Directors: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
To everyone’s surprise, including his own, Po, an overweight, clumsy panda, is chosen as protector of the Valley of Peace. His suitability will soon be tested as the valley’s arch-enemy is on his way.
I love animated movies, but I remember watching ‘Kung Fu Panda’ many years ago and thinking it was definitely more suitable for a young demographic. With the release of ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ I decided to watch the original again to see if I’d had a change of opinion, but – as it turns out – I don’t. I still believe it is a cartoon for kids. (I also haven’t seen any of the sequels).
Po, an overweight Panda Bear, has dreams of being a kung fu warrior, and his heroes are kung fu masters The Famous Five. His Dad, a goose, runs a noodle restaurant and has hopes of Po taking over the restaurant. (Interestingly, the film never explains how the goose came to be a Panda’s dad. I would have liked a back story on this.)
At a ceremony for choosing the next Dragon Warrior, Po accidentally ends up being chosen. Now, he is being trained by Shifu, a red Panda. Meanwhile, the real Dragon Warrior, Tai Lung – a Snow Leapord – escapes from a maximum security prison. There’s a back story telling us Shifu took in Tai Lung when he was little, and trained him, as well.
Action and adventure – and kung fu fighting – ensues, but I once again couldn’t really get into the movie. I found it a bit too cartoonish; like a big budget kids cartoon. My opinion aside, ‘Kung Fu Panda’ is a film families can enjoy together. Kids, especially, will have a good time with the movie and fall in love with the characters. It is a story of good versus evil, with a message of believing in yourself – no matter what.
‘Kung Fu Panda’ was a huge box office success, earning $631.7 million on a $130 million budget. It received 54 award nominations, winning 15. It also received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.
Would I watch it again? No, I think twice is enough.
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