Highlight #140 at 8:00 PM

Hey y'all, I saw this film just last week in the theater on my trip with my Dad down to Portland. It was heralded by mass marketing and actually a lot of the film could be pieced together (sort of) with all of the different clips and trailers released ahead of time. But enough of this, take a peek at my latest review in a long line of new releases:

Kung Fu Panda

Year: 2008

Directed by: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson

Written by: Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger

Starring cast: Jack Black (Po), Dustin Hoffman (Master Shifu), Ian McShane (Tai Lung)

Supporting cast: Angelina Jolie (Tigress), Jackie Chan (Monkey), Seth Rogen (Mantis), Lucy Liu (viper), David Cross (Crane), Randall Duk Kim (Master Oogway

What's it rated?: PG for sequences of martial arts action and some crude humor.

Genre: Kids, Comedy, Action

Synopsis: As probably the laziest animal in the valley of peace, Po the Panda is not your typical Kung Fu master, in fact, he stinks at it, but that doesn't stop him from admiring the Furious Five and their master, Shifu. But when ancient Master Oogway predicts that the evil Tai Lung will break out of a specially designed prison (with 1000 guards and only one prisoner: Tai Lung. That's how good Tai Lung is at Kung Fu) Shifu holds a ceremony to pick one of the furious five to become the Dragon Warrior, the one warrior who, with the help of the Dragon Scroll, would have the skill to defeat Tai Lung. But by a freak accident Po is selected to become the Dragon Warrior... which makes for some hilarious action sequences.

My Take: While being both visually stunning and hilarious at the same time, Kung Fu Panda has a somewhat predictable story line. Although, as I said before, the humor is very original and timed well, this combined with various action sequences, carries the film through pretty well. The only thing they could have fixed is the training segment, which is kinda rushed, not nearly as bad as the first part of Prince Caspian.

Of course, there's some eastern beliefs mixed in, especially in Master Oogways lines. I don't quite agree with that element of it, but the film does take place in ancient China so I guess it fits.

As for action, I haven't laughed so hard since I saw Ice Age in the theater! It was HILARIOUS! the final battle has enough laughs built in to split your side in half in only a few seconds. I don't think I've enjoyed a "final battle" as much as I did the one in Kung Fu Panda!

Of course there's a little crude humor, which drives me crazy, but there's not near as much as in say, "Shrek" or "Shrek 2", which thrived on crude humor (I still wonder how Shrek 2 sustained a PG rating).

Anyway, Overall, I would love to watch it again a few times. Of course it's not a classic, but like I said, you just can't beat it's final battle scene.

Story: 6 out of 10

Action: 8 out of 10

Humor: 10 out of 10

Overall: 7 out of 10

-Graydon L

P.S. sorry for not getting around to "Father Goose" Sam, I haven't forgotten your suggestion, I'm getting it from the library in little while :-)

P.P.S. the survey is coming tomorrow! I want all the entries I can get!