Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Kung Fu Panda. The aim for this film is fair and clear. Children. But, there's no reason that us, adults, if not by way of thinking, by age, won't like it. In fact, i was having a really good time and wish for the film NOT to end. When you see a film, if you wish for it NOT to end, it is always a good sign.

Po, is a Panda. He is a son of a duck (this is where the film put itself, "don't take me seriously" and my, it's hilarious), a noodle shop owner who wishes that his son would follow up his travail. But Po, is a geek, a kung-fu geek. And just like when a gadget geek visits Akibahara, Japan, he shown his geekiness in a great excess when he visits The Jade Castle where The Legendary Five heroes (Tigress, Mantis, Viper, Monkey, and Crane) train under Shifu. Anyone who is a geek of anything would identify themselves with Po immediately. I know i did. In this land, there's an ultra secure prison where a thousand rhinoceros held captive a ferocious warrior, Tai Lung. He used to be Shifu's disciple but run havoc when Shifu's master, Oogway claimed that he was too ambitious and thus deny him the title and secret of a Dragon Warrior. Through series of (un)fortunate events, Po, was chosen by Oogway to be the next Dragon Warrior. It was his destiny, he said. And this destiny would led him with all his fat-ness on a one-on-one showdown with Tai Lung.

I had thought that Po is going to be a lazy Panda aside of flabby-Fat. But no, he was actually a hard-working Panda and his passions in kung fu, his persistence that resulted from his love delivers a message for children about persistence and hard work to achieve a goal. It's something that i respect in a great deal from this film. Aside from that, since it's an animated film about martial arts, it shouldn't be of any surprise that we wish to see "awesome-ness" and we had it. Whenever Panda involved is always hilarious, whenever Tai Lung involved is always "wow". Imagine when the two finally meet for their obligatory final battle.

Po is voiced by Jack Black, whose always provide a high energy in nearly every role he was in (High Fidelity, School of Rock, Be Kind Rewind, to name a few). As Po, we could FEEL his high energy and i couldn't help myself but put his image alongside with Po. It helps that Po and Jack Black almost shared a similar physique. Whatever the reason of picking Jack Black behind Po, it is a great choice.

Also featuring the voice of prominent talents from Dustin Hoffman (Shifu), Angelina Jolie (Tigress), Jackie Chan (Monkey), Seth Rogen (Mantis), and Lucy Liu (Viper), this is a family summer film you wouldn't want to miss.

My rating: ***1/2 / **** - Why are you still here? Go see it.