
Village Voice
Perfectly pleasant, very good-looking, modestly funny, dispiritingly unoriginal variant on the nerd-with-a-dream recipe that's been clobbered to death in animated films for at least a decade now.
Full review3D re-release of DreamWorks' animated ancient-China-set story that follows lazy, clumsy panda, Po (Jack Black) who dreams of Kung Fu stardom while working away at his dad’s noodle joint.
His fantasy becomes reality when, at a ceremony where Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) is to choose the next Kung Fu master, Po is accidentally selected (though, as Oogway explains, “there are no accidents”). Despite objections from teacher Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), Po fumbles his way through training alongside his heroes the Furious Five - Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey. They are preparing for the return of the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung (Ian McShane) who is headed their way.
LessPerfectly pleasant, very good-looking, modestly funny, dispiritingly unoriginal variant on the nerd-with-a-dream recipe that's been clobbered to death in animated films for at least a decade now.
Full reviewLooks great and is good fun but Kung Fu Panda is a few surprises, laughs and engaging characters short of leaving a lasting impression.
Full reviewThe stroke of genius is, of course, the film's hero -- the big, lovable bear that is the Chinese panda.
Full reviewHappily shorn of all the in-jokes and pop-culture references that wrecked the Shrek franchise, Kung Fu Panda does it the old-fashioned way: with smart, witty dialogue, beautifully designed animation, and bucketloads of visual invention.
Full reviewWe aren’t aware of any way to watch Kung Fu Panda 3D (2008) in New Zealand. If we’ve got that wrong, please contact us.
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