By Alex Villafania
INQUIRER.net
PANDAS are not always seen as funny. They’re just cute, something you’d like to take home as a pet. However, if the panda is Jack Black, then he’s not just funny but extremely hilarious and in the latest computer animation flick from DreamWorks, you’ll wish a panda could actually be your pet.
This writer has tried to keep spoilers to a minimum in this review, but stop reading if you don’t want anything spoiled for you.
The movie uses the tried and tested zero-to-hero formula, which is common in many children’s cartoons so as to teach kids to believe in themselves and conquer all obstacles. The movie’s solid storyline, written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, is predictable but again, this kind of script formula works just fine with younger viewers.
Likewise, there are many elements from Japanese anime and even Hong Kong martial arts movies in terms of story progression, dialogue and most especially the fight scenes. In fact, those familiar with the old Jackie Chan flicks and the new Stephen Chow movies will find some script and comic references. There are also some philosophical ramblings that seem to target children. Some martial arts buffs and anime purists might not like the nearly copycat plot because of the lack of originality. Incidentally, it has almost no reference to pop culture, which is often the staple of computer graphics animation films like the “Shrek” and “Toy Story” movies.
At any rate, the movie is about Po the panda (Jack Black), the son of a noodle house owner named Ping, who is strangely a goose. Po knows nothing more than making noodles but he loves anything related to martial arts. He inadvertently gets chosen by the wise old turtle Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) who asks Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) to train him in the ways of kung fu because he is thought to be the mythical Dragon Master. Po is initially scoffed at by Shifu and his students the Furious Five who are masters of different art forms. They are the masters Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Crane (David Cross), Viper (Lucy Liu), Monkey (Jackie Chan) and Mantis (Seth Rogen). He later faces Tai Lung (Ian McShane), a savage master who is revealed to be the first student of Shifu who went rogue.
It’s often a difficult task to associate the actors with the movie characters to whom they lend their voices. In this movie only Po seems to have been made with Black in mind as the panda’s antics, movements and even chatter were much like what Black would do in his other films like “School of Rock” and “Envy.” However, it’s not the same with the other voice actors. Audiences might not realize who the voice actors are until the credits, except for Chan, whose voice is quite obvious. Still, the character development of each of the Furious Five, as well as the other main characters, was well balanced.
The animation is spectacular, to say the least. It reminds me of the animated action in last year’s 3D movie “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and somewhat a bit of the Japanese animation “Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children” wherein a majority of the fight scenes and stunts are done in mid-air. Yes, they’re flying. Yes, they’re unrealistic. And yes, it’s still visually stunning.
Still, it will not come as a surprise when children, after watching the film, will emulate its fighting styles. In fact, just right after the film, children were already making martial arts stances similar to the ones used in the film. Hopefully, children will not physically copy what was shown in the movie.
“Kung Fu Panda” is primarily a kiddie movie but the wit and sheer comedy it exudes makes it a film adults would also enjoy.
