Viewed: In theatre
Release Date: June 6, 2008
writer: Ethan Reiff & Cyrus Voris
director: Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger
Is "kid-flick", like "chick-flick", and actual genre of filmmaking or is it simply a measure by which we can simply identify the intended audience for the movie? I ask, because although Kung-Fu Panda is indeed a kid flick, it's more in its heart an American-bred, animated version of 70's kung-fu cinema, owing a tremendous debt to Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. Should I judge it as an entrant into the annals of chopsocky entertainment or as the latest in the tremendously long line of CGI-animated children's movies?
How about both? Eh, why not...
Release Date: June 6, 2008
writer: Ethan Reiff & Cyrus Voris
director: Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger
Is "kid-flick", like "chick-flick", and actual genre of filmmaking or is it simply a measure by which we can simply identify the intended audience for the movie? I ask, because although Kung-Fu Panda is indeed a kid flick, it's more in its heart an American-bred, animated version of 70's kung-fu cinema, owing a tremendous debt to Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. Should I judge it as an entrant into the annals of chopsocky entertainment or as the latest in the tremendously long line of CGI-animated children's movies?
How about both? Eh, why not...
Quite obviously in love with asian-action cinema, the makers of Kung-Fu Panda succeed in establishing setting and atmosphere of old-world China, but the characters prove anachronistic to the setting. The voice cast, consisting of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, David Cross, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, and Seth Rogen, don't carry any that atmosphere in their voices, for the most part conveyed as petulant or impatient with mostly Americanized tendencies or attitudes. However, Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu and Randall Duk Kim as Master Oogway provide a grounding point. Oogway, an aged, Yoda-esque tortoise of equal wisdom and humour proves particularly inspired, and is keenly animated, giving the appearance of a fatigued, aged being but still at awe of the world and calmly understanding of his place in it. Jack Black's Po is the titular panda, the son of noodle shop owner Mr. Ping (a pelican, leading to the obvious question which is never answered). Po is obsessed with the Furious Five, a team of kung-fu masters (Tigress, Mantis, Monkey, Snake and Crane) who protect the city. When rumours of Shifu's most promising student gone rogue, Tai Lung, returning, the community is thrust into panic, and a search for the fabled protector, the dragon warrior, begins. Po, insistent on seeing first hand the historic moment, bumbles into the scene and is chosen as the dragon warrior.
Yet another clichéd "chosen one" plot, and the movie does nothing with it to break it of its conventions, but it's precisely in handling it as obviously as they can that it works. There's a sincerity in wanting to tell the story of turning Po, both hesitant and honored, into the dragon warrior. Shifu, charged with the task, is also reluctant, certain that the cheerful, clumsy, oversized panda cannot be the dragon warrior. Shifu's history with his students, specifically Tai Lung, guide the film as much as Po's destiny, and it's the film's most interesting aspect. The unfortunate side is the Furious Five are virtually absent from the film... there's brief moments of Po interacting with them, and an intriguing confrontation scene between them and Tai Lung, but for the most part they're ancillary and treated as such. The opening of the film is presented in conventional 2-D animation, with Po recounting a famous battle of the Five, although supplanting himself as the hero of the piece. It's gorgeously stylize and, frankly, the film could have used more of it (another dream sequence or perhaps the Five retelling a story to Po utilizing the animation style would have been lovely... maybe a spin-off cartoon?)
Po receives his training montage and does naturally become the warrior he was supposed to be, overcoming his own doubts and learning to use his physique to his advantage. His kung-fu, like Jackie or Sammo before him, is played part-awesome and part-funny, but the artistic and choreographic team nail it all quite nicely, effectively using slow-motion to punch-up the comedy.
While the plot is thin and too many characters are marginalized and the story less than innovative, like even the simplest of kung-fu maneuvers it's all in the execution, which is both effective and flashy. Black pares back on his "Jack Black-isms" ("skidoosh" is about it), and the film avoids cheap laughs at the expense of the genre (also priding itself on its lack of fart jokes). As a kung-fu movie it's honestly too polished and pristine (and they don't start off with any kind of Shaw Bros. homage, which was a lost opportunity) to fully satisfy those of us that love the genre, but it is solidly entertaining.
