Ladies, and gentlemen, today, in honor of a fourth installment of this particular movie franchise from DreamWorks getting released recently, we review a certain animated film that started all just sixteen years ago. Not only that, but it was also a time when DreamWorks was starting to up their game by putting more quality, and heart in their stories. Not that they weren’t doing so before. It’s just that DreamWorks seemed to turn the tide in this regard. So now, let’s discuss the one, and only film in which which Jack Black voiced another animated character from DreamWorks (his first being Lenny from 2004’s Shark Tale), the one, and only Kung Fu Panda.
Plot: In the Valley Of Peace, a fictional place in China, where anthropomorphic animals live, a panda named Po (Jack Black) dreams of learning the art of kung fu. When he gets his chance during a tournament in which a turtle named Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) calls him, the Dragon Warrior, causing a reluctant red panda named Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) to train him to fight against an old foe, a snow leopard named Tai Lung (Ian McShane). If Tai Lung breaks out of prison, and threatens the Valley, as Oogway had prophesied would happen, will Po develop the fighting skills, and courage he needs to face the villainous leopard, and bring peace to the Valley once, and for all?
Now, I remember Kung Fu Panda being of the few DreamWorks films that I actually loved, along with at least 2, if not 3 as well. After watching the first film after being absent from it for so long, is it as good as I remembered it? Well, yes, actually. In fact, Kung Fu Panda may be better than I remembered. First of all, you have to give the filmmakers credit for having this be a film, from DreamWorks, with all anthropomorphic animals in it. Yes, we did have talking animals from the company with films like the Shrek franchise, Madagascar, and Flushed Away. But those all had humans in them as well. But here, in Kung Fu Panda, they’re all animals this time around. So, props to you, DreamWorks, on that! Next, there is the score! Wow, were we in for a treat, because we had a duo of both John Powell (who previously scored for films like Chicken Run, and Shrek), and Hans Zimmer (who previously scored not only for Disney’s The Lion King, but also for DreamWorks films like The Prince Of Egypt, Gladiator, Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron, and Madagascar, to name a few). Man, could we have probably not gotten a more excellent duo. Not only is the score by the both of them combined amazing, but it helps capture the Chinese culture, and keeps the audience engaged from beginning to end. Even in the most tense moments does the score end up being very memorable. Next, there are the characters. Okay, the film may focus on more than two to three characters, namely Po, the main character, the Furious Five that consists of Tigress, Monkey, Crane, Mantis, and Viper, as well as Shifu, who is a red panda, and one, or two other characters. However, for one reason, or another, within around 90 minutes they end up being really well developed. Sure, we don’t have a back story for Po until the second film (again, the review for that sequel is coming up soon). Still, he even ends up being a well-developed character himself. And wow, how could we not love to have a well-developed villain like Tai Lung? Okay, I remember him being a complex villain. However, I will say that it is surprising how complex of a villain that he is. Not only is he a great villain, but he has all the ingredients needed for such a title, from a menacing look, and voice, to having cool moves, and more. Oh, and did I forget to mention that Tai Lung at least is given a backstory? Though his reasons for becoming a villain aren’t justified, let’s just say that you still understand why he becomes a villain in the first place. As for Po’s relationships, be it with his adoptive father, Mr. Ping the goose, Shifu, or even the Furious Five, whether he has major, or minor moments with them, or his other relationships, they are also really well-developed. Additionally, there is the amazing animation. Many of DreamWorks’ movies have had some of the most gorgeous animation (though likely more so in their early hand-drawn films). Kung Fu Panda, and likely even its sequels, are no exceptions. Not to mention that, even if this is a computer animated film, it also does well with incorporating what was likely newer hand-drawn animation at the time. Man, was that animation amazing, despite it only being used for at least one, or two times during the movie, and it being used during the end credits. Now, for one of the major highlights, of the film! The action! Man, does Kung Fu Panda have some of the best action for an animated film. Not only that, but it was also clever how Kung Fu Panda did surprisingly well at balancing the comedy, and action to the point where this film may have been a very good comedic animated action film. Truth be told, I wouldn’t be surprised if that might have been one of the major reasons that this film ended up being as popular as it was. Finally, there’s some of the valuable lessons that are incorporated into Kung Fu Panda. And boy, are there quite a few to take away from this film, including ones like how there are no accidents, but that things happen for a reason, being willing to have faith that things will get better in the end, having the strength, courage, and willingness to nurture, and guide others in life, and, one that I failed to catch when this film first came out, and one of the more important ones of this film, being humble no matter if things go well, or wrong in life. Now granted, as a Christian, I was not exactly a fan of the whole thing about how “the universe” has chosen this, or decided that, and things like that. Still, because of the many good lessons that can be taken from this film, and analyzed from a Christian perspective, one could easily argue that Kung Fu Panda could be one of those films that could be used in a Christian Church sermon series like “How To Find God In The Movies”, or some sermon series like that. I wouldn’t be surprised if Christians ended up liking this film just as much, if not more so, than non-Christians did in the end.
And that’s my review for Kung Fu Panda. Honestly, it’s a shame that Kung Fu Panda didn’t win either an Oscar, or Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature. Don’t get me wrong, WALL-E was certainly a good film with a good environmental message. Still, is it bad for me to say that WALL-E may feel a little overrated? Well, feel free to let me know! Anyway, either award ceremonies should have given the award to Kung Fu Panda, or possibly even Bolt. Kung Fu Panda has an excellent mix of comedy, and action, phenomenal animation, well-written characters, and some of the most memorable lessons that were executed in some of the best ways possible. No doubt that there was plenty of heart, and care put in this film. If you haven’t seen Kung Fu Panda yet, make it a point to, and then likely see even its sequels as well, if you still have yet to see those. And boy, does it feel great to give a film like this a more perfect score for the first time in quite a long while!
Final Grade: A+
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 