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Giant panda Po, voiced by Jack Black, begins his study under Master Shifu, voiced by Dustin Hoffman |
Kids will get big kick out of fighting panda
KUNG FU PANDA
Directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osbourne
Certificate PG
THE tale of the Kung Fu Panda, this summer’s nailed-on cert for box office glory, shows that the computer nerds at Dreamworks have truly excelled themselves.
It is a visual riot that allies brilliant colour with clever characterisations. It is short enough to hold the attention and gloss over a flimsy plot, and every scene is a delight to look at.
A sense of playfulness flows from the main character, an overweight panda called Po, who works as a noodle bar waiter. Voiced by Jack Black, the jokes start with an easy target: the hilarity of 1970s kung fu movies, often poorly dubbed and all about ridiculous quests. It’s Monkey Magic in animated form, and the grown-ups accompanying their soon-to-be-kung-fu-kicking minors will smile knowingly.
Our story begins with Po having a dream that he will join the Furious Five, a team of kung fu specialists under the guidance of Master Shifu (a rodent voiced by Dustin Hoffman). They live in a mountain-top commune and keep the Valley of Peace safe.
But serving customers his father’s bowls of secret-ingredient noodle soup is not what our fat furry friend was destined to do: he finds himself chosen to join the Five and fulfil an ancient prophecy.
We learn that Shifu adopted a snow leopard, Tai Lung, and trained him to be a rather tasty kung fu fighter. But when he was not chosen to be the Dragon Warrior, the supreme protector of the Valley, he turns b-a-a-a-a-d and has to be imprisoned.
But he escapes (a superb, armrest-gripping escape scene) and returns to reap his vengeance – which means our unfit and useless panda friend has to face his biggest challenge yet.
As well as Chinese-inspired landscapes, the strengths lie in the cast: Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan and Lucy Liu all feature as part of the Five and bring them to life.
But primary school teachers will not be thanking the makers for this: despite the adverts stating that it contains mild scenes of martial arts, the whole premise of “fat panda comes good” is based on his ability to fly through the air, deliver knockout kicks and throw lightening-fast punches and killer chops.
OK, so the usual sugary morals of being yourself, finding inner strength through following your own dreams, trying your hardest and never giving up, blah blah, blah, may be worthy, but using a martial arts expert might not be the best way to get our kiddies on message. I can see Kung Fu Panda battles breaking out across playgrounds from tomorrow onwards. |
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