Finally a Film About China the Chinese Love

Rating: 10/10 (25 June 2008)

There have been many films about China that the Chinese themselves didn't like. They didn't like Disney's "Mulan", they didn't like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". This list goes on. Westerners have westernized the stories or included elements culturally offensive or unintelligible, and humour that, in the Orient, just isn't funny. Well, all that has changed. Last night I went to see Kung Fu Panda in Shanghai (in English with Chinese subtitles). Shangahai is the biggest city in China. The cinema was packed. And from start to finish there was non-stop laughter, excitement, and joy. The humour was universally funny, the culture was dead-on, and the story hit home with the Chinese. They could relate to the characters and their situations. They laughed. They laughed until they cried. Visually, the movie was just beautiful to look at. As an adult, I usually don't enjoy watching cartoons. But this one was more fun I've had at the movies in a long time. The timing of the film's release with the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing coming up is perfect. A job well done to all involved with the making of this little gem!