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Kung Fu Panda - 18/7/2006 2:24:16 PM

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Post #: 1

Excellent - 30/6/2008 9:55:55 AM

kinge247

Posts: 383
Joined: 8/3/2006
From: Somewhere away from you!

Saw this on saturday at the preview screenings. It starts with a dream sequence which is pure Genius, Jack Black is god and his voiceover is hilarious and then kicks into a slowish beginning setting up how Po gets chosen as 'The Dragon Warrior' in a run of the mill odd family set up and slapstick sequence. You think its all gonna continue in the same vein until the Prison break section which is jaw droppingly well done. Love the Rhino Guards leader who remains optimistic of success right til the last second, voiced strongly by Michael Clarke Duncan. The relationship between Po and Shifu is really well drawn and Dustin Hoffman puts in a cracking turn as the Red Panda Master of the Dojo. Ian McShane is as always brilliant. Excellent movie, should stay in the memory unlike all the most recent dreamworks animations like, err? and the other one. Should keep the kids happy until Wall-E comes out anyway.

< Message edited by kinge247 -- 30/6/2008 10:00:08 AM >

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Post #: 2

Great flick for all ....... - 1/7/2008 11:32:16 AM

richm_drevil

Posts: 19
Joined: 7/9/2006

and unlike the main review, it does have some very decent laughs (the final acupuncture gag is a scream). The graphics are gorgeous, Black & Hoffman play well, McShane channels Shere Khan to great effect, but the rest of the star cast were woefully underused (especially Jackie Chan). Outside of that, it were great!

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RE: Great flick for all ....... - 5/7/2008 2:17:43 PM

4aces

Posts: 112
Joined: 27/11/2005

There is no charge for awesomeness.. Only the charge for your ticked. Go see it now. I had no hopes for this film. Because two of my favorite animation and kung fu was going to be merged. How could that ever succeed into something exiting? And offcours Dreamworks previous mediocre animated outings didn't help to inspire greatness. But this is a whole new level for them and almost gets to Pixar's hights of awesomeness. Visually gorgeous and some really nice designs make you feel like you are in a old kung fu movie. Also you feel for the characters wich Dreamworks never had with their other animated movies. The balance of jokes and kungfu seriousness are perfectly balanced making it an exiting watch. I totally loved it.

****/*****

< Message edited by 4aces -- 5/7/2008 2:22:00 PM >

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Post #: 4

Skaboosh! - 6/7/2008 8:51:03 AM

Glaswegian Impulse

Posts: 8
Joined: 1/4/2008

Awesome movie but I agree Jackie Chan was definetly underused.

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Post #: 5

- 6/7/2008 1:12:20 PM

Kev@CTU

Posts: 100
Joined: 10/5/2007

I've never been a fan of Dreamworks animation output, but I have to say that I was really impressed with Kung Fu Panda, Jack Blacks' voice talent made excellent and (spot on Empire) it does have the funniest slo-mo Ive ever seen! Definitely worth seeing!

Kv

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Post #: 6

- 6/7/2008 1:14:19 PM

Kev@CTU

Posts: 100
Joined: 10/5/2007

Did anyone else notice a similarity between the rabbit charecters and the rhino guards in this movie and Disney's Robin Hood?

Kv

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Post #: 7

- 6/7/2008 1:14:23 PM

Kev@CTU

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Joined: 10/5/2007

Did anyone else notice a similarity between the rabbit charecters and the rhino guards in this movie and Disney's Robin Hood?

Kv

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Post #: 8

- 6/7/2008 1:21:03 PM

Kev@CTU

Posts: 100
Joined: 10/5/2007

Did anyone else notice a similarity between the rabbit charecters and the rhino guards in this movie and Disney's Robin Hood?

Kv

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Post #: 9

RE: - 6/7/2008 7:53:55 PM

DJ Rob C: Mark II!

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From: Christmas town

Brilliantly animated and very funny, especially on the IMAX, this is a treat for all ages.... well worth seeing

4/5

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Post #: 10

RE: Kung Fu Panda - 6/7/2008 9:01:31 PM

Woodpecker Two

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Joined: 6/7/2008

With a formidable cast, great title and promising trailers Kung Fu panda looked like it was set to be a brillant film....

However it was anything but. The comedy.....well to be fair there was absoutely no humourous moments in this film. AT ALL. Even the classic slapstick that came in the form of the Kung-Fu was poor and didn't even make the kids in the cinema laugh.

The casts potential and talent in this film was wasted completly. I mean when you've got Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie and Seth Rogen on your side you can't really go wrong. However it seems the directors of this film, Mark Osborne and John Stevenson, have still managed to completley screw this film up!!!

The graphics, like the vast majority of animation films today, were good but they weren't special. After all don't we just take good animation for granted nowadays?

Overall Kung Fu Panda is a disappointing, boring and overrated animation which couldn't make five year olds, let alone adults. This years must not see.

