Sunday, June 08, 2008
A+E, Movies, Reviews
Jack Black animates hyper ‘Panda’
Kung Fu Panda hits theaters
Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation LLC
Jack Black provides the voice of Po in “Kung Fu Panda.”
“KUNG FU PANDA”
Voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman
Directed by John Stevenson, Mark Osborne
Rated PG
Wide release
Jack Black possesses a manic energy and comedy-on-steroids approach unseen since Robin Williams’ heyday. As Williams energized Disney’s “Aladdin,” Black’s voice work enlivens “Kung Fu Panda,” but the visuals are more than equal to the challenge. You’ve never seen an animated feature maintain this kind of pace.
Black is the voice and personality of Po, a Chinese panda who, like most animated protagonists, is a dreamer. Specifically, he dreams of being a legendary kung fu warrior, but works in his father’s noodle restaurant.
Having had a vision that Tai Lung (Ian McShane) is returning from prison to destroy the village, Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) must choose the Dragon Warrior who will defend them, with the help of the mysterious Dragon Scroll. The most likely candidates are Shifu’s students, the Furious Five: Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Crane (David Cross); Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu) and Monkey (Jackie Chan); but they somehow lose out to Po, who needs a lifetime of training in a day or two.
Po’s other mentor, Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), finds the key to motivating him: food. “I eat when I’m upset,” Po explains when caught in a pantry raid. A chopstick duel during training is a highlight.
After eating from the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, Po becomes a worthy opponent to mete out Po-etic justice to Tai Lung. As for the Dragon Scroll, that’s an inside joke that could teach kids not to fall for hype.
The script is no more than serviceable: See “Kung Fu Panda” for its visuals, which take animation to a new level. 3 STARS—Steve Warren