The Amazing Panda Adventure (1995)

20% of critics liked it
(10 reviews)
46% of users liked it
(8,693 ratings)

This family adventure concerns Ryan (Ryan Slater), a ten-year-old boy who has traveled to China with his father, a scientist working with a wildlife preserve dedicated to the rescue and protection of giant pandas, who are quickly becoming an endangered species in their native land. However, the… More This family adventure concerns Ryan (Ryan Slater), a ten-year-old boy who has traveled to China with his father, a scientist working with a wildlife preserve dedicated to the rescue and protection of giant pandas, who are quickly becoming an endangered species in their native land. However, the preserve is faced with a severe budget cut that would close them down unless they can produce a living panda cub. Ryan, his father Michael (Stephen Lang), and a local girl acting as translator (Huang Fei) set out in search of a baby panda. However, when they find one, the bear is being pursued by poachers. Ryan becomes separated from the rest of the group, and he alone must guide the young panda to the safety of the preserve, with the hunters hot on his trail and without the help of his father or their translator. The Amazing Panda Adventure was shot on location in Mainland China's Sichuan province. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 33 min.
Directed By: Christopher Cain
Genres: Action & Adventure, Kids & Family

In Theaters: Aug 25, 1995 Wide
On DVD: Sep 3, 2002
Studio: Warner Home Video

Critic Reviews

Daniel M. Kimmel, Variety
Harmless family fare might be deemed politically correct for its concern for endangered species, but whitewashing of Chinese regime will strike adults... as somewhat bizarre.
Susan Wloszczyna, USA Today
Pandas are many things. Adorable fuzzballs. Voracious eaters. Vanishing species. But, as actors, they are black and white and dull all over, which The Amazing Panda Adventure demonstrates all too well.
Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media
Adorable real pandas but otherwise sappy animal adventure.
Staci Layne Wilson, StaciWilson.com
Click to read the article.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Fine family film about the ties that bind-both human and animal.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

We really didn't need another kid and his animal picture, but it seems we can't escape them. This one has a panda, and is sort of like Free Willy.
erika b

really good action.
Dillon L

Not a terrible kids movie, just a rediculous one.
a b

This is like Homeward Bound, but in China. I've seen it about 3 or 4 times. Highly recommended. Did you know that pandas eat bananas if they can find them? Also eggs and fish. Also, did you know that China loans out its pandas to foreign zoos for one million dollars per… More
This is like Homeward Bound, but in China. I've seen it about 3 or 4 times. Highly recommended. Did you know that pandas eat bananas if they can find them? Also eggs and fish. Also, did you know that China loans out its pandas to foreign zoos for one million dollars per year? And all cubs are automatically labeled "property" of the PRC. Also, before they were scientifically catagorized in 1901, they were called "Mottled Bears." Very interesting.
Sunil J

A really fun kid's adventure movie that I watched many times.
Richard F

There's nothing amazing about this adventure, except for some nice cinematography, a decent score, and some awfully cute pandas. It's been a while since I've seen action sequences that appear to be spoofs of themselves (this is by no means a comedy). The casting is just… More
There's nothing amazing about this adventure, except for some nice cinematography, a decent score, and some awfully cute pandas. It's been a while since I've seen action sequences that appear to be spoofs of themselves (this is by no means a comedy). The casting is just atrocious, and the writing is only a bit better. And if I were in charge of special effects, I would have chosen to leave my name off of the credits. I would only recommend this to pop into the DVD player at bedtime for your toddler, it works as a good sedative.