Kung Fu Panda

The only time Jack Black will ever be a credible martial artist

By Geoff Berkshire

Metromix
June 5, 2008

 
Critic's Rating:
3

Kung Fu Panda
Jack Black voices the title role in "Kung Fu Panda" (Credit: DreamWorks Animation)
Photos:
A scene from the film "Kung Fu Panda." JACK BLACK voices Po, a clumsy panda unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy and train in the art of kung fu, in DreamWorks' "Kung Fu Panda," which will be distributed by Paramount Pictures in June 2008. ANGELINA JOLIE voices the bold and strong Tigress, one of the legendary Furious Five, in DreamWorks' "Kung Fu Panda," which will be distributed by Paramount Pictures in June 2008. DUSTIN HOFFMAN voices Shifu, the renowned trainer of the legendary Furious Five, in DreamWorks' "Kung Fu Panda," which will be distributed by Paramount Pictures in June 2008.
Kung Fu Panda
Running time:
91 minutes
Rated:
PG
Cast:
Jack Black -
Voice of Po
Angelina Jolie -
Voice of Master Tigress
Jackie Chan -
Voice of Master Monkey
David Cross -
Voice of Master Crane
Lucy Liu -
Voice of Master Viper
See full cast
Director:
John Stevenson, Mark Osborne
Genre:
Family, Comedy
Official Movie Web Site:
http://www.kungfupanda.com/
Overall User Rating:
4 (22 ratings)
Write a review
Portly kung fu loving Panda Po (Jack Black) is unexpectedly chosen as the legendary dragon warrior and trains with reluctant master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) before ultimately facing off with student turned villain Tai Lung (an appropriately menacing Ian McShane).

Big question: Are martial arts and a rare Asian influence enough to lift this above the animated animal pack?

Skip it: Yet another DreamWorks animation effort that further widens the already expansive quality gap between the studio and industry leaders Pixar. “Kung Fu Panda” proves you don’t need a self-conscious indie rock soundtrack or near-sighted pop culture references to achieve animated mediocrity, just an overly familiar story with an easily digestible moral and an all star line-up of wasted vocal talents (Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, David Cross and Lucy Liu voice Shifu’s generic quintet of students).

Catch it: For the most inspired sequence, combining kung fu training with chopsticks and dumplings. At least it’s more authentically Asian than Black voicing a Panda.

Bottom line: The blandly executed “Kung Fu Panda” isn’t unbearable but is, at best, modestly amusing and no more impressive than anything you could randomly dial up on Cartoon Network. The best advice for anyone on the fence about seeing it: save your time and money for Pixar’s “Wall-E” later this month. Movies like "Panda" play better in the Netflix queue anyway.

Bonus: OK, the movie isn't entirely devoid of pop culture in-jokes or hip tracks ready for iTunes downloads. Black drops a “skadoosh” into his voiceover work and Cee-Lo covers "Kung Fu Fighting" over the closing credits.

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