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Harry bows before the power of KUNG FU PANDA... his belly fu is more powerful than my belly fu!
There really wasn’t anything about KUNG FU PANDA’s trailers or advertisements that made me interested in seeing the film. While I was out in Los Angeles to visit some friends and to do some business – Moriarty called me and asked if Yoko and I would be interested in checking out KUNG FU PANDA at the Universal City Walk’s IMAX.
Damn… I can’t say no to Moriarty, he’s kinda like the Billy Carter of AICN… you drink his Billy Beer when offered.
Besides – there’s not a great IMAX facility in Austin that shows “Commercial” presentations. We have the Bob Bullock IMAX – but it specializes in the great IMAX documentaries, not the feature presentations – and it’s a major pet peeve of mine. So Yoko and I decided to go see the film with Mori.
First off, the film is stunning in IMAX, most films are. If you are lucky enough to be able to choose between a regular screening and IMAX – go IMAX… duh.
Second – Damn – I had no idea this was going to be an enjoyable film, much less a supremely geeky fun film.
The day before I saw this I was at DreamWorks Animation watching about 20 minutes of MONSTERS VS ALIENS and I fell in love with that project – but the stuff they showed me from KUNG FU PANDA… well it just didn’t capture me. The entire presentation kinda fell flat. They showed just the Martial Arts battle stuff – and I think that’s the problem with DreamWorks’ whole marketing of this film. They’re focusing on the Kung Fu.
I know – its KUNG FU PANDA – but nothing they’ve shown us has shown the heart of the character. That the film is actually about pursuing a passion, that the Panda is an incredible geek and fan of Martial Arts that just feels that because he was born in a Panda shaped body – that he would be laughed at – and that the only reason he got chosen was because he’s the biggest fan in the world of these Martial Arts masters and was desperate to see the new ultimate warrior chosen.
What makes this film fantastic… has nothing to do at all with the ACTION in the film. The action is Kung Fu. We’ve seen it before, albeit not with this combination of animals… but what I wasn’t expecting was a film without Scatological humor – a film without a swarmy sense of modern pop-culture references. You see, this isn’t a typical DREAMWORKS ANIMATION film – it isn’t of the SHREK universe – it’s trying to be something significantly more than that… it simply wants to tell a fun story about a Panda that doesn’t want to sell noodles, but dreams at night of being the greatest martial artist of all time.
We’ve all dreamt of being a Kung Fu god. Usually when we wake up… we’re not. Maybe we sell noodles. Maybe we write about Pandas that do Kung Fu, but there’s very few of us… that really can Kung Fu.
KUNG FU PANDA is basically a message film. A film that tells us… yes, you have silly dreams – but as long as you take your dreams as being silly, you’ll always be a shadow of your dream self. However… if you strap a bunch of fireworks to a chair outside a martial arts contest choosing the ultimate warrior and you send yourself skyward… you could be chosen by a mystical turtle that will then assign a crazy little critter voiced by Dustin Hoffman – to train you to be… well, whatever that dream version of you is.
Jack Black’s Po is sweet. He’s a fan. Every miserable moment he spends training and being treated like shit – he loves it. Sure, he’s getting his furry ass handed to him, but damn isn’t it better than cooking noodles? He’s here with the heroes he’s only ever had wooden jointed toys of. He has no shame. He is living a dream – and damn if it isn’t enjoyable.
The 5 masters that he looks up to are fun… in particular I love the design on Monkey. The characters all work – and in the context of the film – it absolutely works perfect.
It’s not as funny as OVER THE HEDGE, but it isn’t trying to. I really respect that first and foremost they are trying to tell a story. That’s what DREAMWORKS should make a habit of. I’m really hoping this film does well for them, because I hope they’ll see the success as an excuse to just try new things and not just returning to the sequel well.
I think Moriarty is going to write up a real real happy piece on KUNG FU PANDA – you’ve no idea how loud a laugher he is during a movie like this. I missed lots of dialogue because of him.
