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Capone Hugs KUNG FU PANDA!!
Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here.
The last time I doubted Jack Black's sanity in choosing worthy roles I did so because I thought he was pandering to children. How could my beloved tenacious JB make a kiddie movie? It felt like a betrayal. Well, that movie turned out to be THE SCHOOL OF ROCK, and I'm always ready and willing to admit when I'm wrong. Rather than restrain himself to fit the mold of a kids' film, Black made the kids raise their energy to his level. Still, when the ads for the animated KUNG FU PANDA started popping up last year, I got a chill.
This time, I was sure Jack Black has gone too far. How could a movie about a cuddly, oversized black-and-white bear attempting to learn kung fu be any damn good? And once again, I have short changed Black and the creative team he is working with on this massively enjoyable, visually zippy tale about believing in yourself and overcoming a self-image that has held you back for so long. Might this be the first animated work to tackle body image issues? Probably not, but it is definitely the first to do so with such gusto.
Black voices Po, a panda who works in his father's noodle shop in China, but always thought that he was destined for more. His village is at the base of a temple that houses the greatest fighters in the land, The Furious Five, animals who make up five fighting styles of kung fu: Crane (David Cross), Viper (Lucy Liu), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Tigress (Angelina Jolie), and Monkey (Jackie Chan, whose vocal talents might leave something to be desired, but I'm guessing the filmmakers liked having around for the vibe). Their master is the small, rodent-like creature Shifu (Dustin Hoffman, doing his best work in years, I kid you not).
When word gets out that the evil snow leopard Tai Lung ("Deadwood's" Ian McShane) has escaped from prison, Shifu's master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) decides it is time to select a new Dragon Warrior, the only fighter who can defeat Tai Lung. Everyone presumes that the Dragon Warrior will be selected from among the members of the Furious Five, but at the selection ceremony, Oogway accidentally selects Po (although according to Oogway, there are no accidents), and Shifu is charged with training the rotund panda in the ways of kung fu, much to the chagrin of the Furious Five, the townspeople, and Shifu himself.
I never would have guessed it in advance of seeing KUNG FU PANDA, but Black and Hoffman make a great comic team. Both their banter and their more inspirational moments are equally strong and effective, and their training sessions are hilarious. And even with Cross and Rogen in the lineup, neither really tries to be too silly or outrageous. That may not sit well with some of you, but in the case of this film, less is often more. Jolie's Tigress is made to be the most serious of the characters, since she seemed the frontrunner of being tapped to be the new Dragon Warrior before Po stepped in. Her restraint is quite good, and I may never be able to look at a tiger again without getting a little turned on.
Aside from the surprisingly strong writing (relatively speaking), I truly dug the animation style. What it lacks in realism, it make up for with nonstop creative, kinetic energy. The fight scenes are magnificent, and, as I said, Po's training sequences are my favorite scenes in the movie. Shifu realizes that Po does his best kung fu when he believes food will be his reward, and he uses that to his advantage. Po had never met a dumping he didn't like. I'm not sure how parents are going to feel about the idea of food as a reward for good behavior, but it works in the context of the film.
Of course, the entire story is working up to the ultimate showdown between the perhaps ill-prepared Dragon Warrior Po and seemingly indestructible Tai Lung, and it is spectacularly realized, with a concluding secret move that had me howling. I don't think it's absolutely necessary that you are an old-school martial arts film fan to appreciate KUNG FU PANDA, but it sure doesn't hurt. I loved the detail in the set and costume design, as well as tasty little touches like Shifu's enormous white mustache and eyebrows.
If a smile of recognition is creeping across your mouth at the mention of this extreme facial hair, you'll eat this movie up. And don't be afraid to see this movie with a theater filled with children that aren't your own. People think kids are the worst audience to see any movie with thanks to their short attention span (that's actually false; the worst audience to see any movie with is old people…thank you). If the movie is engaging, kids will sit back and enjoy it with minimal disturbances to those around them.
KUNG FU PANDA is an experience I think kids, their parents, and any other adults will enjoy equally. And there's just enough insane kung fu to keep even us geeks entertained.
Capone
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+ Expand All
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just playin
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I like it...
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Cmon baby
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Such a shame...
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She's ashamed...
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great glam.com. wtf?! i know it's tame but we're at work guys, and chicks in vinyl and shit are not kosher.
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Especially when good reading material is nearby.
Oh, the movie? I'll be taking my kid to it for his birthday. I'm not sure which one of us is more excited. -
When he is used properly, and the material holds up.
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What's to like?
