Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageKung Fu Panda (2008)
Director: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
Movie review
From Time Out London
‘Kung-Fu Panda’ is one of those movies where one assumes the title came first and the entire plot was then extrapolated by committee. Rotund, noodle-selling bear Po (voiced by Jack Black) discovers that he is the living embodiment of an ancient Shaolin legend, which drives him to train as a martial arts expert and confront psychotic snow leopard Tai-Lung. He’s aided on his quest by crotchety Zen master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and his menagerie of high-flying wire-fu legends, the Furious Five.There’s no chop-socky cliché too hackneyed for the filmmakers to make meat of. Inscrutable, riddle-spouting guru, check. Ancient mystical jade temple, check. Uptempo training montage, check. The setting is a sort of Disneyland version of ancient China, all fast-running waterfalls, snapping chopsticks and spiralling bamboo parasols. The script is as thin as rice paper and the characters, though likeable, are simply too plentiful, and too many of them feel short-changed.
The ending was extensively rewritten and it shows, limping to an underwhelming conclusion from which many of the best characters are inexplicably absent. But for all its faults, there’s something inescapably likeable about ‘Kung-Fu Panda’. Po is a winning hero, engagingly silly and offbeat, particularly in his workout scenes with the frustrated, irascible Shifu. Villain Tai-Lung, voiced with fearsome dignity by Ian McShane , is one of the best cartoon baddies since Shere Khan, and his prison-escape set piece is the standout here, explosive and enthralling.
This is where the movie comes into its own. The action sequences are often astounding, the high-octane animated choreography superbly executed. There’s nothing radical about the visuals themselves – the character and landscape design is entirely by-the-numbers. But we’ve never seen a cartoon move this fast before, the ‘camera’ leaping and swooping along with its gravity-proof protagonists.
As the credits roll, the film’s many flaws come sharply into focus. But while it lasts, ‘Kung-Fu Panda’ is something of a guilty treat.
Author: Tom Huddleston
Time Out London Issue 1976, July 3 - 9 2008
User reviews of this film
-
- george said...
- Posted on Jul 19 2008 19:45 a few scarey moments for our 5 year old have seen better
- Report as inappropriate
-
- CG said...
- Posted on Jul 18 2008 21:24 Was okay. If u like kung fu and espically JACK BLACK. JACK BLACK is okay but the movie was a little boring. Depends what people like.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Amber said...
- Posted on Jul 18 2008 16:50 I AM GOING TO WACH KUNG FU PANDO I CANT WAHT YA
- Report as inappropriate
-
- CG said...
- Posted on Jul 18 2008 12:11 Really funny. one of the best movies i have seen.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- David said...
- Posted on Jul 18 2008 09:23 Fat panda on IMAX - the cinema experience of the year! Funny to boot...
- Report as inappropriate
-
- nobody in perticular said...
- Posted on Jul 17 2008 17:38 good film but utterly pradictable!!!
- Report as inappropriate
-
- katherine said...
- Posted on Jul 17 2008 13:48 A huge let down, didnt entertain my 3 year old, he was bored half way through, wait for DVD to come out and save yourself the cost of the cinema
- Report as inappropriate
-
- anomanous said...
- Posted on Jul 13 2008 14:09 beill super loved every minute of it and it is definitly a must see film of the year! xx
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Gregg said...
- Posted on Jul 11 2008 10:40 A fun film. No awards for originality or story, but you leave feeling like you had a fun time. My 3-year-old loved it and sat through the whole film. The only point she didn't like was the 'too loud' battle between Tai Lung and Shifu. But she wants to see if again. Me too!
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Fill said...
- Posted on Jul 10 2008 12:56 Fantastic film and one that I really enjoyed. It is not the greatest story line nor is it the best written ending but the humour is spot on. I don't think anybody would be disappointed in this film, it might not get nominated for any oscars but it made me laugh and everybody in the cinema.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Retrotecchie said...
- Posted on Jul 09 2008 22:06 Absolutely brilliant. Yes, it's full of cliches...yes, it's entirely predictable but it is FUN! I'm 41 and a group of five of us went to see the film...average age 35, but that didn't stop us enjoying it as much as the kids in the cinema. Excellent dialogue and some really funny comedy moments. I left the film wanting to see it again and I seriously hope there is a sequel to follow. We need to know...what about Po's mother and how come his father isn't, er, a panda?!!
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Jaimie said...
- Posted on Jul 09 2008 20:33 Excellent film! Thoroughly enjoyable, I came out smiling!!! The idea that it wasn't going to be hackneyed is a bit silly... it's intended to have all of the 'essential' elements of a martial arts film (think: Drunken Master)! That's what makes it so much fun... Highly recommended and I thought it was visually spectacular!
- Report as inappropriate
-
- ZOE said...
- Posted on Jul 09 2008 15:06 WHAT AGE WOULD YOU TAKE YOUR KIDS? MY BOY IS 3 1/2. IS IT OK FOR HIM?
- Report as inappropriate
-
- someone said...
- Posted on Jul 08 2008 11:23 This film is meant to be good but is it alright for a 11 year old? My dAUGHTER WANTED TO WATCH IT BUT SHE GOT BORED IN THE OPEN SEASON? IS IT ALRIGHT
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Mag said...
- Posted on Jul 06 2008 12:38 Jolly Good.....perfect for sunday afternoon.
- Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
Genre(s): Children's
Rated: PG
Duration: 92 mins
UK Release: Jul 4 2008
US Release: Jun 6 2008
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Review: Penélope Cruz more raunchy than ever in 'Nine'
Dave Calhoun reports on Rob Marshall's Oscar-touted musical with Daniel Day-Lewis playing a troubled director
Time Out's 101 Films of the Decade
Ten years, thousands of movies and millions of dollars in international box office, and it all boils down to this
Jim Jarmusch on 'The Limits of Control'
Jim Jarmusch has followed ‘Broken Flowers’ with an esoteric crime mystery. Dave Calhoun speaks to him from his New York office
Richard Linklater on 'Me and Orson Welles'
Dave Calhoun meets the 49-year-old, Houston-born filmmaker Richard Linklater to discuss his new comedy
Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation
On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'
Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now