Kung Fu Panda (2008)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0441773/
Directors: Mark Osborne & John Stevenson / Script: Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger
Runtime: 92min
Cast: (voice) Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie
Genre: Animation / Comedy / Action
Tagline: Prepare for awesomeness

I was not prepared for awesomeness, I admit it; yet I still decided to watch this movie thinking it might be alright. I had prejudices, thought an animation involving martial arts or kung fu stuff can’t be that great. And how I was mistaken!

The movie features a story set in ancient China, the main character being a fat and clumsy panda named Po, who is a big fan of kung fu and is unexpectedly chosen to fulfill a prophecy. He is drawn into the world of kung fu, and Master Shifu gets the challenge of training him. Po ultimately becomes a hero by believing in himself.

This little animation flick, is simply hilarious. There are no dull, nonsense jokes cracked around here. Everything has a single purpose: to make you laugh. The characters are mostly cute, though I didn’t find the legendary “furious five” that impressive; Shifu and Po are delightful, also Oogway, whose character is finely created to the embodiment of an old, wise turtle. The 'voice-acting' is formidable, matches the characters and everything. The animation effects are splendid: rich colours, details and scenic shots of ancient China, which provides the background and story. This animation is not just plain funny, but also has a story, unlike some. It is very entertaining, even the action parts, especially because most of them are amusing. But what makes it truly funny, are the dialogues, together with the proper voice acting and the minutely created expressions of the animation figures. The soundtrack is in perfect harmony with the story; Chinese melodies adorn the movie. I also liked the fact that some wise sayings were asserted during the movie, mostly by Oogway. For example “One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it” or “There are no accidents.” These enunciations give a philosophical touch to the story, and provide with concise life lessons, if you choose to think about them. “There is no secret ingredient. To make something special, you just have to believe it’s special.”:)

The movie is kid-friendly without being childish. It kept me with a smile on my face from the beginning until the end. It was definitely way better than expected. Fun, fun, fun!