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Until I saw the most recent trailer infront of Speed Racer and Crystal Skull. My God, it has Jack Black Panda squashing his ass into the tiger's face IN SLO MO! Then it shows Jack Black Panda belly bump the tiger into the stratosphere, while uttering "skadoosh." If EITHER of those are the final "secret moves" you loved so much Capone, I seriously fear for you.
I was not against the project. I had been hoping that it would end up being a cool kid-friendly take on Kung Fu movies in glorious CGI. And when it shows the five animals fighting, it looks almost like it might be just that. Shame they invited Jack Black to the party.
I might see it only if my nephew wants to see it. Otherwise, I'm in agreement with Toshi McSweeny. "Fuck you, Panda." -
I originally had low expectations, now I guess I have to check it out.
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can't AICN support itself enough with freaking dolls, movie banners, etc and not one for stipper gear? seriously folks, not ALL of us stroke it to AICN in the basement all day. get on this shit guys.
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No I really am not, but I am tired of dumb fucking theater goers that associate anything remotely to do with a CGI cartoon as being another Pixar movie. Lets face it, no other cartoons are coming out that are half as good as what Pixar is making. But I guess people just don't care, ask anyone about American Tale, All Dogs Go to Heaven, Fergully, Land Before Time and they'll tell you that Disney made them.
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Fuck you, panda.
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At least these days. I prefer to watch my movies alone (or with the people that I like) on DVD at home. But that's a different topic.
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It's a fucking CARTOON! Since WHEN should cartoons be "realistic?" What a waste that would be.
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In this movie....and like any other Dreamworks movie, the voice actors pretty much didn't attempt to give a shit and just read the script with no real getting into character.
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With the twin guns of RT and boxofficemojo, will a thousand talkbackers slay or defend a movie. That's just lazy.
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It's a nice check for what they consider to be minimal work. Two afternoons of recording then a chunk of merchandise. And because they have to record the lines 2-4 years before the movie even comes out, some of them even have to be reminded they were IN the thing!
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Wall-e's tracks will be all over this panda poo foo in less than a month.
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I mean, Dreamworks SELLS these movies about having these actors in the movie. They don't give a shit about the content of the movie. Look at Pixar they made one of the years biggest hits with Ellen and Albert Brooks. Dreamworks may as well just call there movies, famous people doing voice overs to cute animals!!!!!!
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worst audience to see movies with
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to like this movie
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I've narrowed it down to 14 year old girls. They seem to talk the most during the movie with as little comprehension of the plot. While I'm somewhat offended by sillypants' mexican comment, being mexican myself I can admit that a few movies have been ruined for me me by that one mexican family that needs the film translated to them by their bilingual relative.
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Saw the new trailer before INdy last week and thought it looked really entertaining...
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just for Seth Rogan
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I thought I'd branch out and try acting like a different kind of cocksucker. So, playin' a fuckin' Celestial as a snow leopard...well, I figured even fuckin' Wu would get a laugh out of that.
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whimpers 'i'm alright'
comedy genius. sign writer's check.
on to the next 1 hr long one joke premise, tired catchphrase animal toon. -
Kids are actually a great audience if its a kids film, in any other case (usually something R-rated) they're a pain in the ass. But the worst bunch of ingrates has to be teenagers. If it is marketed to them and they come, God help us. I was working in a theater and we were showing Secret Window, the opening night was almost nothing but teenagers. The whole audience was talking through the previews and through the start of the movie. We had to go up every individual aisle and tell them to shut up. No exagerration, we actually told them to shut up.
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would be proud of this movie!
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I thought "ushers" didn't exist anymore? There are still theaters where audiences are told to be quiet? Sign me up!
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I was just the guy who tore the tickets. It was me and the assistant managers. And if any of those twerps ever got kicked out, which happened every now and again, they'd come back ten minutes later with their parents who would demand their money back.
Now I live in LA and if go anywhere except the Arclight there is zero reinforcement. I can't blame them, there are some scary looking people in these audiences and it's not worth it for minimum wage. The AMC in Burbank has these security guys in suits roaming the halls but I have seen them do nothing. They have that Night Club bouncer attitude to them, that whole "Yeah, I'm a badass" thing going on. I hate these guys more than mall cops. -
is that no matter what the movie is, the talkback always devolves into the hate-filled bashing of whatever movie happens to be the topic of conversation-- even though none of the black-hearted, cynical self-professed movie geeks have even seen it yet. Jesus, it's a fucking cartoon--try to lower your impossibly high expectations, and just enjoy it.
=M= -
They're called "Panda BEARS". What part of "bear" you don't get? Well duh! Now seriously, pandas are from the Ursidae family - which means they are, indeed, bears. Not raccoons. No matter what you've heard before. This was your bit of genetic retconning for the day. Thank you. Now move along.
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Seriously seems like it's the same movie.
