KUNG FU PANDA
CAROLINE: As you know, I’m not one to enjoy an animated children’s film. But the newest one, “Kung Fu Panda,” starring the voice of Jack Black is actually decent.
RYAN: I’d like to point out that you surprised even yourself at how much you were laughing in the first five minutes of the movie.
CAROLINE: I did laugh a lot in the beginning, but then my chortles died down a little.
RYAN: I think you had to remind yourself that you’re not supposed to be enjoying a kids’ movie since you never like them. So I will try to give an unbiased account, which is that this is an excellent movie for its target audience. The animation is gorgeous.
CAROLINE: I will concede that this movie is very well made and has a very cute story line. As far as animated movies go, I enjoyed this one more than most. But as always with kids’ movies, I started to lose it after about an hour, and I was like, “OK, this movie needs to end now.” And it’s only 90 minutes, so it’s fine.
RYAN: I was totally into this movie. It’s not as good as “Horton Hears a Who” though, and sadly, it’s completely predictable. I would have liked to the story to be a tiny bit more challenging.
CAROLINE: Seriously? LBH, it’s a kids’ movie. What are you expecting, some kind of M. Night Shyamalan twist? It wouldn’t have ever occurred to me to say it’s too predictable. Of course it is! It’s for kids.
RYAN: I’m not saying it needed a twist, but the movie is basically just a set up and resolve. It started to lag for me too about two-thirds of the way through, but then it picked up again and ended quickly. I loved hearing the voice talents of Lucy Liu and Angelina Jolie. Dustin Hoffman also does an excellent job.
CAROLINE: He’s practically the lead. He has a huge part. I think that’s what makes movies like this tolerable for me; being able to hear celebrities’ voices that I like and can identify. This one also has Seth Rogen and Ian McShane. And Jack Black does such a great job. Every time I heard his voice I could picture him and how funny he is, which really contributed to my enjoyment of the film. And the animation really is stellar.
RYAN: When I look back at my favorite classic Disney films like “Cinderella,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” and even “The Little Mermaid,” I miss how they don’t make 2-D cartoons anymore. But then knowing how amazing today’s animation is, it makes it all better. I’m just waiting for a proper fairy tale musical!
CAROLINE: I’m sure it’s just a matter of time till you get your wish. Bottom line?
RYAN: The animation in this movie is as good as it is in Pixar films like “Ratatouille” and “Finding Nemo,” and the kids are going to love it. My 6-year-old nephew is very excited.
CAROLINE: Parents should take note that it’s rated PG, not G. There’s a lot of kung fu and violence and a scary bad guy. His menacing eyes might have freaked me out as a kid. So maybe the young young ones should skip it, and if you’re an old old one like me, there are worse animated movies out there than this one. It’s pretty fun, I must admit.