DreamWorks gets it right. Finally

Rating: 7/10 (9 December 2012)

I have been avoiding the Kung Fu Panda juggernaut for the past four years. The Shrek sequels actually killed my enthusiasm for any animation made by DreamWorks (How to Train Your Dragon being the exception which proves the rule). A sequel has meanwhile come and become a blockbuster, there are various episodes released periodically by DreamWorks and most of my friends have become tired of recommending this. I finally succumbed because I wanted to watch something light and short in length. Po is a Panda in China who dreams of learning Kung Fu. His father wants him to run their family's noodle business which is the farthest thing from his mind. There is a mountain atop which there is a monastery. Here, Master Oogway, a turtle who is a Kung Fu master lives along with his disciple Shifu and five other animals Tigress, Mantis, Viper, Crane and Monkey. Oogway foresees an old student of Shifu, Leng, escaping from prison and coming back to claim the dragon scroll which is supposed to hold the secrets of being the ultimate fighter. He decides to find the next Dragon Warrior to take on Leng. The animals at the monastery are training hard as they are vying among themselves to be the next Dragon Warrior. By a strange quirk of fate, Po ends up selected as the Dragon warrior. The movie follows the adventures of Po as he is trained in the various martial arts and becomes ready for the ultimate showdown with Leng. The character of Po is very cute and his antics are endearing. I could relate to him totally as I am a big foodie myself. He is voiced brilliantly by Jack Black. Shifu, voiced by Dustin Hoffman, is a complex character burdened by his past and he stays with you after the movie has ended. There are great Zen sayings uttered by both Oogway and Shifu and I loved the way an animation movie was used to portray serious thought. My only grouse was that the climax fight between Leng and Po was a bit short. However, overall this was a very satisfying watch. 3.5 out of 5.