So if you see him – put an earplug on the side facing him. The oddest thing about his laugh… it’s a little Fran Drescher-like. Seriously. Very weird.
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Is this better then anything Dreamworks has ever done before? Did they finally go beyond famous voices as cute animals?
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The IMAX by me shut down and it showed actual movies, but the IMAX two hours away only shows the IMAX docs is still around...how does it make enough money?
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This will be my daughters first movie experience so I am just totally geeked out to have my little one experience a theater for the first time. My first movie was Jaws 2, little different, but I can remember the theater to this day. I hope this is a good movie for a 3 year old to see. Sounds like it is from what you say Harry but will it sail over a 3 year old head at all?
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Over the Hedge had one of the craziest last 15-20 minutes of any movie, it was awesome. I took forever to get around to seeing it, wish I hadn't. Even if it stole a scene from Futurama.
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I realize I am shitting my pants in anticipation for Wall-E. Hopefully America can handle these opening so close to each other? Dreamworks is really going to test Pixar this summer.
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Ever since I burned out on the annoying promos for this film, I have wanted nothing to do with it. Having recently seen the official trailer . . . I am still not sold.
Other than the obnoxious marketing, I'm tired of the whole "fat loser with a lot of heart becomes the hero and beats the bad guy" storyline. I guess this is the sort of story that emerges from obese cultures, but it does not appeal to me. -
beaten by Madagascar three years ago? This weekends box office should be huge, and its just going to grow the rest of the month. There is pretty much a movie coming out every week that I want to see until Sept.
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Portraying Nelson Mandela besides Morgan Freeman? Its perfect casting. Also any movie about Rugby is going to kick ass, finally Americans will learn about the worlds greatest sport. It'll only take a horrible tragedy retold by America's least senile senior citizen Clint Eastwood to do it.
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A term used to refer to huge douchebags. Usually used in reference to a guy that completely sucks to the point that he has surpassed doucheness. He will usually have gelled hair and a shirt unbuttoned three-five buttons. And this movie got a PG? Fuck you Bret Ratner. -
The screening was today! I'm dying for a review!
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God Bless Bill Carter.
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Maybe Harry read all the complaints About the one guy getting a blow job from Wall-E so he edited out all the bestiality references?
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seen hulk yet?
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just wonderin . . .
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Glitch? Or is Kung-Fu Panda Harry getting loaded?
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Yep, it'll happen. It'll be the story of how Indiana Jones dog, Indy, searches for bones he buried in the backyard and the adventure he partakes remembering where he buried them and licking his ass clean as the credits roll.
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when his review is this short.
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Come on. We've seen Harry Hulk before. Will any of the other overseers get to hang out with Harry in Animation Land?
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That means this will seriously blow chunks cos Over The Hedge was just poor in every sense! Oh dear.
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You lost me there.
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Jun 05, 2008 5:36:22 AM CDT
Great! More fart jokes! Is the a jive talker in this one?
by keeper of chimps
Dreamworks cartoons are really bad! I hope this is JUST as good as "Sharktales"!
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Laughed my ass off. That's an insane fucking movie for a comic stip adaptation/children's movie.
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Male cows with utters!
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over the Panda Bear. Bear in name only.
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That is cool news
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Jun 05, 2008 7:32:55 AM CDT
Sold on this movie, now get cracking on the dvd column, Harry
by calihoma
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Oh shit.....so what does that mean then??? Cuz Over the Hedge....um.....blows?
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dunno about that over the hedge comparison..
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I am starting to think this movie will bomb. Though I know AICN TB'ers are not the target audience for a movie, but rarely has there been a Harry review that didn't generate enough TB right away for it to NOT make it into the Top Talkbacks right away. People don't even care enough to hate on the movie.
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That quote should be the centerpiece of the print ad campaign.
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That's all you need to know.
