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URGA MOTW
Kung Fu Panda
It's got to the point now with computer generated animated movies that they're so good you just don't notice the CG at all, except when it's bad.
With Kung Fu Panda, Dreamworks has done thing so well with the animation that you just don't notice the CG-ness of it, nor do you go "ooh, cool effect" which is what a lot of the early Pixar films did for me.
Of course, that just meant I paid more attention to the story and dialogue, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Plot precis: Panda Po (Jack Black) dreams of Kung Fu, but his dull reality is that he works for his father (a goose) in a noodle shop. When the local Kung Fu palace holds a tournament to pick the new Dragon Warrior from the Ferocious Five (Tigress, Monkey, Crane, Viper and Mantis), Po finds himself accidentally in the middle of the ring and named Dragon Warrior despite being clumsy and fat and having no skills. Initially, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) wants to get rid of this idiot panda, and the five famous fighters don't warm to him either. However, Shifu does manage to train Po by motivating him with food. This all builds up to a battle with escaped prison Tai Lung, etc etc.
The plot is simple (as you'd expect from a kids' movie) but solid. The jokes come thick and fast - lots of visual/slapstick humour, but also quite a few bits of situational comedy from Po and the other characters. The whole thing is kept fairly light hearted, not nearly as much heartstring tugging as Pixar films.
I think a lot of the sideline characters were underused, considering the famous names behind them - Lucy Liu, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, David Cross, and Seth Rogen - none of whom I picked before the closing credits, but it's still OK because it allows the focus to be entirely on Po's antics.
Kung Fu Panda is an entertaining kid's film - you'll giggle along, but nothing stands out as exceptionally brilliant.
7/10
Kung Fu Panda
It's got to the point now with computer generated animated movies that they're so good you just don't notice the CG at all, except when it's bad.
With Kung Fu Panda, Dreamworks has done thing so well with the animation that you just don't notice the CG-ness of it, nor do you go "ooh, cool effect" which is what a lot of the early Pixar films did for me.
Of course, that just meant I paid more attention to the story and dialogue, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Plot precis: Panda Po (Jack Black) dreams of Kung Fu, but his dull reality is that he works for his father (a goose) in a noodle shop. When the local Kung Fu palace holds a tournament to pick the new Dragon Warrior from the Ferocious Five (Tigress, Monkey, Crane, Viper and Mantis), Po finds himself accidentally in the middle of the ring and named Dragon Warrior despite being clumsy and fat and having no skills. Initially, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) wants to get rid of this idiot panda, and the five famous fighters don't warm to him either. However, Shifu does manage to train Po by motivating him with food. This all builds up to a battle with escaped prison Tai Lung, etc etc.
The plot is simple (as you'd expect from a kids' movie) but solid. The jokes come thick and fast - lots of visual/slapstick humour, but also quite a few bits of situational comedy from Po and the other characters. The whole thing is kept fairly light hearted, not nearly as much heartstring tugging as Pixar films.
I think a lot of the sideline characters were underused, considering the famous names behind them - Lucy Liu, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, David Cross, and Seth Rogen - none of whom I picked before the closing credits, but it's still OK because it allows the focus to be entirely on Po's antics.
Kung Fu Panda is an entertaining kid's film - you'll giggle along, but nothing stands out as exceptionally brilliant.
7/10