Kung Fu Panda Review

(note: even though I don't go into detail of the plot, there are still some spoilers. Don't read it if you want to see the movie and be surprised. Then again, its Hollywood and a feel good animation comedy, you think you will really be surprised?)

Sure, Dreamworks had disappointed me with Shrek the third, what a lame story! But when all the promo for KFP looked so good. I thought to myself, how bad can you screw up with Jack Black AND Angelina Jolie? Oh, and the gorgeous artistic style, the authentic Chinese colors, great animation of furs and bellies (or just belly, on Po).

1 hour and half later, I was pleasantly disappointed.

As an animation student, I greatly enjoyed the master animation works by the animators at Dreamworks, the stretch and squash, the exaggerated expressions, the anatomy correctness of kung fu moves (did they copy moves from Kung Fu Hustle?), the secondary movement of Po's body fat (for lack of better term), they looked soooooo good! I enjoyed every pretend-wise moment of Oogway, how his lips folds due to lose of teeth, thick folds of skins on his neck. Oogway was a masterpiece of animation! Lastly, kudos to material and texturing ppl, you guys are the bomb! Oh, and the 2D sequence is total awesome!

Of course, just like Shrek the third, Dreamworks story team did not deliver (some heads rolling in the writers department?). Granted, Jack Black did bring his excellent comedic personality into the movies and there were laughes. But there could definitely be A LOT MORE! There is no development in the story, everything felt so rushed, like its being chased by an invisible monster (Tai Lung?). The relationship between Shifu and Tai Lung was briefly explained, but the exposition lacks subtly, and screams for creativity (where is Brad Bird when you need him? o...right, he is at Disney). Does anyone find it a) creepy how Oogway just disappeared into the thin air and blown away with peach petals? b) how come Shifu does not seem to mourn his master, whom he trusts and reveres beyond all others? I mean, if you are going to be all symbolic and mystic about Oogway's final departure, at least give some foreshadows. Here I was, ready to believe in the world of China inhibited by vegetarian talking animals (seriously, do you expect them to put roasted pork in their noodle soup?), some practices martial art, but the most just live like regular humans. And Boom! the turtle is surrounded by pink shimmering light and is blown away with mountain breeze! The movie lost me there!

As a Chinese, I find one terminology confusing here. Dustin Hoffmann's character is called Shifu and master interchangably in the movie. In Chinese, Shifu means master, but its obvious that they used Shifu as a given name to the character.
By the way, does anyone know what kind of creature is Shifu?

This is halirious...

I'm always for RP...