Kung Fu Panda Early Review
DreamWorks Animation Movie Stars Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman
Check out a positive early review of DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda. The movie comes to theatres June 6th.
Writer Mike Sampson of movie site JoBlo.com scored an early screening of DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda at ShowWest. He was "pleasantly surprised" by the flick, calling it "beautifully rendered, superbly choreographed and funny."
That's wonderful to hear, since previous Dreamworks offerings have disappointed of late, both from a critical and commercial perspective. In late 2006, the company was forced to do a $109 million tax write down after Flushed Away bombed in theatres.
Shrek the Third made massive box office last summer ($321 million in the U.S.A. alone), but critics savaged the flick, saying the franchise had run out of gas. Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie fared slightly better with critics, but failed to make back its $150 million price tag at the box office. Star Seinfeld's arrogant behaviour around the film's release probably didn't help matters either.
But Kung Fu Panda seems to have a little more going for it, and hopefully this promise is fulfilled when the flick hits theatres.
Kung Fu Panda Synopsis
According to DreamWorks Animation, "Kung Fu Panda features Jack Black as Po the Panda, a lowly waiter in a noodle restaurant, who is a kung fu fanatic but whose shape doesn't exactly lend itself to kung fu fighting. In fact, Po's defining characteristic appears to be that he is the laziest of all the animals in ancient China.
"That's a problem because powerful enemies are at the gates, and all hopes have been pinned on a prophesy naming Po as the 'Chosen One' to save the day. A group of martial arts masters are going to need a black belt in patience if they are going to turn this slacker panda into a kung fu fighter before it's too late."
Is Kung Fu Panda Any Good?
"Nothing about what I had seen about the film so far gave me reason to be excited about it," admitted Sampson in his review.
But he was impressed with Black's vocal performance as Po the lazy Panda, and the "surprisingly well choreographed fight sequences, better than most live-action movies. The freedom of the animated camera allows the directors to move unobstructed through and around the action to great success."
However, he said that DreamWorks bogarted the presence of Angelina Jolie in Kung Fu Panda, giving her less time in the flick than her top billing would imply.
"Jolie has a limited role as her Tigress serves as a roadblock to Po," he says, mentioning that Jolie's character believes she should be the prophesied hero to take on villain Tai Lung (Ian McShane).
Sampson also warns that the "majority of the film though belongs to Black and Hoffman . . . Don't expect much from the Furious Five (Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, David Cross and Lucy Lui) and instead look forward to scenes with Hoffman and Black and later on . . . Tai Lung."
"I've been disappointed with DreamWorks' offerings as of late," sums up Sampson, "but I can guarantee both my kids (boy and girl) will love Kung Fu Panda and I'll be there with them to see it again on opening weekend."
You can read Mike Sampsons' full review over here. Kung Fu Panda rolls into theatres on June 6th.
