Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Featured Audience Ratings

• John M

  
  A fun movie that me and my daughter both enjoyed. Skadoosh!!

• Directors C

  
  The action sequences featuring the animals created are imaginative and the animation is probably the BEST i've ever seen in a dreamworks production joint with Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and its sequel Kung Fu Panda 2. The voice acting is good, it's funny, it's… More
  The action sequences featuring the animals created are imaginative and the animation is probably the BEST i've ever seen in a dreamworks production joint with Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and its sequel Kung Fu Panda 2. The voice acting is good, it's funny, it's amazing.

• Phil H

  
  Great movie, absolutely brilliant fun, I'll be honest, its not exactly hilarious, there are funny moments sure but not as many as you think, and the ones there are are alittle childish and predictable. This film is about the look and style, its breathtaking, its easily the best… More
  Great movie, absolutely brilliant fun, I'll be honest, its not exactly hilarious, there are funny moments sure but not as many as you think, and the ones there are are alittle childish and predictable. This film is about the look and style, its breathtaking, its easily the best looking film for some time, since 'Cars' maybe. The Oriental vista's are gorgeous and dreamlike in appearance, the landscapes, skies, colours, trees, buildings, clouds, its all beautiful, a true work of art and amazing achievement. You must see this film purely for this, makes you wanna go to China on your next hols haha. The story is cliched and predictable right from the start, usual 'Karate Kid' setup, but the characters are quite original and cool, Tiger, Mantis, Stalk, Monkey and Snake, all experts in their own style. Again, all the characters look fantastic, truely perfect in their smooth brightly coloured clothes with perfect detail and lovely looking pattern and colour detail on their fur (Tiger, Monkey, Panda). The fights are great, the dumpling fight scene being the best for me hehe and the bridge fight against the baddie is good too. The voices all sit nicely with the characters, Jackie Chan in there as Monkey. The ending is abit flat but its a great kung fu ride. I really did enjoy this one, best animated film since 'Toy Story' for me but not as funny as hoped. 'Wow the fantastic five, your all much bigger in real life than your action figures, except you Mantis, your kinda the same size'

• John H

  
  [SORRY ABOUT THE DREADFUL WRITING. I ASSURE THAT I'LL EDIT THIS LATER.] I thought this was going to be a terrible movie with little excitement and no sense of direction. Well, I thought wrong. It was entertaining. Slow at first, but it picks up as the film goes on. I was amazed… More
  [SORRY ABOUT THE DREADFUL WRITING. I ASSURE THAT I'LL EDIT THIS LATER.] I thought this was going to be a terrible movie with little excitement and no sense of direction. Well, I thought wrong. It was entertaining. Slow at first, but it picks up as the film goes on. I was amazed by the colorful visuals. The animation seemed a little limited - like not quite "MADAGASCAR bad", but not exactly "SHREK" either. The story itself was the most impressive aspect of KUNG FU PANDA. It was about wanting to be more than what you're capable of. It showed how a man [by man i mean Panda] who thinks his dreams are too far from reach for him, is what actually becomes his destiny. He didn't choose to live out his dream... he was chosen. And as that story continued, another went on as well. A lonesome father [again, I'm not talking about any humans here] looks after an abandoned baby and raises it as his own. he teaches him to defend himself and makes him grow to be a power-obsessed psycho. The father is too attached to him to hurt him, even though he knows he must be stopped. This film has two sides to it: Power and Belief. It's all about trying to obtain the ultimate power and to be Unstoppable. But it's somewhat cancelled out by the actually purpose which is: To get want you want, you just have to believe in yourself<br /><br />Even though i gave this movie only 3 stars and i honestly wish i could convince myself to raise my rating, i will definitely give this movie 2 thumbs up and Recommendation for "Good Movie For 2008".

• Matt G

  
  Super awesome. A great family film from Dreamworks that benefits from its slick visuals and astounding voice cast.

• Alexander D

  
  Better than the second, which I saw first. Very spectacular animation.

