Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Animation

Directors

John Stevenson | Mark Osborne

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Ian McShane, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, David Cross, Randall Duk Kim, James Hong, Dan Fogler, Michael Clarke Duncan

Storyline

A lazy, irreverent slacker panda, Po (Jack Black), sees his dream become reality when he is chosen as the Dragon Warrior and must become a Kung Fu Master in order to save the Valley of Peace from a villainous snow leopard, Tai Lung (Ian McShane).

Opinion

As I'm waiting for episode three to be released - hoping it won't disappoint me-, I decided to re-watch the film that has changed my perception of DreamWorks Animation, who finally delivered something worth watching.

"Kung Fu Panda" is a winning mix of humour, martial arts action, colourful animation and enjoyable characters that appeals to all ages.

The story is pretty easy to follow, and no matter how clichéd and predictable it becomes, it is good enough to keep the audience, both kids and adults, glued to the screen also thank to a well-crafted storytelling.

Despite being quite familiar, the film carries some strong morale and educational messages: 1. we all have our weaknesses, but we also have our strengths, and it's our duty to use our strengths to turn those weaknesses into something we can rely on; 2. we have to live in the present, without being slaves of the past or afraid of the future; 3. we have to accept our and the others differences; 4. the usual, but effective "don't judge a book by its cover" message.

The stunning animation, and the breathtaking, realistic scenery are paired with some beautifully-crafted, emotional moments - the inspirational talk of Master Oogway and Po, the talk of Master Oogway and Shifu about the peach tree - and funny characters brought to life by some of the most famous names in Hollywood: comic genius Jack Black does a great job as lovable panda Po, Dustin Hoffman is excellent as Shifu, and Ian McShane is fantastic as villain Tai Lung. The supporting voices are also great, with Seth Rogen as Mantis that didn't fail to make me chuckle, not even once.

Quit, don't quit... Noodles, don't noodles... You are too concerned about what was and what will be. There is a saying: yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present. - Master Oogway