Simply amazing. The characters, the story and the animation (which damn, it looks stunning and holds up WAY better than most other older Dreamworks movies) are all incredible. It has a good message to tell and the action is impressive as well. Truly one of the best movies Dreamworks has ever put out.

This movie was absolutely out of this world. The musical score, the scenery, the plot, the story, the characters, everything. Po is definitely another one of the most adorable, sweet, caring, brave, courageous and sensitive characters. Po is definitely my favorite character in this movie, I am a huge fan of Jack Black and his work. He's one of my top favorite actors of all time. Po might not have been my inspiration for taking martial arts but that doesn't mean that he's any less important to me.

this is one of my favorite movies of all time. The animation is top-notch, the action scenes are entertaining as heck, and the message is definitely inspiring and uplifting. The cast is also phenomenal at their roles! I am just hoping that they won't stop at 3! I want more films!

Well, I'm not a little boy, but I love this cartoon. It's so funny and just amazing!

Po is a lazy, loveable panda who spends all the time when he should be working at his father's noodle shop daydreaming about being a kung fu master and a member of the Furious Five. When vengeful snow leopard Tai Lung escapes from prison, an ancient prophecy identifies Po as the only hope to defeat him. Reluctantly kung fu master Shifu agrees to train him along the Furious Five, but neither he nor they has any real faith in him. But as Tai Lung gets closer and the danger becomes greater, Po finally knuckles down and starts to learn.
For years Dreamworks Animation have been trailing Pixar in terms of quality and imagination. But with this offering they start to close the gap just a little. Directors Mark Osborne and John Stevenson showcase two distinct animation styles. The first is two-dimensional (but still computer-generated) and based on the traditional painting styles of feudal Asia. The backgrounds appear to be made of parchment while the foregrounds and characters seem to have been painted in red and black inks that have sunk a little into the paper. The animation itself is anime style - reused shots and lines denoting movement. The addition of an epic voice-over gives it a faux historical feel that suits the kung fu movies this film references. The second style of animation is a more predictable computer-generated version. But the issues that have thus far kept Dreamworks lagging behind Pixar remain. The character design presents problems - mouth movements tend to be spongy and the characters' eyes are glassy, which reduces their expressiveness and the fuzzy fur textures make them look likecuddly toys ripe for merchandising.
However, the overall quality of the animation has improved since Dreamworks' last outing. All the players have subtle facial tics that increase their range of expressions. The background textures such as wood, ceramics, fire and reflections are extremely good. The jade palace especially is beautifully rendered. The use of different "camera angles" is impressive, for instance the swooping vision employed in the first fight or the hand-held effect when the village is evacuated. The directors are canny enough to use the kinds of tricks that turn up in live action kung fu movies. So we get freeze frames of particularly hard blows, and slow-motion reaction shots (such as when Po is taking a pasting during training), training montages and the traditional shot of master and pupil doing katas at sunset. They use sepia tones for flashbacks and blues and greys for evil, giving a little more visual depth to the film. The way they shoot the final confrontation is also very effective, setting up an unnerving storm as a backdrop and employing eerie lighting techniques to add a frisson of excitement to events. The kung fu itself is very well realised, with the characters doing many real moves, adapted to their various body shapes. So it looks flashy and fun.
The backbone of almost any cartoon is comedy and that's where "Kung Fu Panda" falls down. The directors allow star Jack Black to run off at the mouth on occasion, so his jokes run out of steam. Sight gags are consistently mistimed so they lack snap. The slapstick is also subject to woolly timing and tends to be predictable and drawn out. The result is eighty-eight minutes of comedy that may make you smile but will rarely, if ever make you laugh out loud.
The screenplay by "King of the Hill" scribes pilfers aspects from virtually all generic kung fu movies. A poor boy with big dreams gets the chance to train with the best and prove himself against that bad guy to save his village. Of course it's written with a comic sensibility so the hero is a fat, uncoordinated panda that has to fight his own physical limitation as well as the prejudices of the Furious Five and his unwilling mentor before he even gets to the villain. There are no prizes for guessing the outcome. The film comes with a built-in "be true to yourself" message in addition to a sub-moral about the importance of letting go of pride.
The characterisation is predictable for a kung fu movie. Po may be a lazy dreamer but he has a good heart that will stand him in good stead. Master Shifu is constantly searching for enlightenment but is held back by his own pride and regrets. Oogway is a zen master who is so laidback he's horizontal. The Furious Five are generic hero types confident in their own abilities. Tai Lung is the usual seemingly unstoppable bad guy with a connection to Shifu. The dialogue is peppered with fortune cookie wisdom and surf dude exhortations courtesy of Jack Black. It fits the kung fu kitsch sensibilities of the movie, but I could have done with fewer mentions of "awesomeness" which sounds like a misplaced attempt at being down with the kids.
The filmmakers once more go for a big name voice cast without giving most of them enough to do. Jack Black gives a very animated performance (if you'll pardon the pun) as the voice of Po. You can feel the energy radiating from behind the microphone as the character bumbles his way through slapstick situations. Black brings his usual brand of slacker surf-dude to the part that suits the role's dreamy outlook. Dustin Hoffman seems to be having fun as the voice of red panda Shifu, giving his latest apprentice a hard time and throwing out fortune cookie wisdom as though he means it. Ian McShane growls his way through the part of Tai Lung as any good villain would. But Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen and David Cross struggle to come up with a personality between them as the Furious Five because they have so little screen-time. Jolie in particular sounds bored by the whole affair. It's the lesser known actors that shine, such as Randall Duk Kim as the voice of Oogway and James Hong as Po's father. They bring a great deal of energy and enthusiasm to their roles that makes the characters stand out when they are on screen.
The original music by John Powell and Hans Zimmer combines traditional eastern sounds that would fit any kung fu movie and western orchestrations that try to fill the gaps in-between. So there are lots of reed flute motifs and big brassy kung fu themes whenever the Furious Five turns up or there is any kind of martial arts milestone. The reality of Po's life is accompanied by plucked strings and woodwinds. Tai Lung warrants his own forbidding brass theme. The choosing of the dragon warrior occurs against a backdrop of feadog and regal themes. A major character's death is underlaid by traditional sad Chinese strings. The Pool of Tears is represented by big choral arrangements as is the big fight. Meanwhile the finale is accompanied by sprightly flute and drum driven celebratory music. Overall the music is appropriate to the style and content of the movie although jack Black's rendition of "Kung Fu Fighting" over the end credits is unnecessary.
"Kung Fu Panda" is a fun family film that will appeal to kids that are into programmes like "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" with its blend of martial arts and slapstick. But adults will enjoy it for its kung fu references and it's unlikely you'll drop off watching it. However, the animation still can't compete with the likes of Pixar and the comedy is impeded by stodgy timing. So it isn't one of those films that will make you go "Wow!" or stay with you for very long after you've watched it. But if you're looking for something to keep the kids occupied for an hour-and-a-bit, you could do worse.