• Lady D

  
  A rewatch in time for the release of the sequel. Kung Fu Panda is highly philosophical in it's teachings, there is such beauuty in it's animation with an authentic setting of Asian influences. Researched well, it encompasses many qualities of Kung fu movies and it delivers… More
  A rewatch in time for the release of the sequel. Kung Fu Panda is highly philosophical in it's teachings, there is such beauuty in it's animation with an authentic setting of Asian influences. Researched well, it encompasses many qualities of Kung fu movies and it delivers a great underdog story.

• Cynthia S

  
  A masterpiece of hilarity. One of our favorite animated stories that gets turned on at our house every time we catch it on. Loads of fun!

• Dean !

  
  A greatly detailed animation film that is full of fun. You can tell when an animation film has had a lot of time, care and thought put into it. The quality of the lighting, shadows, reflections and even fur are up there with the best animations. It's bright and colourful as well… More
  A greatly detailed animation film that is full of fun. You can tell when an animation film has had a lot of time, care and thought put into it. The quality of the lighting, shadows, reflections and even fur are up there with the best animations. It's bright and colourful as well to appeal to the kids. Didn't notice the strong voice cast until the credits came up including Jackie Chan, to have all of them in one film is impressive, in an animated film even more so. This is a funny film all ages should enjoy. Looking forward to the sequel out now!

• xGary X

  
  A clumsy and gluttonous panda is revealed to be the chosen one to become the Dragon Warrior and defeat the evil former student of his master. Kung Fu Panda pretty much does what it says on the tin. It's exactly the kind of Americanized version of Eastern culture I was expecting,… More
  A clumsy and gluttonous panda is revealed to be the chosen one to become the Dragon Warrior and defeat the evil former student of his master. Kung Fu Panda pretty much does what it says on the tin. It's exactly the kind of Americanized version of Eastern culture I was expecting, including the Karate Kid format, usual fortune cookie philosophy and pseudo-martial arts, right through to the slightly embarrassing use of Carl Douglas' Kung Fu Fighting for the credits. It is a very technically accomplished film however, with animation of a very high standard and some very, very pretty use of imagery. Jack Black also managed to dial himself down a notch so even those who find him terminally irritating should be able to swallow him for 90 minutes and it's all very difficult to dislike. I'm sure kids will get a kick out of seeing cutesy teddy bears kicking the stuffing out of each other, but for me it felt a bit like watching someone else play Fur Fighters crossed with the Yoda fight scenes from the prequels and seriously needed an injection of laughs for the adult audience. Inoffensive enough, but Mulan was better in my humble opinion.

• Fernando Rafael Q

  
  Yet another movie exploring the "from zero to hero" storyline; but this time, told in an original way, standing out for its great comedy. KUNG FU PANDA features flawless animation, backed by an effortlessly funny script, brought to life via an impressive voice work by an… More
  Yet another movie exploring the "from zero to hero" storyline; but this time, told in an original way, standing out for its great comedy. KUNG FU PANDA features flawless animation, backed by an effortlessly funny script, brought to life via an impressive voice work by an A-list cast.

• Michael E

  
  This is by far one of dreamworks funniest movies ever made lets just pray that the sequel doesn't suck

• KJ P

  
  Outrageously entertaining! Jack Black, along with the rest of the voice cast, does an incredible job of making us believe that these animals are actually part of a kung fu team. I loved this movie from beginning to end. The witty humour, the hidden adult humour, the fight sequences,… More
  Outrageously entertaining! Jack Black, along with the rest of the voice cast, does an incredible job of making us believe that these animals are actually part of a kung fu team. I loved this movie from beginning to end. The witty humour, the hidden adult humour, the fight sequences, the visuals, and the storytelling, are all small parts that come together to make this movie one to remember. Dreamworks has definitely hit it's mark in super-stardom. Common sense has just been kicked into me and I am ready for so much more. This movie is just not enough. Kung Fu Panda is incredible!!!