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It's hot, I saw it a week ago...and it's h-o-t. Thanks for listening people.
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You gotta be joking! I'm looking forward to this movie despite that bucket of cold water.
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Doesn't look too FUNNY, but the overall story looks leagues more fun than 80% of the animated projects that come out any given year. I'll matinee this baby sometimes this month.
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Harry, have you considered blogging about your lapband experience? Inquiring minds (and my ever-expanding belly) want to know. I hope everything is going well.
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Hey, that was a funny joke. I don't usually come to Harry reviews for humor, but that was genuinely chuckle-worthy. Wow.
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I saw an advanced screening of it (not in IMAX) in NYC last night. It was great then animation is really top notch.
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You goddamn sellout...
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If you didn't think so, you probably turned it off before the last half hour. And here, here, here, and here. It was just surprising the kind of humor they threw in at the end.
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Man they will put this guy in anything. I don't remember Jim Carry getting so much credit time and he was actually funny. Same thing happened to Steve Carrel when people finally realized he was funny. I am tired of this trend for when a comedian gets their first hit all of the sudden they have to be in everything. Space it out.
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actually has several funny bits. I enjoyed it. Madagascar, on the other hand, is fuckin terrible!
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Rainn Wilson. He is probably the worst, that Rocker movie looks terrible.
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Was terrible. BUT HEY! GOOD NEWS! The poster for the sequel just came out today.
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How about neither?
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...but it isn’t trying to."
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hope Moriarty informs a bit more bout details here, but is sounds like a classic.
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DVD REVIEWS. On May 20th, you said that you had already started working on next weeks... and yet we still haven't seen that one or this weeks. Come on Harry, good to see you are writing reviews but where in the hell are the DVD reviews... Seriously.
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That is exactly what his articles are, a blog. Not a review, a blog. Every single one.
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Ne'er has a more damning bit of wordage been scribed. It will have to make up for its funny shortcomings with story on aPixar level to warrant the love.
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Isn't AICN like, pre-blog blogging? Won't alien archaeologists unearth early coding that proves that Harry and Co. were blogging before the term existed?
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SUPPORT THENIPPLESOFGOD!
WAS WRONGFULY BANED FOR SAYING NUKED THE FRIDGE! -
This made me feel very happy and put a guilty smile on my face. You see, I can 'really' Kung Fu. Just quietly. So Harry unexpectely made me feel kinda... special. Props to you Harry. And yeah, you betcha I am seeing this one! Although I wish they had chinese accents.
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I know she's one of the main voices in this and you don't bring her up. Why is thata?
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and Over the Hedge was so funny is...
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Hulk head hurt.
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It's not horrible per se, but it's just so flat and lifeless and almost entirely lacking in charm that I honestly felt like I was watching it through a coma haze, it had so little impact. You sit there thinking "this should be entertaining me right now. Why isn't it entertaining me?", or at least that's what I found myself thinking way too often anyway. And you never get an answer to that question. It just kinda floats along there in front of you in all it's mocking blandness. And I wasn't the only one that seemed to feel so underwhelmed by it all either. At the screening I saw it at, the cinema was so fucking quiet you could hunt deer in there. Barely a chuckle, let alone a laugh. I love animation, but this one, yeah, it just fell flat. It's as if the filmmakers said "okay, we've got animals doing kung fu and Jack Black to voice the fat, bumbling, daydreaming Panda, our work here is done", and never bothered to inject any true wit or character or charm or, hell, any magic into the film. It's a lazy one shot gimmick of a film, and that wouldn't be so bad if it was fun at least, but it's just not. Not for me anyway. Of course your mileage may vary...
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We all have weird laughs.