I watched Kung Fu Panda after a recommendation from a friend and thoroughly enjoyed it.

It is the kind of thing that the Dreamworks studio seems to just 'knock out' these days and yet if you think about the animation it's incredibly impressive. There are a lot of quick, intricately choreographed scenes with very dynamic 'camera' angles and positions, all of which is brilliantly animated.

The characterisation is also good, with Jack Black putting in his usual turn as the large but loveable misfit (he voices the main Panda character). Other star voices include Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie and Lucy Liu.

The story is fairly familiar and thus predictable but there is enough comedy and nice moments to make sure you are still engaged and the film keeps the length short enough to maintain pace. I'd recommend this for adults and children alike - yet another great Dreamworks production.

Kung Fu Panda is currently being shown on TV at the moment, so I thought I'd give it a go. I thought it was brilliant! I'm an adult and watched it with my wife, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it.

The animation was superb, and the story line great. I didn't sit there once thinking the movie was moving along too slow... in fact it was quite fast paced and kept me interested all the way through.

I found it caters for adults and children alike, with some hidden adult jokes etc. The length of the movie was perfect. If you have an hour or so to kill on a Sunday afternoon, I'd definitely stick this one on.

I'd recommend this movie. Go watch it now!

I loved Kung Fu Panda. Now im not young but i loved this film. And I also thought that this film had a good plot who couldnt like this film.KUNG FU PANDA is very funny run by the drive of food. VERY GOOD

This is a very funny and entertaining family movie, the characters were great. My favourite was the prying mantis and it was enjoyed by the kids and adults. This is a must have for any DVD collection.

Kung Fu Panda has amazing graphics and a good story but it's a bit cliched. Overall, it was a good film but it seemed cliched in parts. We've already had this story before, haven't we? Misfit makes good?

Amazing graphics made up for a slightly lame story.

I usually don't write movie reviews, but for KUNG FU PANDA I'll make an exception. It's a great family movie for those with kids old enough to enjoy a feature film and it's something the parents will have fun watching too. The story centers around a rotund and slacker panda named Po who works in his father's noodle shop but longs to be a kung fu fighter. Through happen stance the Supreme Master, Oogway, chooses Po to become the Dragon Warrior and train with the Furious Five ( Tigress, Monkey, Viper, Crane and Mantis) under the watchful eye of Master Shifu at the Jade Temple training facility, high above the Valley of Peace where Po lives. Enter the villain, snow leopard Tai Lung, who feels he is the rightful Dragon Warrior and you have the makings of not only a fun family movie but a true comedy and an action, adventure film. I highly recommend this film to everyone that likes to have a good time at the cinema.