• Aaron N

  
  Po: Wow, your all so much bigger than your action figures. Except you Mantis, your pretty much the same. This movie proved to be way more enjoyable than I thought it would be. It combines wonderful animation with some great humor from the performers and over the top zaniness that… More
  Po: Wow, your all so much bigger than your action figures. Except you Mantis, your pretty much the same. This movie proved to be way more enjoyable than I thought it would be. It combines wonderful animation with some great humor from the performers and over the top zaniness that reflects recent action scene in various wire-fu movies. It all works to be the best computer-animated Dreamworks film since the original Shrek. Jack Black stars as the title Panda, Po, practicing what is essentially Jack Blackanese throughout. He is a heavy weight panda, working for his father (a goose) in a noodle shop. Po is also a huge fan of the Kung Fu warriors living in a temple on the highest mountain. Through what appear to be a series of misunderstandings, Po is suddenly chosen as a skilled warrior, known as the Dragon Master. This is obviously objected to the other professionally trained warriors and their masters, but they attempt to try and make him leave. Po persists and eventually becomes more liked among them. Po: Maybe I should just quit and go back to selling noodles. Oogway: Quit, don't quit? Noodles, don't noodles? Meanwhile, a villainous former warrior has escaped from prison, with the intent of returning to the temple to cause some trouble. It eventually comes up to Po, of course, to stop him, after learning some secrets of the trade on the way. The story is really nothing new for fans of both kung fu films and family oriented comedies, but its all in the execution, and this movie succeeds, so Skadoosh! Along with Jack Black, the film features a really high list of credible stars including Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogan, David Cross, Ian McShane, and Michael Clarke Duncan. While Jolie is kinda a bitch throughout, and Chan is virtually unused, Rogan delivers a lot of laughs through his lines and character of Mantis and Hoffman's back story is surprisingly effective to the characters. James Hong (Pai Mai in Big Trouble Little China, among other roles) also worked for me as Po's consistently spirited father. The animation is also amazing. It always astounds me that these CG movies keep improving upon themselves to look even better than the last. I still remember being taken by Shrek, let alone Toy Story. Gives me even further hopes for Pixar's upcoming Wall-E. Still, for this movie, everything is wonderful, fully imagining the abilities of these characters, combined with a large variety of skillfully handled action sequences. It was also nice to see this movie stay focused in its own zone and not use pop culture references throughout. I don't object to this in other films if it works, but its nice to have more plot and character oriented humor for a bit of a change. This movie was wonderfully entertaining, containing a lot of memorable moments and good use of a simple premise. Tail Lung: Who are you? Po: [exhausted from climbing the stairs] I am the dragon master. Tai Lung: You? But your a panda. What are you going to do, sit on me? Po: Don't tempt me.

