Friday, June 6, 2008

Movie review: Kung Fu Panda

Crouching tiger, hidden raccoon.

By John P. Meyer

Kung Fu Panda

Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po is the biggest fan of kung fu around--which doesn't exactly come in handy while working every day in his family's noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po's dreams become reality when he joins the world of kung fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five--Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey--under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it's up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a kung fu master into reality? Po puts his heart--and his girth --into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths.

Source: Cinema Source

• Showtimes and more on Kung Fu Panda

Kung Fu Panda, one of two martial arts-themed movies opening locally this week, makes for one kick-ass good time.

Furthermore, it's rated PG, and thus all but the most sheltered of adolescents should be able to weather the 88 minute animated experience without risk of soul-withering corruption - which can't be said of the other martial arts-themed film opening locally this week.

"Directed" (and I always have trouble figuring out exactly what this means in terms of an animated film) by Mark Osborne and John Stevenson, Panda charts the meteoric rise (via fireworks-fueled rocket chair) of Po (Jack Black) - a humble noodle-selling panda - to the rank of kung fu dragon master. Along the way he teams up with the the Furious Five, students of Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman, voicing a sort of wizened raccoon-looking critter - in other words, typecast).

This motley crew of five includes Mantis (Seth Rogen), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Viper (Lucy Liu) and Crane (David Cross), who at first are understandably skeptical when wise, tortoise-like Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) declares that this underachieving, overeating balloon of fur will end up being the one prophesied to save the Valley of Peace from the wrath of a returning legendary villain.

That entity - the tiger Tai Lung (Ian McShane) - resides in the bowels of a prison designed to incarcerate him alone, with a guard contingent composed of a thousand or so rhinos captained by the boastful, overconfident Commander Vachir (Michael Clarke Duncan). Tai Lung has a history with Shifu and Oogway, and as we all know, those don't learn from history are doomed to repeat the course until they can eke out a passing grade. If this movie had been rated a bit sterner - say, PG-13 - the history lesson might have involved a primer in death penalty vs. incarceration, but then the film would have been over in about 40 minutes and resulted in little or no character development. Chalk up one story element point for life in prison.

Mmmm... DUMPLINGS!

A further detailing of plot specifics would seem to be a disservice, so I'll mention a few embedded themes and leave you to experience the rest when you catch it on the big screen. Because you really should.

Here are the themes:

1) Success in our endeavors is all about finding the proper motivation

2) Believe in yourself and anything's possible

3) Believe in someone else's ability to believe in him-or-herself and anything's possible

Various capering animated anthropomorphic critters

4) Nobody actually dies in PG-rated animated fare, regardless of how far they fall and how spectacularly they crash into the ground - though some characters do fade away amidst a cloud of peach blossoms

Visually, the movie's a movable feast, breathing life into magnificent matte canvasses and vastly detailed CG spectacles. The endlessly fascinating "camerawork" dollies our point of view around in swooping rotations as anthropomorphic critters spar and leap and fly through the air. Expressions on the animals' faces are as legible as any essayed by live actors. (In fact, I'm pretty sure I prefer Jack Black this way.) And the sound effects are whimsical, reminding one occasionally of some favorite Looney Tune cartoon or a bit of Three Stooges physical mayhem scored in Dolby.

One really cool detail: a depth of field algorithm has been utilized to blur out near or far details, just as might be done when employing a physical camera lens. This allows the filmmakers to focus our attention on the primary point (or character) of interest. In fact, it actually allows them to focus.

The Furious Five. (Note mantis on shoulder of monkey.)

Computing power coupled with creativity: it's a beautiful thang.

On a personal note, I brought along to the screening a friend of mine who we'll call "Greg" who used to work for DNA Productions, the Irving-based animation lab responsible for Jimmy Neutron and The Ant Bully, thinking that a) he's my friend and might enjoy getting into a free preview screening, and b) if anyone could be considered an expert on film animation, it might be someone who worked for an outfit like DNA.

Greg's verdict? Two animated thumbs up!

Also on hand at the screening were a group of six or eight employees from Dallas' ReelFx Entertainment. (I know this because Greg pointed them out to me.) These ReelFx blokes (and gals) were likewise impressed with the Panda flick, as we discovered while conversing with them after the end credits.

One thing you notice about these filmmaking folk: they all stay in their theater seats through the end credits. It's all about respect.

And motivation.

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