Kung Fu Panda

So the rather clumsy and inept "Po" has dreams of saving the world! His real job is working in a noodle bar where one day, maybe, he will learn the secret ingredient that gives their dishes that special flavour. Meantime, the ageing "Oogway", the most learned of creatures, has informed his stalwart lieutenant "Shifu" that he will soon have to defend their "Valley of Peace" from the vengeful "Tai Lung" who, though currently incarcerated in a seemingly impregnable prison, is set to come and wreak some havoc. "Po" is determined to attend the selection ceremony and, well yes - you've guessed. He ends up selected by the old wise turtle, much to the chagrin and general disbelief of just about everyone else. Hopeless, hapless and helpless - but can "Po" prove his mettle and save the day? It's really quite good fun this. The characterisations are well developed and it has humour and style to it too. The animations are lively, vivid and the directors avoid the temptation to allow the combat and action scenes to descend into the all-too-often realms of repetitiveness. There is a moral - the values of teamwork and trust, honesty, integrity yada yada, but the story delivers them in a gentle and demonstrable manner via the plot and the characters rather than pontificating. All in all, this is great family fun that shows the (not so) little guy doing his best... Can he save the day?

Wow, what a surprise this was! It looked like the stupidest movie ever by the trailers. Bit then when you actually sit down and watch it, it's not only one if the funniest, but also one of the most mature, profound, intense, action packed films you'll ever see! The perfect example of a "Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover" movie.

     **Total Score: 9.5/10**

This was a really great movie! Funny, good story and great characters. I really connected with this movie and I think many of us can relate so well done! With so many talented actors lending their voices to this it was a real treat as well.

DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda is a funny, action-packed animated martial arts movie all about Po, a clumsy panda voiced by Jack Black, being mistaken for the Dragon Warrior. The animation and music are also exceptional, capturing the Chinese setting brilliantly. I did, however, dislike that the movie made the Furious Five slightly mean-spirited and how Tai Lung, the main villain, was a bit inconsistent with the way his villainy was portrayed. Basically, this is the weakest film in the franchise.

We've been conditioned to expect action movie heroes to be flawless, athletic figures ready for combat from minute one. But every once in a while, a story comes along that flips this expectation inside out so honestly that it's impossible not to fall in love. Kung Fu Panda plays with the hero's journey cliché by placing the fate of the world in the paws of the most unlikely protagonist possible. It proves that heart and the will to learn matter just as much as brute strength, resulting in one of the most well-rounded and charismatic animated films ever made.

The film's pacing hits the nail on the head right away by ditching the filler. Origin stories usually drag between the second and third acts, but directors Stevenson and Osborne keep things flowing with incredible agility. The narrative brilliantly swings between the comedy of Po's clumsy temple training and the suffocating suspense of the villain's impending escape. This pendulum rhythm ensures you never feel the minutes ticking by, creating a dynamic that hooks both kids and critical adults alike.

It might seem weird to highly praise the writing of a movie about fighting animals, but Aibel and Berger's script is a masterclass in cause and effect. There are no loose ends or magical fixes pulled out of thin air at the end. Everything Po uses to win-the fireworks, the explosive chair, his fanboy knowledge of the masters' moves, and his pure desperation for food-was subtly planted earlier. The film rewards viewers who pay attention, proving a family comedy can have a rock-solid structure.

The physical comedy is fantastic, but what really won me over was how the humor never relies on cheap jokes about Po's weight. Food stops being just a crutch for visual gags and actually becomes the key to his training. The famous dumpling fight with chopsticks is pure intelligence disguised as a simple joke: Shifu stops forcing Po to be someone he isn't and uses his student's biggest weakness as his greatest motivation....