Simple, straight-forward and a lot of fun, Kung Fu Panda is an old school animated film told in CGI form. It really is a blessing to see traditional animated story-telling seep its way back into a genre that has become overrun, in some cases, by a desire to dazzle rather than tell a cohesive story.
For co-directors John Stevenson and Mark Osborne this is their first real foray into the world of directing a feature length animated film and it touches upon the subtleties that initially made Shrek such a powerhouse, but I would say Kung Fu Panda even succeeds in areas Shrek never even came close.
Jack Black, seemingly tailor made to voice the role of Po, stars as the panda bear who unknowingly will become the key to saving his town and an ancient way of life. As the threat of the villainous snow leopard Tai Lung, Po, along with the Furious Five (Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey) must learn the ways of kung fu in order to fulfill his destiny as the Dragon Warrior. surrounded by doubt this is nothing more than a believe in yourself story, a staple in the animated genre, but it works as all of the characters are developed just as much as need be and it is all wrapped up in an impressive 88 minute running time (with credits included).
I already mentioned Jack Black’s performance as Po, but I can’t say it enough just how much his voice and what seems like a lot of ad-libbing gave life to a character just as Mike Myers had initially turned Shrek into a character we could all love. However, instead of the one sidekick as it is with Shrek‘s Donkey, each and every other character is a valuable supporting character in Kung Fu Pand. All are given a generous amount of screen time and not a single frame is wasted in what seems like the most tightly knit animated film I have seen in a very long time.
Making up the Furious Five are Angelina Jolie as Tigress, and I swear had I not known it was her voice I never would have known as Angelina just doesn’t have that distinctive of a voice to me unless she is playing the Transylvanian mother of Alexander the Great. Equally, Lucy Liu as Viper is hardly recognizable, but she is probably the least used of the Five, but altogether integral. The stand-outs in the fivesome are David Cross as Crane, Seth Rogen as Mantis and to some extent Jackie Chan as Monkey.
Cross has a voice that makes you laugh simply in his ability to deliver a line like no other and then to hear Rogen’s big voice barreling out of a tiny mantis is a brilliant choice in voice casting. I say “to some extent” when referring to Jackie Chan as Monkey, because I am honestly not sure the character even says a single word. However, there is an instance where Monkey gives Tigress a thumbs-up that is absolutely classic and it’s those moments that make this film as great as it is. It is subtle and there is never an attempt to beat you over the head with pop culture references, something Shrek could certainly learn from.
Should DreamWorks rightly decide to bench Shrek after the upcoming fourth film they would do well to bring back Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger to pen another Kung Fu Panda flick or perhaps go wild and create another new character. There is a lot of fun to be had in this film and once it ends with the single word, “Skidoosh,” I think you too will agree you had a really good time at the theater.