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Colorful, accessible and slapsticky. It's not a nerd pic. If I want a heady, art film (and I do), I'll check out the new Charlie Kaufman deal. I'll see "Panda" with my four-year-old and dig it for what it's worth.
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The design seems to suggest this. Here's an actual red panda:
http://tinyurl.com/3l5qhs -
Way off topic, but when I saw No Country for Old Men the 2nd time, it was a 3 p.m. matinée full of only old people. PACKED theater. And they all fucking hated it. After it was over, there were all kinds of gripes about how violent it was and how pointless and how the ending and characters sucked and blah blah blah.
Fucking old coots. My friend and I both wished them ill. -
I didn't hate it and it wasn't the violence; it's just that a lot of it was, to quote an old Casey Kasem studio outtake, "ponderous man, fucking ponderous." By the way, nas-child, this semi-old coot could kick your ass, just like Tommy Lee Jones, by the way (who's way older than me). and you'll get old too, someday. you hope. or you could die now. no loss, it seems.
Meanwhile, crankyoldguy and sprightly young son will be seeing Kung Fu Panda, sneaking in take-out food from...Panda Inn, of course. -
I agree. I could eat that shit every day. I don't get the meat though. That's a lil risky.
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I've never met a Dumping i did like!?and Spell the entire plot out why dontcha!
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Madagascar sucked, Shark Tale blew, Over the Hedge was just as awful, and all of the Shrek sequels (past and future) are pure overkill. I've always had a soft spot for Antz, but Dreamworks Animation hasn't got ANYTHING on Pixar. They can't ever seem to strike that balance between talking down to kids and making some really on the nose joke that goes wayyyy over their heads and makes adults go "Heh!" I must say though, Monsters vs. Aliens looks promising just from the cast---->Hugh Laurie, Kiefer Sutherland, Will Arnett, Stephen Colbert? Some of the coolest voices in the industry right now. I'll give that to em. They ALWAYS manage to find an interesting ensemble even if it's for a shit movie.
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Teens suck! The boys like to be loud to show how "bad ass" they are. The girls text and barely pay attention to the movie. What I do is ask them to stop talking once if they don't listen... I violently kick their seats. This usually makes them nervous because I look crazy but they shut the fuck up. Old people suck just because they like to review movies while they are still playing I find a simple "shh" works on them. Also no offense but when I went to see Doomsday a very violent R rated movie a Mexican family brought in like six kids, half of them were crying. I went down and told them I don't think this movie was good for the kids and they barely knew English. My question is: Why the fuck were they even at the movies?
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The Ironic guy in the audience. You know, the guy that yells really loud, "Yeah" at something campy or stupid in the coming attractions. Or worse yet, at the Arclight when the poor employee has to make the introduction. "Yeah" "Whooo" It would be really cool if one of those ushers just got fed up, turned up the lights, walked up to the guy and said, "Wow. That was incredibly funny. Can I have your autograph because I want people to know I met you before you became famous for being a comic genius.,,,,Now shut the fuck up!"
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SCHOOL OF ROCK ROCKS!
of course, this was a given once I knew that Linklater was directing.
So, Panda's worth a look, eh? We'll see about that! -
Are not there for the film oftentimes. They are there because it's hot outside, the mall got boring, let's babysit the kids for two hours, on an awkward date, got nothing better to do. Respecting the film, being quiet for your fellow audience member, making yourself as quiet as possible, these basic rules of cinema have not been passed down and I blame the theater owners for being greedy and making 500 seat multiplexes where you can buy pizza and mozzarella sticks in an attempt to get the masses to attend. Strictly enforcing silence will result in lost sales and that's why it keeps going. Thank God for home theater.
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That's the movie I want to see.
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along with RDJ and Stiller fucking owned the joint last night at MTV...the movie looks pretty generic, and most of you are right, no one has come close to the depth that Pixar has...I think this'll just be a fun little diversion while we await The Dark Knight.
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I'll bet they just stuck both the Golden Compass and the Kung-fu Panda script in front of McShane and didn't even bother to tell them they were two different movies. Save money that way.
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This movie is actually good.
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It was a jaw drop. There was fucking stellar action. The shit is way way way better than any Dreamworks animation ever!!! I PROMISE.
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A campy kid movie about animals who know martial arts I can finally get into!
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Call anyone a cocksucker?
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Jun 02, 2008 8:41:34 PM CDT
ok, ok..trailers look good. this HAS to be good, right?
by the marquis de side 3
here's hoping for this one, in the middle of some miserable junk and upcoming remakes. you will believe a Panda can fly! =0)
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its good, no shit. there are some dumb elements, but its actually good.
