Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Updates:

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Director: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson

Time Out rating

Average user rating

57 reviews

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 2008-07-01 12:49:12

Time Out London Issue 1976, July 3 - 9 2008

Bookmark

User reviews of this film

rub said...

Posted on Aug 02 2008 23:37 Very nice film. I enjoyed it with my three year old. We were laughing most of the time. I can watch it again, its that good. I will recommend this to anybody irrespective of the age.

Report as inappropriate
gemma said...

Posted on Jul 30 2008 21:48 This film was just incredible. At first i was scared it would be too childish but it was soooo funny, everyone in the cinema was cracking up. I think the older guys enjoyed it more than the younger guys!!
YOU MUST SEE THIS FILM!!

Report as inappropriate
Megan said...

Posted on Jul 30 2008 12:35 I watched Kung Fu Panda with my little sister, it is really funny but it's not my favourite film. I still enjoy it i watched it about 2 times lol :) x x x x

Report as inappropriate
Amrita said...

Posted on Jul 29 2008 19:21 I would watch it again. It was really funny.

Report as inappropriate
hi said...

Posted on Jul 26 2008 16:17 kung fu pand was rubbish and a waste of money only 5 year olds would fink its good the film is made for littile kids not older peple and it hs rubbish IT IS A DISGRACE WHY MAKE A FILMSO BORING BOUT AS PANDA WHO BECAME A WARRIOR GROW UP! THE DIRECTORS SHOULD GET SACKED FOR MAKING A RUBBISH FILM

Report as inappropriate
Jim said...

Posted on Jul 24 2008 15:21 This movie is fanstatic and funny best movie i seen in 2008. Actually this has a better story line than some of these hyped movies in 2008 like Hancock, Hell boy II, indiana jones and skull thingy.

Report as inappropriate
WILLY FACE said...

Posted on Jul 23 2008 17:24 THIS FILM IS GREAT I WENT WITH PEEPS N I NEARLY WEY MASELF WI LAUGHFTR IT WAS SO GUD WELL WORTH THE MONEY RECOMEND IT 2 EVERY1

Report as inappropriate
Tan an mark said...

Posted on Jul 23 2008 11:04 helloooo we r takin the 3 kids to c this movie tonight as a treat for the last day of term .....hope its worth the £30 we just shelled out??? will post my review l8tr, i hope its a goodin xxxx

Report as inappropriate
Matt said...

Posted on Jul 23 2008 10:15 Terrible... i was looking forward to seeing it and when i did see it, it was boring and hard to understand..... i sopose there were a few funny bites but other than that it was shocking :o

Report as inappropriate
lopki said...

Posted on Jul 23 2008 10:02 boring and crap no funniness just dont waste r money its BAD

Report as inappropriate
Emilia said...

Posted on Jul 22 2008 12:42 MINT it's well good cuming 2 see it agen wth my m8s this time
lol well good and i mean it is really
MINT!!!! XXXXXXX

Report as inappropriate
jimbo said...

Posted on Jul 21 2008 19:41 brilliant film- funny, exciting, and moving to boot.

Report as inappropriate
Dannyb said...

Posted on Jul 21 2008 15:18 Went to see it with my mates the other week, pretty hilarious at some parts, if a little predictible.
"There is no price on awesomeness, or attractiveness"
Best quote of all time!

Report as inappropriate
Miss D said...

Posted on Jul 21 2008 11:04 We loved it! Of course it's a bit clichéd & cheesy, but it's a kids film for god's sake - what do you expect?!! As another reviewer said, it has all the essential elements of a classic kung fu film, but done in a funny, family-friendly way. If you've seen many "real" classic kung fu films (especially the more "comedy" ones) you'll know they can be fairly clichéd and cheesy themselves, but none the worse for it! I'd say it's really good family entertainment - we all came out of the cinema smiling, and I think it has a good underlying message as well, so I have no qualms about the lessons my kids learnt from it.

Report as inappropriate
joe said...

Posted on Jul 20 2008 21:47 MINT

Report as inappropriate