“Kung Fu Panda” panders to the kid audience. Their elder chaperones may not flip for it, but they can still get a kick out of the playful martial artistry and meticulous, computer-generated animation of this conventionally plotted yet occasionally worthwhile family film.
Here, profound Buddhist practices and picturesque Chinese folk history come up against the comedic vocal stylings of protagonist Jack Black and the cartoon critter clowning of the Hollywood blockbuster machine.
Anachronism, anthropomorphism and cultural distortions inevitably result, yet this story of the unlikely rise to kung fu mastery by the bumbling, overweight panda Po (Black) at least tries to use its easy-to-swallow packaging to enlighten a bit.
As directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne, it unfolds in a fantasy version of feudal
China somewhere during what must be called the DreamWorks Dynasty. It’s at a time and in a place where a panda is a lowly noodle merchant’s son until fate intervenes.
He accidentally finds himself enlisted to join an elite multispecies class of kung fu disciples under the instruction of the zen mammal Master Shifu (articulated in earnest by Dustin Hoffman).
Though their voices aren’t all that recognizable considering their current celebrity, Angelina Jolie as Tigress, Seth Rogen as the insect Mantis, Lucy Liu as Viper, Jackie Chan as Monkey and David Cross as Crane make up the Furious Five of animal butt-kickers.
They resent the status conferred by accident on the hapless Po, who has been designated over them to be Dragon Warrior and to learn the Secret of the Dragon Scroll. So, he’s to be the big hoo-ha in the coming showdown against the realm’s destructive feline antagonist, the super-powerful Tai Lung (Ian McShane).
Any excuse for whimsical ’toon action is taken, framed by a light humor and undemanding plot to keep “Kung Fu Panda” as child-friendly as possible.
Thus, sometimes bored grown-ups will have plenty of time to study the scenic beauty of the Asian architecture and lush natural settings in the production’s thoughtful design.
In the meantime, the movie has a message. Po’s personal growth and his ability to help defeat the villain come through discipline, faith and team effort as well as the centering philosophies of Eastern tradition. Hey, a little meditation on mindfulness for the masses couldn’t hurt.
“Kung Fu Panda”
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