Movie review: Kung Fu Panda

By Stan Dyer

This is a very cute, animated feature. I was a bit concerned about spending an hour and a half in a theatre full of grade-schoolers and younger, but, once the movie started, I did not really notice. All I noticed was the well-done action movie on the screen, and its excellent message of perseverance, faith in oneself, and finding success.

This movie is about the panda, Po, and his dream to be a dynamic, Kung Fu warrior like one of the "Furious Five". Unfortunately for Po, he is the son of a noodle vendor and destined to a life in the culinary arts that he does not care for. Then, one day, the spiritual leader, Oogway, has a vision that Tai Lung escapes from prison and heads back to the valley for revenge, to gain the sacred scroll and to make himself Dragon Warrior. It is decided that a new, Dragon Warrior must be found to meet the threat and everyone in the valley is called to the great temple square to witness the selection.

Being slow and out of shape, Po arrives too late to get inside the gates to witness the competition. Po tries intensely to view the activities and find some way to get inside. On his last attempt to gain entrance, he attaches fireworks to a chair and lights the fuse. His father tries to stop him, but cannot. The fireworks ignite and send Po skyward in a fantastic Fourth-of-July display that lands Po directly in the center of the square of competition. After crashing and falling unconscious, Po awakens to find the finger of Oogway pointing at him and learns he has been named "Dragon Warrior". Everyone, including Master Shifu and all of the Furious Five think Po is a joke and that a mistake has been made. Oogway assures them there are no mistakes and Po is the one.

The training of Po does not go well, and, when Tai Lung does escape from prison, the Furious Five go out to defeat him. Tai Lung is too quick, too powerful and too smart for even the Furious Five. He sends them back to the temple paralyzed and defeated. Yet, while they are away, Shifu finds a way to motivate and train Po quickly just like Mr. Miagi trained Daniel in "The Karate Kid". Nonetheless, it is decided that Po is not ready and the valley must be evacuated to save the people from the wrath of Tai Lung. Master Shifu will stay behind to meet Tai Lung alone. Po goes down into the valley to join his father in evacuation.

While on their way out of the city, Po's father tells Po a secret that helps Po unlock the secret of the sacred scroll. Po rushes back up the mountain to the temple to find Tai Lung and a defeated Master Shifu. Tai Lung laughs at his competition, but using the newfound secret, Po meets Tai Lung in an epic battle and wins. The day is saved, the whole town returns and Po is a hero.

I rate this movie an "A+". Yeah, it is a Disney movie from DreamWorks Animation, but it is really well done. It captures the audience from the beginning and holds on to the end. Audiences of all ages will enjoy this movie and I predict it will be a huge hit this summer. This movie is as classic as "The Incredibles" and just as fun.

Title: Kung Fu Panda

Directors: Mark Osborne and John Stevenson

Genre: Action Animation, Rating: PG, Run Time: 1 hour, 31 minutes

Cast: Voices of Jack Black as Po, Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu, Angelina Jolie as Tigress, Jackie Chan as Monkey, Lucy Lu as Viper, Seth Rogin as Mantis, David Cross as Crane, and Ian McShane as Tai Lung.