A legend of awesomeness.

Rating: 9/10 (26 July 2019)

'Kung Fu Panda (2008)' tells the now timeless tale of an affable, Kung-fu-crazy panda who's thrust into the spotlight, and then forced to face an almost unstoppable foe, when an ancient martial arts master names him the elusive 'Dragon Warrior'. What it does better than nearly all others of its ilk is hit home its incredibly powerful, wonderfully positive message ("there is no secret ingredient") in a scene that never fails to make me tear up. This profound message - which, for my money, might just be the best ever committed to animation - is paired with a bevy of otherwise marvellous themes to create a holistic, layered experience that's as affecting as it is entertaining. The central dynamic between our protagonist, Po, and his reluctant master, Shifu, is supremely satisfying; it leads to some truly excellent development of both players, marked by their relationship to the secondary characters as well as to each other. Even if the supporting cast generally don't get full arcs like Po and Shifu do, they all feel as rounded and relatable as they need to be. The humbly wise and usually prophetic Oogway represents someone truly at peace with their place in the world, interestingly playing out the classic 'mentor' role for the actual mentor and student of the movie, whereas the charmingly confident and uncompromisingly callous Tai Lung (perhaps the third most developed role and an overall intriguing antagonist) represents someone who cannot accept who they are, which leads to a phenomenal piece of puppeteered performance late-on when he unexpectedly receives an apology instead of his perceived 'reward'. The film is generally quite traditional, with characters who fill archetypal roles and a structure that's known as a fundamental cinematic technique. However, it does this with flair and maintains a firm grasp on its characters and themes throughout. Because of this, it ends up as a very tight and rewarding experience that comes together as neatly as possible and doesn't waste a single scene. It's just so well-written. It also has its roots in Chinese culture and martial arts movies, taking a page from a multitude of books to come up with its own visual and narrative style that's sort of adjacent to 'Wuxia'. This gives it a unique, visually appealing aesthetic when compared to 'western' animation of the era, even if the basics of its movement are consistent with the then (and even now) favoured more 'realistic' approach. The fight sequences are inventive, fast-paced and energetic. They're exaggerated yet grounded, with a focus far more on the fluidity of movement than on the brutality of battle. The complex bridge bout is technically masterful, the emotionally-charged father/son face-off is visually stunning and the sprawling final brawl is gratifying as it is fun. Each action scene is used to push the narrative, or the character development, in some meaningful way and they all look and feel unique, reflecting not only the fighting styles of the combatants but also their personalities. Bringing the latter to life is an excellent voice cast, probably one of the best assembled for an animated affair. However, it would have been nice if the cast had included a few more Asian actors to reflect its setting - adding to the already present Lucy Liu, James Hong, Randall Duk Kim and Jackie Chan. I feel this lack of representation is reflective of the piece's age rather than its intentions, but it's still worth mentioning. It's almost inconceivable that this is made by the same studio as 'Bee Movie (2007)': it's easily one of the best animated movies of the twenty-first century. Along with only, perhaps, 'Shrek (2001)' and 'How To Train Your Dragon (2010)', it totally blows DreamWorks Animations' otherwise relatively stale reputation right out of the water. In fact, I'd even say it gives Pixar a good run for their money. It's highly enjoyable, emotionally affecting and thematically rich. Plus, I haven't even mentioned how funny it can be or the fact that its score is one of the best I've ever heard. It truly is awesome. 9/10