One day it is announced that a new Dragon Warrior is to be named, a warrior destined to receive the Dragon Scroll, which possesses the secret to unlimited power, and defend the village against the villainous Tai Lung (Ian McShane), a former student of Shifu (much like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader in the Star Wars saga). Po hears about the event and heads off to witness the event. Once there, he is the one chosen as the new Dragon Warrior, much to the chagrin of Shifu and the Furious Five.
The story is simple, it covers ground that has been traveled many, many times over the years, so do not look here for anything original in the plot department. For the most part, do not look to Kung Fu Panda for anything original at all. This may sound like a bad thing, but it is not. While the story does not tread new waters, it is a solidly entertaining one that feels fresh and is told in such a way that you don't even think about it.
The screenplay, from Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, is fast, witty, and smart. They avoid the traps of pop culture references and cheap jokes that have infected the Shrek series. Another thing that is admirable about the screenplay is that it is not a comedy, rather it is a coming of age story and the humor is born organically from the story. The one-liners and gags are not forced into the script. It is an approach that is reminiscent of Pixar's films, such as Ratatouille and The Incredibles. It is a good approach that allows for better stories to be told in a fashion that does not belittle the audience nor pander to the lowest common denominator. The humor is by no means highbrow, but it still works for all age groups.
Another key figure in the creation of the film is Rodolphe Guenoden, an animator and practitioner of the martial arts, who was charged with designing the numerous fights, adapting real world martial arts to the animated animal world. The action sequences work great, they recall classic martial arts films while taking advantage of the freedom that animation provides.
The final element that makes the movie work is the voice acting. Jack Black is the heart and soul of Kung Fu Panda. His timing and delivery as Po is fantastic, it is very easy to like the character and root for him along his journey. Dustin Hoffman is also very good as Shifu, while Ian McShane delivers some evil as Tai Lung. Overall, the entire voice cast turn in good work.
Bottomline. In the end, this film delivered something much better than I was expecting. I was hoping it would be good, I thought it would be good, but I did not expect it to surpass my expectations. It features a strong character arc, strong action, and some great animation. This is definitely worth seeing on the big screen whether you are a child, a grown up, an martial arts fan, or whatever.
Highly Recommended.
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