Kung Fu Panda
Probably the most anticipated CGI movie coming to DVD and Blu-Ray is here, Kung Fu Panda brings the awesomeness of Jack Black as Po the Panda.
Film making 23/25
Cinematography 23/25
Audio 24/25
Bonus Features 24/25
Total 94/100
Kung Fu Panda is that great computer animated film, no not the robot one, starring that big fur ball Po and the Fabulous Five. Po the panda dreams of nothing but kung fu and becoming a kung fu master like the Furious Five, those masters of kung fu that protect the Valley of Peace. Bringing him down to earth is his “adoptive” father goose Mr. Ping, they don’t explain the obvious adoption but do make light of it at least once.
Mr. Ping is a noodle restaurant purveyor who dreams of his son taking over the noodle business and continuing the long family legacy of their restaurant that was won in a Mahjong game. While his father dreams of handing down the family’s famous secret ingredient soup recipe to Po, the large kung fu dreamer is trying hard not goof up and help his father.
He does have several things going against him though; size not withstanding Po is literally a klutz and then some with no grace or style at all. His penchant for food is second only to his wish to be a kung fu master and when the announcement for appointing the Dragon Warrior comes he cannot wait to see who it will be.
Master Oogway announces that he foresees the escape from prison of the evil Tai Lung and he needs to appoint the Dragon Warrior to protect the Valley of Peace. The Dragon Scroll will be given to the Dragon Warrior to protect everyone in the Valley of Peace but the Master must appoint the Dragon Warrior first.
Tai Lung was once the student of Master Shifu who did not see the evil inside Tai Lung for Shifu was raising Tai Lung as his own son. Master Oogway, the older and wiser master, told Master Shifu of his students evil and would not allow Tai Lung to read the Dragon Scroll. Tai Lung insisted that Shifu and Oogway let him read the Dragon Scroll but when Oogway would not Tai Lung went into a rampage and tried to destroy the Valley of Peace.
The Dragon Scroll is a sacred writing that promises great power to the one who reads it and Tai Lung attempted to steal it but Master Oogway stopped him and had him thrown in prison. When word is sent out that Master Oogway is going to appoint someone to the position of Dragon Warrior and allow them to read the Dragon Scroll to protect the Valley of Peace everyone scurries to the formal ceremony.
Po’s father begs him to take the noodle cart to the Palace high on the mountain and sell noodles at the ceremony but when Po cannot pull the cart up he leaves it and rushes up. Po makes it to the top just in time to have the doors to the palace closed in his face and through several antics he tries his best to get inside to watch the ceremony.
When he fails in all his attempts he finally ties fireworks to a chair and ignites his way into the palace only to have himself plummeted into the center of the arena just as Oogway is appointing the Dragon Warrior. When Po opens his eyes Oogway is pointing at him, Oogway says the universe has given them their Dragon Warrior and Shifu must teach him kung fu.