No cute, self-absorbed intro today. No cheap shots at Paramount for debuting "Kung Fu Panda" at the most serious film festival on the planet. Let's just cut to the chase, shall we?
"Kung Fu Panda" (playing out of competition) is the best non-Pixar animated film I've seen since "Happy Feet." It doesn't have that film's depth or subtext or, honestly, originality. But it makes up for its predictable plot and tired underdog message with some incredible visceral energy, an unadulterated love for its oddball characters and genre, and, most importantly, a completely random, off-the-wall, gave-me-the-giggles sense of humor. I'm not saying there were bongs in the filmmaker room ... actually, yes ... yes, I am saying that. Look, it features the resin-stained vocal talents of Jack Black and David Cross. Hellll-o?
You want an example? Sure, but first let me set it up. The movie is a formulaic martial arts genre picture, only animated. The major difference is that every character is an animal. It's set in a small village at the base of a kung fu temple in China where pigs (my favorite one sports a 5 o'clock shadow ... yeah, so I'm easily amused) and bears and all sorts of furry or flying critters commingle, sans humans. Our protagonist is an obese (weight issues, uh, weigh heavy in this film) panda named Po, voiced by a laid-back Black, who spouts "awesome" a lot and basically plays his "High Fidelity" character if his obsession was kung fu instead of music. (Here comes that example.) Though he dreams of becoming a martial arts warrior, Po works with his dad at a noodle house. Oh, and his dad is a goose. Why? Who knows, dude! It works, bro. (If I could write the gurgling sound of water being sucked through a bulbous contraption, here's where I'd insert it.)
"Kung Fu Panda" (playing out of competition) is the best non-Pixar animated film I've seen since "Happy Feet." It doesn't have that film's depth or subtext or, honestly, originality. But it makes up for its predictable plot and tired underdog message with some incredible visceral energy, an unadulterated love for its oddball characters and genre, and, most importantly, a completely random, off-the-wall, gave-me-the-giggles sense of humor. I'm not saying there were bongs in the filmmaker room ... actually, yes ... yes, I am saying that. Look, it features the resin-stained vocal talents of Jack Black and David Cross. Hellll-o?
You want an example? Sure, but first let me set it up. The movie is a formulaic martial arts genre picture, only animated. The major difference is that every character is an animal. It's set in a small village at the base of a kung fu temple in China where pigs (my favorite one sports a 5 o'clock shadow ... yeah, so I'm easily amused) and bears and all sorts of furry or flying critters commingle, sans humans. Our protagonist is an obese (weight issues, uh, weigh heavy in this film) panda named Po, voiced by a laid-back Black, who spouts "awesome" a lot and basically plays his "High Fidelity" character if his obsession was kung fu instead of music. (Here comes that example.) Though he dreams of becoming a martial arts warrior, Po works with his dad at a noodle house. Oh, and his dad is a goose. Why? Who knows, dude! It works, bro. (If I could write the gurgling sound of water being sucked through a bulbous contraption, here's where I'd insert it.)
Newcomers Mark Osborne and John Stevenson know they're directing something we've seen a million times -- panda wants to be a warrior and needs to look inside himself, get trained and save the village from a mean villain. Duh. So, these mad choices and jokes and sideways tone are key to the film's success -- as is their obvious adoration and respect for the martial arts genre. Why someone hasn't realized the connection between animation and martial arts before is beyond me (wish I'd thought of it). Is there much difference between the gravity-defying heroics of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and those you'd see in a Bugs Bunny cartoon? Hardly. Combining the two is a glorious match that creates some mesmerizing action scenes. Also impressive is the vocal talent these first-time directors landed: Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen and Cross as kung fu wunderkinds, the Furious Five; Ian McShane as the evil leopard, Tai Lung; oh, and yeah, Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu, who proves that not only does he overact on-screen but also in a vocal booth