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"the cinema was so fucking quiet you could hunt deer in there"
That cracked me up. I nearly shot tea out my nose. Thanks, Sledge Hammer. I'm stealing that one for my repertoire. -
Theatre was quiet as said. Movie was good but not anywhere near Pixar, or even Shrek. Tried too hard to make people care about the characters without giving any reasons to care. To compare this to even the worst of Pixar is a hell of a leap. It's a quality Dreamworks movie, that's about it. Sledge Hammer is dead on.
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If so, fuck this movie.
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To be honest, I have been quite bored with animation movies the last few years. I used to really enjoy them with my daughter who is now twelve but lately...all the experiences have been "underwhelming"....UNTIL
this movie...I really enjoyed it and I think for the most part you should ask yourself if you are a jack black fan. If you are I think you will love it. I thought JB+plus martial arts geek loving fat panda...was the perfect combination. and although the story line isn't that original, I do think that they put enough twists in along the way to make it very fun. And the kung fu fighting was pretty intense good animation. I especially like the opening dream scene of the movie and how it set the tone right off...that this was going to be a Jack Black animated movie. So it wasn't afraid to build the character around him.
So...if your not a JB fan then you may not be as excited as I was but this should definitely be something to know before going in.
Overall...loved it. and the final Panda move!! awesome!
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was funny, smart and charming as hell. Those who say it sucks are only trying to be cool. I bet you deep inside they enjoyed that movie.
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Jun 07, 2008 3:02:38 PM CDT
Yet another Hollywood Asian stereotype film with the song "Every
by kampbell-kid
I'll give props to the film it was hilarious, great voice talent, and beautiful art direction. However, as soon as the credits rolled and that "Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting" song played I rolled my eyes so far back they got stuck and my ears began to bled Canola Oil. Seriously, why the fuck does every American film that depicts Kung-Fu have to have this god awful song. I can get past the films Asian stereotypes since it's a kid film, but as an advid importer of foriegn films (mostly Hong Kong) over the last 20 years I share the same sentiment as the collector community when they get tired of hearing this song that IMEDIATELY reminds them everytime of Hollywood's racism. "Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting" is like someone walking out in blackface in a film. It's tired and cliche... fucking put on Wu-Tang or millions of other great artists out there but for the love of god retire that song.
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Perfect mix of an entertaining day for me. I smoked some hydro weed too...
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Saw Panda then Zohan.
Both were likeable on their own ways.
Zohan is good stand alone comedy with its own merits. Even if ya gotta see Rob Schneider do his bit(someones gotta get him doing his own thing).
Kung Fu Panda however, is something different. With forbidden kingdom, you got a great double feature. Add another kung fu flick(of your choice) and theres a day of ass kickery. -
Yeah i know what you mean. I rented Golden Compass (fucking retarded movie because it was trying to be like 20 other stories in one, except for the Polar Bear fight, should've just rolled credits right after that. And Strom, AICN has been running banners for it and I read some stuff on it and it sounded cool, haven't gotten around to watching it but it doesn't look that good. Looks like its gonna be two flops on the DVD this weekend. But I did rent the Cottage (which is an old dvd but I read some stuff about it here a while back and it stars Golum (but for some reason I kept thinking that was the same guy who plays Silver Suffer)and it was stupid but kind of funny, worth a rental if you enjoyed Shaun of the Dead (but don't expect anything as good).
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Over the Hedge. I rarely disagree with Harry about this stuff, but Kung Fu Panda was one of the most enjoyable movies I've seen this summer. Artistically gorgeous to look at, the story and message are great for all ages (which I think are more about being yourself and believing in yourself than about having dreams is a part of this too), and the jokes don't try to hard to be funny but they are funny and more importantly, very spontaneous... they don't spend too much time just setting up a joke for the joke's sake like a lot of kids' movies do... the humor is refreshing and natural.
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I meant to say it is more about being yourself and believing in yourself than about having dreams, although having dreams is important too.
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Two words. Space. Chimps. Animation will reach a new low. You can smell it coming.