• Bently L

  
  This review coincides with the sequel's release, which is today. I like this movie and I thought it got the good reviews it deserved. I do think it is slightly overrated but I think most of the reviews that have 90% and 100% are just one thing: overreaction. I'm talking to… More
  This review coincides with the sequel's release, which is today. I like this movie and I thought it got the good reviews it deserved. I do think it is slightly overrated but I think most of the reviews that have 90% and 100% are just one thing: overreaction. I'm talking to you, Gavin the Moviejunkie1994! The plot follows an orphaned panda who is being raised by a goose who owns a soup restaurant. His name is Po and dreams of becoming a Kung Fu fighter. He ends up becoming a Dragon Warrior (most powerful type of warrior in this film) as told in an ancient prophecy. So him and the Furious Five (the group of other warriors) must protect the valley from the evil Tai Lung who has escaped from a security breach prison. Pretty cool. However, clumsiness gets in the way. The first in a young franchise, "Kung Fu Panda" has a very familiar premise that is spiced up with talking animals from Ancient China and good martial arts action scenes. I liked the characters but didn't really feel anything for them. Can pandas really fight in actuality? No. I know this an animated film but these aren't characters I can get attached to. They're both memorable and a tad forgettable. The voice acting is great! Jack Black perfectly suits the bumbling idiot panda and I liked Dustin Hoffman as the sensei, or trainer, or whatever you want to call it, Master Shifu. David Cross was okay, Jackie Chan was good, but I thought the best of the Furious Five was Tigeress played by Angelina Jolie. Mmmm. I also had a thing for Seth Rogen as Mantis. Had like one line but it was funny. When I see the sequel, and the future sequels, I hope he has more lines. Th writing was just right for the plot. Po the Panda had funny lines and the voice acting complimented them. The animation was good but was a little annoying. The backgrounds were amazingly designed. The thing I don't like about Dreamworks is how they can never stick to one animation style. "Shrek" had its own, "Madagascar" and "Megamind" look similar, "Antz, "Bee Movie" and "Over the Hedge" all shared one, and "How to Train Your Dragon" has its own as well. However, I liked this style. At some points, I didn't dig the design of some of the characters, especially the extras in the film. But the anime sequence was very cool. Looked like a loyal parody to the "Samurai Jack" style. Lastly, the action. Its what sold this movie to me. Very good action indeed. I like some of my martial arts films to be stylized. "Kung Fu Panda" was very stylized. However, I only really liked the action scenes with the Furious Five. The ones with Po were a bit stupid. The action tries to be comical at some points. Maybe a bit too comical. I would've payed $20 or more to see Tai Lung's prison break scene and the fight over the bridge on an IMAX screen. They kicked arse. Major arse. Major arse on animated arse-kicking standards. The action was the best part. I may have to ultimately call this film Dreamworks' "Lion King". Its a good film that people overreact over them. But this film delivered a lot of laughs and action. It isn't one of the best animated films IMO and I don't find this to be 80%, 90%, or even 100% material. It managed to keep me busy and entertained. Great film! Lets cross our fingers and hope that Dreamworks does not make this franchise their next "Shrek". That would wreak. "There are no accidents." See what happens when this film and an upcoming superhero film starring Ryan Reynolds join forces: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dztvjZ4y9Ic&feature=feedbul

• Drake T

  
  Nothing like a delicious ball of slapstick comedy with animated Kung-Fu. It's nothing new, sure, all quite generic down to the message of self-esteem and "believing in yourself" crap that's littered all over youth media. But if you want something entertaining,… More
  Nothing like a delicious ball of slapstick comedy with animated Kung-Fu. It's nothing new, sure, all quite generic down to the message of self-esteem and "believing in yourself" crap that's littered all over youth media. But if you want something entertaining, funny and chalk full of astounding visuals to keep you amused... why not?

• Brad W

  
  Jack Black is tremendous as Po, this movie is a very worthy Dreamworks movie. I always laugh, Only with a few plot problems. I really enjoyed this movie.

• Dead A

  
  <i> When you focus on kung fu, when you concentrate... you stink.</i> Surprisingly, I liked Jack Black's voice over. Not a big fan of him but he did well here. All the kung fu moves were ah-mazing. Especially fight for a dumpling was awe-freaking-some. It's… More
  <i> When you focus on kung fu, when you concentrate... you stink.</i> Surprisingly, I liked Jack Black's voice over. Not a big fan of him but he did well here. All the kung fu moves were ah-mazing. Especially fight for a dumpling was awe-freaking-some. It's funny too (well sometimes). Watch it.

• Shawn E

  
  Kung Fu Panda is one of Dreamworks finest animated films. The visuals and voice acting are superb! The plot could have been a bit more original, but great humor and exciting action sequences help to overcome any doubt to this awesome animation. Great work Dreamworks, just don't… More
  Kung Fu Panda is one of Dreamworks finest animated films. The visuals and voice acting are superb! The plot could have been a bit more original, but great humor and exciting action sequences help to overcome any doubt to this awesome animation. Great work Dreamworks, just don't make too many sequels to it.

• Michael G

  
  Kung Fu Panda is surprisingly good. The animation is astounding and rivals anything that Pixar's ever done. The imagery was amazing (especially the opening dream sequence) and despite the fact that I couldn't really care less about most of the cast, the voice acting was… More
  Kung Fu Panda is surprisingly good. The animation is astounding and rivals anything that Pixar's ever done. The imagery was amazing (especially the opening dream sequence) and despite the fact that I couldn't really care less about most of the cast, the voice acting was pretty good. Maybe not having to look at them makes all the difference. Dare I say it, I'm sort of looking forward to the second one...

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