself kept changing, which drives me insane. I also didn't find any character extremely likable. Po was too fat and slow, the master was rude, the tiger was a jerk, and the rest were too small to really even notice. I also found the end a bit dumb, but I won't ruin it for you, just in case you still want to see it.
That's all I can really say about this movie, but it had it's funny parts. It made me laugh just once. Most of the jokes were little kid jokes and not "smart adult referring to other movies" jokes.
I rate this movie **.
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