For the kids, it's tremendous. The core lesson is of accepting who you are. The surprising thing is the restraint it shows, keeping fat jokes to a bare minimum, instead proving how Po's size is actually an advantage and how he actually understands he is the shape he is, and holds no embarrassment over his voracious hunger. The fighting is intense, but peppered well with comedy so as not to frighten the little ones too much. Tai Lung is intimidating but barely scary and during the fight sequences it's made quite clear that characters are unconscious and not dead. It's a clean film, for the most part, with cartoon-level violence that, I'd say, is quite tame even by Loony Tunes standards. As an adult I wished for more story, more characterization, a more naturalistic timeline (Po becomes a Master in what seems like days) and more team bonding between Po and the Furious Five, but for a child it will all be enough.
For a kung-fu movie, it's a little too American, but hits plenty of notes spot on. For a kid-flick it's likely hitting every note they want to hear, full of wish fulfillment, fantasy, physical comedy, and cute animals.
(PS - my stepson loved it, but then, he's really into Pandas)
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Yet another clichéd "chosen one" plot, and the movie does nothing with it to break it of its conventions, but it's precisely in handling it as obviously as they can that it works. There's a sincerity in wanting to tell the story of turning Po, both hesitant and honored, into the dragon warrior. Shifu, charged with the task, is also reluctant, certain that the cheerful, clumsy, oversized panda cannot be the dragon warrior. Shifu's history with his students, specifically Tai Lung, guide the film as much as Po's destiny, and it's the film's most interesting aspect. The unfortunate side is the Furious Five are virtually absent from the film... there's brief moments of Po interacting with them, and an intriguing confrontation scene between them and Tai Lung, but for the most part they're ancillary and treated as such. The opening of the film is presented in conventional 2-D animation, with Po recounting a famous battle of the Five, although supplanting himself as the hero of the piece. It's gorgeously stylize and, frankly, the film could have used more of it (another dream sequence or perhaps the Five retelling a story to Po utilizing the animation style would have been lovely... maybe a spin-off cartoon?)
Po receives his training montage and does naturally become the warrior he was supposed to be, overcoming his own doubts and learning to use his physique to his advantage. His kung-fu, like Jackie or Sammo before him, is played part-awesome and part-funny, but the artistic and choreographic team nail it all quite nicely, effectively using slow-motion to punch-up the comedy.
While the plot is thin and too many characters are marginalized and the story less than innovative, like even the simplest of kung-fu maneuvers it's all in the execution, which is both effective and flashy. Black pares back on his "Jack Black-isms" ("skidoosh" is about it), and the film avoids cheap laughs at the expense of the genre (also priding itself on its lack of fart jokes). As a kung-fu movie it's honestly too polished and pristine (and they don't start off with any kind of Shaw Bros. homage, which was a lost opportunity) to fully satisfy those of us that love the genre, but it is solidly entertaining.
For the kids, it's tremendous. The core lesson is of accepting who you are. The surprising thing is the restraint it shows, keeping fat jokes to a bare minimum, instead proving how Po's size is actually an advantage and how he actually understands he is the shape he is, and holds no embarrassment over his voracious hunger. The fighting is intense, but peppered well with comedy so as not to frighten the little ones too much. Tai Lung is intimidating but barely scary and during the fight sequences it's made quite clear that characters are unconscious and not dead. It's a clean film, for the most part, with cartoon-level violence that, I'd say, is quite tame even by Loony Tunes standards. As an adult I wished for more story, more characterization, a more naturalistic timeline (Po becomes a Master in what seems like days) and more team bonding between Po and the Furious Five, but for a child it will all be enough.
For a kung-fu movie, it's a little too American, but hits plenty of notes spot on. For a kid-flick it's likely hitting every note they want to hear, full of wish fulfillment, fantasy, physical comedy, and cute animals.
(PS - my stepson loved it, but then, he's really into Pandas)
Rating: 3.5 / 5