Feel the Thunder!

Rating: 8/10 (11 June 2008)

From the time I was a little one to now, I have always loved movies and anything else with an Asian flair. From Mulan to Samurai Champloo, Asia's rich and interesting culture have always been in my must-have book, and I have loved them since childhood. Kung-Fu Panda takes an interesting look at this genre, as well as a modern one.
Po, a chubby, yet lovable Panda (Jack Black) works in a noodle shop with his Goose father (David Hong), but dreams of Kung-Fu and fighting with the Fearsome Five, a team made up of Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Viper (Lucy Liu), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Crane (David Cross) and Mantis (Seth Rogen). When the old turtle sage Oogway announces a tournament for the selection of the Dragon Warrior, Po tries to attend, but, because of late arrival, is shut out. When he falls into the stadium after another failed attempt to get in, he is unwittingly selected as the warrior. Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) is now faced with the task of training a panda with great knowledge but little skill in Kung-Fu. Meanwhile, the evil Tai Long (Ian MacShane) has escaped from prison, and is now threatening the village. Can Po live up to his new title and the dreams that keep him going? When the film was advertised, I became very interested. Seeing promo after promo peaked it. When I read the article on this film from USA today, I was surprised to see that a number of adults had gone to see it in the opening weekend! I figured, that's good enough for me, so I got my mom to take me to the theater to see it...and absolutely loved it. It is probably the best film from Dreamworks yet. The characters are what really draw you into the movie and the action/fighting sequences are expertly timed. The voice cast is perfectly cast. Jack Black plays our furry, chubby, kung-fu loving hero Po. Angelina Jolie is the bad-ass tigress who, although brash and thinks Po is a joke at first, is brave and learns to trust in her new comrade. Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Michael Clarke Duncan and Lucy Liu also round out the cast. The effects and animation also make the movie a must see!