Made by DreamWorks in 2008, Kung Fu Panda is a computer generated film that boasts an impressive A-List cast that includes Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie and Jackie Chan. The film has gone on to spark a spin-off short Secrets of the Furious Five, and will also be followed by at least one sequel, set for release in 2011.
The Furious Five and Tai Lung
Po (Jack Black) spends his time working in his father’s noodle shop in the Valley of Peace, and gazes up at the Jade Palace longing to be a kung fu master. He dreams about kung fu and wants nothing more than to be trained by Master Shifu and become a Master like the Furious Five. One day he hears that Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) is going to be choosing the Dragon Warrior and the five masters in the palace are going to be demonstrating their skills to see who will be given the Dragon Scroll.
What Po doesn’t know is that the reason Oogway is going to choose the Dragon Warrior is because he has had a vision in which Tai Lung (Ian McShane), a former student and foster son of The furious Fives' Master Shifu (Hoffman) that turned to the dark side, is going to return to take his revenge.
During the contest, in which the five demonstrate their abilities, Po is locked out of the palace and after numerous failed attempts to get in, he attaches some fireworks to a chair and launches himself over the wall, crashing into the palace, just as Oogway chooses the Dragon Warrior.
Po wakes up having landed in the courtyard to find Oogway pointing at him, declaring him to be the Dragon Warrior.
Initially, Po is delighted at the prospect of being the Dragon Warrior, and being trained in kung fu. But, he has to contend with the dislike of both the Five and Shifu who are determined to get rid of him, he also must face his destiny in a fight with the deadly Tai Lung.
Flawless CG Entertainment
DreamWorks has had some limited successes in their time, Shark Tale (which also starred Black) and Antz (that was overshadowed by Pixar’s A Bug’s Life) to name a couple. However, when they get something right, they get it right. Kung Fu Panda is a classic example of them matching up both an excellent A-List voice cast but also a witty and funny story that links humour, action and tragedy seamlessly.
The voice cast are simply excellent with Jackie Chan lending his voice to Monkey and serving as almost an in-joke considering he is probably the only one who does actually know kung fu. Ian McShane is suitably menacing as Tai Lung and walks the line between the charismatic bad guy and a revenge consumed psychopath. The rest of the voice cast are also excellent, but it is Randall Duk Kim who steals every scene with Oogway, the ancient turtle and kung fu master who may or may not have lost the plot when he chose Po to be the Dragon Warrior instead of one of the Furious Five.
The animation is lively and colourful with the fight sequences magnificently choreographed. The setting of the Valley of Peace also has a host of different animals living in it, including pigs and geese.
Basically, Kung Fu Panda is a feel good film that is about overcoming adversity and good always managing to defeat evil. It is an underdog story and audiences both young and old cannot fail to be entertained by the charming story, colourful characters and great voice cast.
4/5
All in all a great example of what DreamWorks can do when they try
Christopher Sharman - In 2009 I self-published my first novel entitled The Darkness Saga: The Light (currently available at amazon.co.uk) which has been ...
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