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this site is overflowing with hyperbole so much lately that it's extremely transparent what the underlying motives are. But just watched Kung Fu Panda today and it was a well-crafted enjoyable movie...it will be forgotten tomorrow, but at least it wasn't a piece of crap like most of what Hollywood puts out.
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Yeah i was surprised how much I was laughing during the Cottage.
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Amazing Movie. The noodle fight scene toward the end was simply amazing. You can check out my full review at www.filmdigz.com in the forums. Fun times for once, now if I could just get the noisy kids in the back to be quiet!
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I really wish they'd show more mainstream stuff. Shine A Light was pretty badass though. Have you ever tried getting in touch with them to coordinate some IMAX sneaks? It doesn't sound that likely to happen but how awesome would that be?
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That was a damn fine piece of animation. Better than anything DW has put out, and yeah, I'm including Shrek in that shit.
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Someone must have pissed in his Post Toasties the day he saw Kung Fu Panda. I just saw a digital projection screening of it and think it's on par with Brad Bird's stuff. The art direction is beautiful. The fighting scenes were Fan-FUCKING-Tastic. Harry has more praise for 30 seconds of Wall-E than this flick. I guess there weren't enough clowns and magicians at the screening. They really help movies seem better you know.
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animation was awesome, so was the story
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I walked out after 50 minutes, could take it. It put me in a shitty mood. I went to see panda the following day and it was a total joy. Jack Black OWNED and I look forward to "School of rock 2".
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the turtle is very Yoda, the (what was that? some kind of rodent?) master is Ben Kenobi who trained the tiger (Vader) since childhood...
loved the whole secret sauce bit
surprisingly funny movie! -
I doubt the family will watch it more than once. Kids will move to WallE shortly.
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Probably get a big sign up boom post this movie. That or kids at space camp do to wall e
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...today! Been looking forward this for ages. I heard Dreamworks finally stepped up and are making normal films that human beings can actually watch, as opposed to 2 and a half hour snore-fests of a farting green wise-cracking retarded idiot with a weight problem.
Hail the Panda.
Hopefully this signals a new direction for Dreamworks........ -
.......uless Krapzenburg announces that he's gonna make 17 Kung Fu Panda sequels or some shit like that and bore us all to death with 2 years. Oh fuck! He already did that!
Looks like they'll never learn. -
So it's kind of the machine-gun laugh? I'm a bellower myself!
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bar none. wall e is gonna have to be pretty great to beat this one.
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Seriously, I thought it was great.. Would rather see a Kung-Fu Panda 2 than Shrek 4..
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Hoffman was fantastic, Black was Brilliant. i loved all the Five Jole was vulnerable and sympathetic even when bitchy, Rogen was just fun, Lucy Liu was cute as hell especally with Po, and Crane was hilarious, Jackie Chan's monkey was cool. Ian McShane Made Tai Lung really badass yet also sympathetic which is hard to do in a movie like this. There was a real pathos to his scenes with Shifu. Shifu was brilliant far moree complex than a Jedi Kung fu master type usually is especially in a childrens move, he has dimension and flaws. Did I mention Dustin Hoffman was fantastic. He dissappears into Master shifu and I love how the movie xploorees his issues and has the student teach the Master something about himself. The turtle as cool too and used to great affect.
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I should know. I have been trying to see this for the past two weeks. go to cinema getmy ticket. by the time my friend arrives fucking thing is sold out. Saw other films instead. Wanted, rubbish and last night Hancock. a great premise, SUperhero with a pr problem. ruined by utterly cobbled together plot and messy plot . the movie made no sense. Will try again to see Kung fu panda. or Wall e. I cannot wait to Batman the dark knight.
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I wonder if its the case that all the funny stuff is in the trailer. Adam sandler in a funny movie that would be a suprise, even for me.
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Loved the Kung FU action
Loved the fan boy references
Loved the hero journey
Spoof perfect moments
Lovejoy as the vilian was kinda cool too.
My wife prefered Mama Mia though.
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