Kung Fu Panda Clip
DreamWorks Animation Movie Stars Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman
DreamWorks Animation was in a worrying slump for the past one-and-a-half years. They tried to turn the very British Flushed Away into an American-style blockbuster and ended up with a $145 million movie that didn't even make back its studio costs during its domestic theatrical run.
Shrek the Third was an embarassing mess, as was Bee Movie. The first flick managed to earn an impressive $321 million in domestic box office, but reviews ranged from the tepid to the scathing. Bee Movie pulled slightly better reviews, but not even half the box office.
Which is why it's nice to see DreamWorks' latest flick, Kung Fu Panda, getting such solid early notices. No one's calling it a future classic of animated cinema, but it appears to be a fun if formulaic, underdog-saves-the-day movie that should put parents and their kids in seats.
Kung Fu Panda clip: Jack Black & Dustin Hoffman battle over dumplings
Asian site Quintessence recently scored a 2-and-a-quarter minute clip, showing a clip from the movie. Be warned however, that this scene could be considered a spoiler, since it shows a pivotal scene from the flick. So any reader who doesn't want their Kung Fu Panda experience spoiled should probably stop perusing this article right about . . . now.
Anyone still with us? Good.
Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) is tired of his martial arts lessons not getting through to the lazy panda Po (Jack Black), epitomized in the line, "When you focus on Kung Fu . . . you suck!"
So Shifu decides to adopt a new teaching strategy: using a plate of food to motivate the always-hungry bear. Then follows a great sequence where the diminutive kung fu master and his massive apprentice try to outwit and outduel one another to capture that last cherished dumpling.
The scene is a lot of fun to watch. Yeah, the viewer knows how it's going to turn out; of course Po will suddenly have a Karate Kid-style breakthrough in his kung fu consciousness. but sometimes it's fun to indulge in the formula and watch how the animators put it together.
Once again, Kung Fu Panda won't be a groundbreaking film in the annals of animated cinema, but it should be a fun ride for kids and their parents. Considering DreamWorks' record of late, that's a major step forward for Jeffrey Katzenberg and the gang from Glendale.
Kung Fu Panda opens June 6th.
Fun Fact: No, tigers are not just like big cats.