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Post #: 11

Panda Power!!!! - 7/7/2008 8:38:05 AM

dragonINC

Posts: 66
Joined: 22/2/2006

this is easily on par with most of the pixar films & for that I applaude it!!! The animation was spot on, the pacing was great, the comedy WAS funny and the action was awesome!!! what more could u ask for!!!! I saw this in the IMAX format & enjoyed every second of it, Highly recommended. Why were the villagers all bunnies & pigs............................cos they can be!!!!

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Post #: 12

RE: Panda Power!!!! - 7/7/2008 11:34:51 AM

DONOVAN KURTWOOD

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From: PLANET G

awful, but my GF enjoyed it

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Post #: 13

RE: Panda Power!!!! - 7/7/2008 2:07:35 PM

broonie

Posts: 866
Joined: 30/9/2005

Not too bad a film, well from what I saw of it, as I had my own two kids, two of thier cousins and three of their friends along to see this film on Saturday. So when I wasn't being designated juice, crisp & sweet provider (all purchased at a � shop as no f***ing way was I forking out for all of them at the cinema kiosk), I did enjoy what I saw. Will be just taking my own two kids though to see WallE though.

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Post #: 14

I'm Amazed! - 7/7/2008 10:29:52 PM

The Kevmiester

Posts: 56
Joined: 6/1/2006
From: Edinburgh

I thought this might be good, but by god! From the brilliant opening anime styled sequence i was hooked. Sure its not perfect, the slow motion punch in the face gag is used far too much and why pay top dollar for jlie, liu and chan when they only speak about two lines, dont add much and wern't even mentioned in the advertising campaign. But is still great, though unfortunate that it comes out in the same year as Walle as it is bound to be overshadowed, which is a shame as this is the best dreamworks film to date, and yes i include shrek in that. I'm not saying its better than Walle, they are both seperate films, strangly Walle feels more art-housy than the blockbuster box ticking kung-fu panda, but is a little box ticking such a bad thing? Very funny, excellent fight sequences, brilliant music (no fiftenn minuter pop stars here! Well at least not untill the end) i honestly found myself getting a little teary eyed by the end. Superb!

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Post #: 15

Kung Fu'd! - 8/7/2008 10:32:04 PM

jorvik

Posts: 32
Joined: 19/3/2007

Just got back from watching this, and i have to say how amazed i was by the visuals. The fight scenes, chiefly the prison break and the showdown on the bridge are choreographed to perfection, i was on the edge of my seat throughout. Voice acting was top notch, although i feel jackie chan was waaaay underused. This film aint pushing any boundaries but i feel in a genre which is saturated which 2 star efforts this more than holds its own.. My opinion, better than shrek and nemo, but not quite toy story.

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Post #: 16

Kung Fu'd! - 8/7/2008 10:33:00 PM

jorvik

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Post #: 17

Kung Fu'd! - 8/7/2008 10:33:16 PM

jorvik

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Post #: 18

RE: Kung Fu'd! - 10/7/2008 11:52:05 AM

filmburner30

Posts: 1546
Joined: 5/12/2006
From: guildford

Really enjoyed this and after the Mess of Shrek3 and the Dullness of Bee Movie ,Dreamworks gets its right.

Loved Jack Black as Po and they sly in jokes (Kill Bill for a start) the action was top grade and the lack of pop culture references which made Shrek 3 soo boring were kept in check.

Also comparing these Films to The PIXAR movies is pointless ,Enjoy this film on it own merits i say 8/10

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Post #: 19

RE: Kung Fu'd! - 10/7/2008 9:09:47 PM

Sphinx

Posts: 1805
Joined: 11/9/2006
From: East London

Fun and Enjoyable, It was good for the dream sequence to be the old-fashioned 2-D Kind. Jack Black is like Marmite, you either love him or hate him. It was great to see the acting heavyweight that is Dustin Hoffman jump on the Pixar bandwagon.

Quite a few funny moments, most unexpected was the tortoise trying to be wise and all-knowing as he tries to blow out a candle, turns to speak then tries to blow another even though he's very old and there are dozens more to go.

Jackie Chan was underused, but any meagre morsel of Jackie Chan is still well..........Good Jackie Chan!

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Post #: 20

Kung Fu Panda - 11/7/2008 4:40:30 PM

haygaz

Posts: 32
Joined: 21/1/2006
From: ipswich

With great opening credits i thought here we go. but then came a so-so first half hour with few laughs. then suddenley as Po is to become the chosen one the film springs into life. slap stick kung fu and a good bad guy too match. with a great voice cast Jack Black, Dustin hoffman and Ian McShane having fun as the snarling snow leopard. pity about the slow begining

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Post #: 21

kung fun panda! - 14/7/2008 11:24:44 AM

distortEd

Posts: 53
Joined: 15/11/2005

Thanks Empire! Wasn't sure if I wanted to see this, but the review made me want to see it. Glad I did, 'cause this is one enjoyable film!!

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Post #: 22

cover me in chocolate and feed me to the pandas - 14/7/2008 1:21:21 PM

mikeypotts

Posts: 2
Joined: 7/3/2007

even if the stunning animation is'nt good enough for you, you should stil appreciate the way in which jack black manages to be funny even through the actions of a panda.

