A good Dreamworks movie? What?

Rating: 8/10 (31 March 2009)

Kung Fu Panda is a pleasant surprise in a long line of poor Dreamworks movies. It's their best effort since the original Shrek, mainly because more attention is given to the story and characters. Dreamworks has several problems that keep my expectations consistently low and the big one is character development. It seems that for every film, Dreamworks tries to get the biggest names possible for roles. Because of this, characters often end up feeling soulless and flat.
Dreamworks hasn't dropped the big-name habit with Kung Fu Panda, but each character feels very fleshed-out and real. Even the furious five, who tend to take a back seat in the calmer moments of the film, seem to have their own ambitions and conflicts. As for the main roles, Jack Black plays an in-over-his-head, clumsy fanboy of Kung Fu quite well. Dustin Hoffman plays his role perfectly, reflecting a Kung Fu movie vibe better than anyone else in the film. As for Randall Duk Kim, he plays master Oogway, the most all-around likable character in recent memory. He is immensely wise, but takes life in a carefree, humorous manner. It's no coincidence his character has some of the funniest lines in the film. But I digress...
The story is a follow-your-dreams message against a fantasy Kung Fu backdrop. The comedy can be summed up as "quality over quantity" and works perfectly that way. The action scenes are often quite imaginative and one particular scene in the prison will have you on the edge of your seat (and the edge of disbelief). The visuals are great as always, the soundtrack is a pleasing orchestral score with a Chinese flare, and overall it's a great animated film. What a pleasant surprise from Dreamworks.