According to the consensus of critics, "Kung Fu Panda has a familiar message, but the pleasing mix of humor, swift martial arts action, and colorful animation makes for winning Summer entertainment." I agree with them except for the fact that I think the "familiar message" is a great one and definitely NOT an impediment in what I found to be an extremely entertaining and suprisingly profound movie experience.
First of all, the film is very fun to watch. It's beautiful, using a broad color palette, and the animation is fluid and organic. Although many believe Pixar is at the pinnacle of CGI toons due to their their nuanced style and the "fun little details" they deftly put in to each of their works, the Panda holds his own in terms of technical prowess.
The pacing of Kung Fu Panda is just right too: it starts of with a bang and doesn't slow down even though it takes its time establishing the basic situation and characterization. I would have liked to have seen more character development of the "Furious Five," the kung-fu masters Po, the Panda, must work with, but I think that would have made the film too long and brevity in childrens' films is paramount.
Finally, the story is entertaining. From the primary plot line to the thematic messages underlying the fun narrative, I believe most audiences will come to find themselves caring about Po and his plight. He's an easy to character to empathize with and despite what some critics called a rote, cliched theme, I thought the message was profound and honest. Haven't people heard of universal themes? Truths that are ageless? From the idea of motivation and will power to stilling the mind to the belief in personal potential and creating one's reality through perception, there's plenty to think about by the time this movie ends. And if you're not in to that, there's plenty of jokes about Po's plump Panda persona and lots of cool kung-fu action. Indeed, the movie stands up well enough as an action flick alone!
So, my personal grade for this one: A+ with extra credit for general "awesomeness"
My grade for the general audience: B/B+
Oh, by the way, "There is no charge for awesomeness... or attractiveness. "
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BONUS #1: Which characters of the furious five are missing in the image at the beginning of this post.
Bonus #2: Deep thoughts from Kung Fu Panda
A. "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present." This deals with the idea of the ETERNAL NOW. Yesterday (the past) is an idea, a memory. Tomorrow is the future, a concept, an idea. All there is, then, is the present, the NOW.
B. "One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it." The problems we face, or create, in life hold within themselves the lesson which we need to learn.
C. There's another quote about there being no accidents in life which I really like. Are there really accidents in life? Meditate on that question....grasshopper.
TRAILER:
5 comments:
Agreed!
Skidooosh!!! We also loved it. Why isn't anyone else talking about how great this movie was? Props on a great post.
The praying mantis is missing. What do I win?
Both praying mantis and the tiger are missing. I forget the tiger's name, but Angelina Jolie played the voice :).
I have to say I thought it was okay, but in comparing to my other cartoon favs, it didn't really measure up. For me, I have yet to watch a cartoon flick that tops The Emperors New Groove. Nemo and Cars are close behind.
Here's a quote I found worth repeating from the movie Dan in Real Life: Love is not a feeling, it's an ability.
By the way, the soundtrack in this movie is pure "awesomeness". If you'll recall, the last song in the movie was played at Michelle's wedding.
I understand why some people may not like this as much as others. Art, being the "imitation of life," is by definition subjective. I never saw the Emperor's New Groove, but I want too, especially since I occasionally hear people say how "awesome" it is.
We both enjoyed Dan in Real Life quite a bit and downloaded some of Sondre Leche's (spelling) music which comprised most, if not all, of its soundtrack.
I can't beleive we haven't seen it yet! I love the quote about yesterday, today and tomorrow. Someone needs to ask me to give a sacrament meeting talk now. I feel insired.
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