Film review: Kung Fu Panda

Published on Thursday 3 July 2008 19:37

KUNG FU PANDA (PG) **

DIRECTED BY: JOHN STEVENSON, MARK OSBORNE

STARRING: JACK BLACK, ANGELINA JOLIE, DUSTIN HOFFMAN, SETH ROGEN

"THERE'S no charge for awesomeness," promises Jack Black's jelly-bellied hero in the amusing opening dream sequence of this feature-length CG animation. Unfortunately, the reason why quickly becomes all too apparent: there's not much awesomeness on display. Despite boasting a hilarious concept that is genius in its simplicity, Kung Fu Panda is too predictably plotted, slackly written and anonymously performed to deliver the goods in the zingy fashion you might expect. Stuck making noodles for his dad, chunky, stress-eating panda, Po (Black), lives and breathes martial arts and longs to become a master like his heroes, the Furious Five, a menagerie of ninja-skilled critters ranging from a pugilistic preying mantis (Seth Rogen) to a tail-kicking tiger (Angelina Jolie). When his dream accidentally becomes a reality (this is another uninspired zero-to-hero story after all), Po has to learn to believe in himself if he's to be effective as the last line of defence against Ian McShane's grudge-bearing snow leopard. Though there's no disputing that the animation is good and the occasional gag is funny, the high-point of Kung Fu Panda remains its brilliant title.