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"I may never be able to look at a tiger again without getting a little turned on"
One of us! One of us! -
..its kind of spongey. BOAT DRINKS!
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They are tired of being shown as "retarded bears" or a fat "kung fu" panda bear. The day of the bears is coming....and no one will be laughing.
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Jun 02, 2008 10:18:03 PM CDT
As SICK AND TIRED as I am about CGI animal movies...
by nasty in the pasty
...if I have to choose between this and that Adam Sandler Zohan crap, I'll take the panda bear.
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But I think this looks pretty cute and fun. I'll see it.
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Go die. Nobody likes crotchety old people, especially crotchety old people who ruin movie theaters. You know what made that experience even better? Some of the old people literally, and I wish I were making this up, pissed themselves in the theater. I have never smelled anything so god-awful.
I hope you die of prostate cancer :D -
I don't care if Dreamworks animations typically suck... If this is directed by the same Mark Osborne who made that short-film "More", then I'm there day one. That's the greatest damn short ever made.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Unu6E3Dp-M -
Quirky protagonist (QP) is an outcast who stands out from his family/friends/clan/species.
QP laments being different.
QP gets lost/kidnapped/wanders away from home.
QP meets other quirky characters and through a serious of humorous vignettes, they become friends.
Not-So-Evil Antagonist (NSEA) wants to harm/kidnap/steal from QP's family/clan/group, usually for some greedy purpose.
QP discovers that the thing that makes him an outcast/quirky is the very thing that will, with the help of his new friends, save everyone and defeat the NSEA, while being just like everyone else in his original group would have resulted in doom.
QP's family/old group is relieved that QP saved them, and finally lauds his uniqueness.
Smash Mouth's "Rock Star" plays. End credits.
Same plot. Every time. "Meet the Robinsons", "Ants", "Bee Movie", "Cars", "Toy Story", Toy Story 2", "Finding Nemo", "Ratatouille" and on and on.
The Incredibles broke this trend, but pretty much every other CGI movie has followed this same plot, with the same plot points, mood changes, and character archetypes. -
on the silver screen. Or anything by Genndy and his cohorts at Orphanage. Especially that Viking project they mentioned on the SJ final season box set.
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I was dead set on not seeing this, but after reading that review and seeing the HAR-HAR previews my mind may be changed. Did not know the greatest actor of all time Dustin Hoffman is in it, and Ian McShane is an inspired bad guy voice (Keith David is still probably too scary for kids). I think I had been jaded since I saw Shrek 1-2 and Findin... I mean Will Smith Fish Movie in theaters and all of them were terrible. But But over the hedge and Bee Movie were funnier then they had any right to be (Hedge being the better movie with a crazy ass ending I was really stoned when I first saw Hedge it was awesome) and Bee Movie had a crazy ending again (like Happy Fee and Blood Dimond except the animals were wrong) crazy scene involving a giant vehicle. SO maybe this time I will not wait for the DVD, now that I know this movie isn't just Black/Jolie/Seth Rogen and Cross. Black who I like and think makes interesting and good movie choices Rogen and Cross probably realized that they had 5 free minutes to do this, and Jolie is probably doing the same shit she did in the William I Am Smith Fish movie. But I really like the idea of Jackie Chan being in this, though at the same time it seems cruel (i mean lets face it Jackie Chan is pretty much considered like a joke in America, thank you worlds highest paid actor). I think all in all I will sell out my soul and see a non Pixar movie in the video theater.
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Looks like all my friends are getting all giddy like 60 year old girls did last week about SITC about the new Adam Sandler yuk yuk give me you money movie. So I'll need something to cleanse my brain with. Between Indy 4 and Zohan hopefully I'll still have a brain left before Hulk smashes it. Seriously, there is like at least one movie I am going to see every weekend until September, much better then last year where the only movie I wanted to see was TWBB and Rambo...which came out this year.
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You forgot Finding Nemo. That's SO the plot of Nemo.
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I agree. Animated films need a real kick in the ass. Everything is far too formulaic and cutesy. They're nothing but cash cows for the studios and I don't see much difference from one to the next. Not to mention there is rarely any care put into crafting them. As an uncle, I've had to endure at least one of these ADD inducing clusterfucks in the theaters - Madagascar. I wanted to shoot myself while watching it.Brad Bird is a great director though, and I thought we might see a new trend in feature animation after The Incredibles, but so far nothing but shit. Actually, Ratatouille was good (thanks to Bird), endearing story, a little cutesy, but not obnoxiously so.I think animation provides the greatest template for imaginations to run wild, and it's not being taken advantage of in the feature-length format. No reason every animated feature has to be for kids either.
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...but the movie is good. Saw it. Kicked ass. Not kidding. You will see it after ten people tell you that it was actually good.
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