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Post #: 23

cover me in chocolate and feed me to the pandas - 14/7/2008 1:21:42 PM

mikeypotts

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even if the stunning animation is'nt good enough for you, you should stil appreciate the way in which jack black manages to be funny even through the actions of a panda.

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Post #: 24

Kung Fu Panda - 15/7/2008 9:41:16 AM

Film Buff

Posts: 179
Joined: 7/7/2006
From: Cornwall, England

I watched this film on Sunday and absolutely loved it! I thought it was hilarious, the action scenes were cool and the animation was eye catching. Highly recommended by me!

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Post #: 25

Kungin' Fantastic - 15/7/2008 11:20:52 AM

Angusto

Posts: 45
Joined: 19/6/2006

I saw this film last night with mild skepticism, I always view Dreamsworks efforts with a bit of a cloud of cynicism (all trhe cisms coming out!) due to the lack of quality in Madagascar, Shark Tale and more recently Bee Movie. However I was blown away by Kung Fu Panda. I would agree that the film sags, in my opinion when Po first begins his training, there is a short while when it seems to be merely "Po tries to do Kung Fu, ends up getting hit/falls over" however after the breathtaking escape of Tai Leung the film so picks up. I also thought the humour was far better than the usual Dreamworks standard of jokes offering humour that will last a lot longer than 10 years. I thought the characters were fantastic, script well paced and the visuals mind blowing. Plus, Seth Rogen as a parying Mantis? Match made in heaven...

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Post #: 26

RE: Kungin' Fantastic - 15/7/2008 7:55:22 PM

Yvash

Posts: 25
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: the Shadow Gallery

You know, you have to pity Dreamworks.

If this was any other year, perhaps one without Wall*E in it, Kung Fu Panda would have soared through the heavens.

There is a price for attractiveness, and finally Dreamworks have paid it. This is the best looking movie they've ever released. Bar none. If I was behind the Madagascar II trailer that came on before the main feature I'd have cringed. Kung Fu Panda is the first time Dreamworks have approached Pixar's legendary attention to detail. And it's not just the characters that are alive - even the backgrounds flow, bursting with subtle colours (Dreamworks pictures never have any atmosphere - not so Kung Fu Panda, which pulls your pants open at the front and pours it in till you grin) and heavenly mists over the gorgeous mountaintop scenery. The opening cell animation style dream sequence alone was so beautifully done I was almost disappointed when it crashed into CG, but I was won over all over again in a few seconds.

However, Kung Fu Panda is a Kung Fu movie first, a cartoon second. So much attention has been lavished on the kung fu choreography - yes, of course it's super-stylised CG wire-fu but the sheer speed and fluidity - the animators are not condescending their audiences at all. It's lightning fast, like it should be, and spotted here and there with superb usage of slow-mo for both laughs and thrills. The characterisation is spot on, although as many reviewers have remarked, the 'Furious Five' are somewhat sidelined, though arguably they get the finest scene in the movie to themselves (not to let the cat out of the bag - or should that be snow leopard out of the mountain prison?) in a particularly death-defying ropebridge encounter with Ian McShane's perfectly pitched badguy, Tai Leung.
Jack Black is great as Po - it's clearly a role he relishes and fully makes Po his own without being too Jack Black. You know what I mean.

But in all honesty, the star of the show is the wonderful, ancient Master Oogway. Randall Duk Kim instills in him a sense of perfect calm, wisdom and peace, and his gently shaky movements and gurningly loveable face light up the screen for every second he's on it.

Thoroughly recommended. Even if you're a Dreamworks cynic, like me - Kung Fu Panda deserves to be seen.

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No charge for awsomeness - 17/7/2008 1:23:31 PM

beancounter

Posts: 69
Joined: 30/9/2005

This was a thoroughly entertaining film, with moments of genius (prison break), sublime comedy (opening sequence) and enough in between to keep both children and their adults entertained. My kids are still talking about it two weeks later.

In terms of quality, it is one of Dreamworks' best films - back up to the standards of Shrek but with much more beautiful visuals (Japanese scenery). Following that line of thought, I'm guessing there will be a KFP2 and KFP3, which will probably follow the law of diminishing quality that such things tend to obey.

It isn't up to the standards of Pixar (not even their short films) but is definitely worth seeing, with or without children. It's also something I will buy on DVD when the time comes (for the kids, you understand, not me ;o) ).

In terms of memorable films from 2008, I'm expecting this to be mentioned in the same breath as WALL-E (not yet seen) for some time.

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RE: No charge for awsomeness - 18/7/2008 7:45:17 PM

mackey

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Brilliant fun from start to finish and excellent voice work from the entire cast. The prison breakout scene is the best action set piece I've seen all year.

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RE: No charge for awsomeness - 21/7/2008 11:56:47 PM

Paul2j

Posts: 107
Joined: 30/9/2005

Dreamworks are very hit and miss - this is one of their biggest hits. Po the Panda is a very likeable character most of the time, and the backstory with Master Shifu and Tai Lung is a good idea. Oogway is amazing, and his prophecies were a great touch. Definitely worth catching.

8/10

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Post #: 30