Movie Bender # 5 - Kung Fu Panda.... seriously!
I hadn't really planned on seeing Kung Fu Panda. It wasn't that I was horribly opposed to the film it just never struck me as top priority. It certainly looked a sight better than annoyances like Over the Hedge and Madagascar. But I was offered a chance to see it and damned if I wasn't bored or drowsy or maybe both enough to head to a movie about a martial artist panda.
Let me start with my feelings on Jack Black. I love the Tenacious D music and I think he had serious comedy and acting chops, but most movies that have him in them suck. Even his effort based on Tenacious D left much to be desired. But conceptually I have nothing against the man. I also have a bias against 3d computer animation, I specify 3d because all animation is technically done on computers nowadays, its just more cost effective. But I given that I still really enjoyed this film.
The animation in the film is great, not groundbreaking in any way, but still good. The texture and fur is modeled well and the martial arts fight sequences are obviously done with some TLC. The film as a deep love of the martial arts genre and much like Forbidden Kingdom it pays homage to the classics which have come before it. The opening sequence is animated in a style reminiscent of Samurai Jack in which a mysterious panda warrior (Jack Black) battles literally hundreds of foes, afterwards he utters the fantastically Jack Black one-liner "There is no cost for awesomeness." Then Po is awakened from his dream and realizes that he still works at his father's noodle stand, a work-a-day kung fu fanboy with no real martial skill.
So to sum up Po becomes the "Dragon Warrior" due to a fluke and is taken by the mouse Master Sifu (Dustin Hoffman) and the rest of the Furious Five to their temple to train. The Furious Five consist of the greatest warriors in the Valley and represent various martial art styles by being those animals, they are Mantis (Seth Rogan), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Crane (David Cross), and Viper (Lucy Liu). And since the big bad Tai Lung (Ian McShane) has escaped from his prison the Dragon Warrior is the only one destined to stop him.
Yeah, it's a standard kung-fu story. But what sets this film apart from the Shreks is that the humor is more subdued and less based on pop culture references. It actually sets the tone as more classic, in my opinion. Jack Black is charmingly innocent and energetic as our hero Po, Angelina Jolie portrays a quiet jealousy not only for Po who took her title, but also Tai Lung who we find out later was also destined to be the Dragon Warrior. And Tai Lung himself is performed with practiced villainy by Ian McShane.
In short, this is a genuinely funny and entertaining film with occasional nuggets of true insight and warmth. It's a surprisingly deep film and is well worth watching.
Let me start with my feelings on Jack Black. I love the Tenacious D music and I think he had serious comedy and acting chops, but most movies that have him in them suck. Even his effort based on Tenacious D left much to be desired. But conceptually I have nothing against the man. I also have a bias against 3d computer animation, I specify 3d because all animation is technically done on computers nowadays, its just more cost effective. But I given that I still really enjoyed this film.
The animation in the film is great, not groundbreaking in any way, but still good. The texture and fur is modeled well and the martial arts fight sequences are obviously done with some TLC. The film as a deep love of the martial arts genre and much like Forbidden Kingdom it pays homage to the classics which have come before it. The opening sequence is animated in a style reminiscent of Samurai Jack in which a mysterious panda warrior (Jack Black) battles literally hundreds of foes, afterwards he utters the fantastically Jack Black one-liner "There is no cost for awesomeness." Then Po is awakened from his dream and realizes that he still works at his father's noodle stand, a work-a-day kung fu fanboy with no real martial skill.
So to sum up Po becomes the "Dragon Warrior" due to a fluke and is taken by the mouse Master Sifu (Dustin Hoffman) and the rest of the Furious Five to their temple to train. The Furious Five consist of the greatest warriors in the Valley and represent various martial art styles by being those animals, they are Mantis (Seth Rogan), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Crane (David Cross), and Viper (Lucy Liu). And since the big bad Tai Lung (Ian McShane) has escaped from his prison the Dragon Warrior is the only one destined to stop him.
Yeah, it's a standard kung-fu story. But what sets this film apart from the Shreks is that the humor is more subdued and less based on pop culture references. It actually sets the tone as more classic, in my opinion. Jack Black is charmingly innocent and energetic as our hero Po, Angelina Jolie portrays a quiet jealousy not only for Po who took her title, but also Tai Lung who we find out later was also destined to be the Dragon Warrior. And Tai Lung himself is performed with practiced villainy by Ian McShane.
In short, this is a genuinely funny and entertaining film with occasional nuggets of true insight and warmth. It's a surprisingly deep film and is well worth watching.