At last! An awesomeness movie that is not made by Pixar

Rating: 10/10 (17 December 2008)

Well, Dreamworks has finally done it. Though, they have made some wonderful and boldly different animated films such as the under rated Ants, Shrek, and Monster House, this is the crowning glory. They have made a cgi animated movie that has made me rolled with laughter, cry, and doing both at the same time. But what is magnificent about this film is the perfect balance of comedy timing, drama and some of the most exhilarating actions scenes that I have seen in any kind of animation. The CGI animation is astounding. And I'm not just talking about the detail of seeing hairs on a panda, or the breath taking backdrop of ancient China. I am talking also of the subtleties of the characters expressions and performance. There are numerous references to popular movies of the past but do not let that deter you as these references are integral to the story and not just there as a wink wink nudge nudge effect. The icing on the cake though is the voice casting. Jack Black's comic timing is well, awesome! He is the star. He is the lovable but clumsy big fat panda called Po, a nerdy fan of kung fu history who idolises the famous 5 kung fu warriors. He is inadvertently and very questionably marked as the chosen one who is prophesied to defeat an evil villain much to the bewilderment of everyone. The master charged with the seemingly impossible duty of shaping Po into a kung fu fighter is delightfully voiced by the great Dustin Hoffman. There are of course many more delightful characters but it is these two that carry the film. And a note to all martial arts fans (and yeah, all you old school Shaw Bros fans included), this movie is as close as you can get to animated martial arts paradise. But this is a movie for everyone. As the main character, Po would say. This movie truly awesome.