On Screen / Linda Cook

‘Kung Fu Panda’ proves skillful, fun

By Linda Cook | Monday, July 07, 2008 | () comments

“Kung Fu Panda” combines colorful animation with a positive story line. (Paramount) Buy this Photo

“Kung Fu Panda”

3 1/2 stars

Running time: 90 minutes

Rated: PG for kung fu violence

At first I growled at the panda.

I admit it: The first few dozen times I saw the trailers for this movie, I sneered. What a dopey concept, I thought. As the onset of trailers and ads became a barrage, I grew to dislike the idea of “Kung Fu Panda” even more. I didn’t think the trailers were funny, and I didn’t see how the show could be interesting.

And now I humbly apologize: “Kung Fu Panda” is a top-notch film for both children and adults. It not only has a message about self confidence, but it also has humor and some of the best animation and visuals so far this year.

The film is set, with lush backgrounds, glorious colors and eye-catching detail, in the Valley of Peace in China. Po the panda (voice of Jack Black) works for his father (James Hong) in a noodle shop that always is filled with customers. Po isn’t happy working in the noodle shop, though. He longs to become a kung fu expert alongside the revered Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Viper (Lucy Liu), Crane (David Cross) and Mantis (Seth Rogen).

Po takes off to see the Dragon Warrior named when the time comes for the revered tortoise Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) to make the announcement. Because of what seems to be an accident, Oogway chooses Po as the Dragon Warrior, much to the irritation of the Furious Five and their Master Shifu. Now Po must stop the seemingly invincible Tia Lung (Ian McShane), who wants to rule the land. As Po’s trainer, Master Shifu needs to quickly discover what strengths Po has, and use his gifts to make him into a kung fu master.

If you’re a fan of Asian films — and I most certainly am — you’ll see nods to the likes of “Hero” and “House of Flying Daggers” in the array of colors and landscapes, which truly are a wonder to see. The action is fun, too — with the clever script, it keeps things moving quickly. And believe it or not, we even see some character development that rivals live-action flicks. The voices are recognizable, but not so overpowering that they distract from the story line.

With its surprising depth, dialogue, humor and honor, I became a panda fan after about five minutes. I bet you will, too.

You have won, Master Panda.

Linda Cook reviews movies for GO! and KWQC-TV6. Contact her at (563) 383-2400 or lcook@qctimes.com. Comment on this review at qctimes.com.