Film review: Kung Fu Panda

Kung Fu Panda @ IMDB

Sometimes ideas just sound great. As soon as you say them, you can't help but just say "yep, that works". It's like Kit Kat Chunkys with Cookie Dough, it just works.

So in this film we have a Panda doing Kung Fu. Simple, to the point, great idea.

It's a wonder there hasn't been that many kid versions of kung fu films considering the popularity of things like Power Rangers. After all, kung fu films are essentially plot light with a simple story that moves from A to B with minimum fuss and maximum action.

The plot for this film can easily be summed up in that it's about Po, a lowly panda working in his father's Noodle Restaurant who dreams of becoming a kung fu master with his idols The Furious Five. But then the deadly Tai Lung escapes and only the Dragon Warrior can stop him.

Guess who's picked to become the Dragon Warrior?

The film goes exactly as you'd expect but this isn't a problem because it's so much fun. Jack Black as Po is always good value for money, even when it's just his voice. We get all the usual Kung Fu cliches but they're wrapped up in such a great looking package it becomes a great homage rather than a lazy parody.

And it does look great. The kung fu action is seamless and fluid with a superb weight to it. Good bad guy, great set pieces and nicely paced. Whilst it's not a great piece of cinema like Wall-E, it's the second best kids film I've seen this year.

Frankly, the film is worth the entrance price for the opening Samurai Jack-inspired sequence.

In a word? Hiyah!