Kung Fu Panda Cinema DVD Review
Kung Fu Panda is a CG-animated film about a slacker panda, Po (voiced by funnyman actor Jack Black), who just so happened to be a HUGE fan of Kung Fu. Unfortunately, Po is working in his family’s noodle shop, but when he’s called upon to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po gets to live the dream and study Kung Fu under his idols, the Furious Five – Tigress (voiced by Angelina Jolie), Crane (voiced by David Cross), Mantis (voiced by everymen/funnyman actor Seth Rogen), Viper (voiced by Lucy Liu) and Monkey (voiced by none other than Jackie Chan) – and their guru, Master Shifu (voiced by the incomparable Dustin Hoffman). When danger strikes close to home, Po must rise to the occasion and become a master of his own destiny.
While many animated films are aimed at children, it’s clear that Kung Fu Panda is a family affair. The film is a DreamWorks romp full of slapstick humor and martial arts action that sends a positive message—if you try hard enough and believe in yourself, you will succeed.
Kung Fu Panda is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen that’s been enhanced for 16×9 televisions, with audio offered in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Subtitles are available in optional English, Spanish, and French languages, and there’s also a Spanish 5.1 surround track, as well as English and French 2.0 Stereo options available.
Extras include the standard directors’ commentary with Jim Stevenson and Mark Osborne, in which they discuss symbolism and themes that popped up throughout the film (as with most commentary, there’s not much here the kids will enjoy). The featurette “Meet the Cast” runs approximately 13 minutes and features interviews with various cast, including Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Seth Rogen and Jackie Chan.
The next featurette, “Pushing the Boundaries” is seven minutes covering the technical aspects of Kung Fu Panda. The featurette “Sound Design” is close to four minutes and features the work of sound designer Ethan Van Der Ryn and his crew, who created most of the sound effects by hand.
The featurette “Mr. Ping’s Noodle House” runs about four and a half minutes and offers a look at Mr. Chow’s noodle restaurant (featured in the film) and how noodles are made. The quick featurette “How to Use Chopsticks” is a three-minute tutorial regarding proper use of chopsticks.
The final featurette, “Conservation International: How to Save Wild Pandas”, is close to two minutes narrated by Jack Black that offers information on the nature of the panda’s existence in the wild and the issue of dwindling bamboo supply in China’s forest. In addition, there’s a music video: Kung Fu Fighting featuring Cee-Lo, and an interactive game called a Dragon Warrior Training Academy.
Kung Fu Panda is an animated film for the whole family, and includes plenty of action and humor, as well as lessons with heart. Fun family entertainment like Kung Fu Panda gets four out of five stars.