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Kung Fu Panda [2008] | ![Kung Fu Panda [2008]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Dzl2z0FaL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Directors: John Stevenson, Mark Osborne
Actors: Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Black, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: £19.99
Buy New: £10.89
You Save: £9.10 (46%)
New (13) Used (2) Collectible (1) from £10.15
Rating:  28 reviews
Format: Pal
Languages: English (Subtitled), Flemish (Subtitled), Dutch (Subtitled), English (Original Language), Dutch (Original Language), Flemish (Original Language)
Rating: Parental Guidance
Region: 2
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 88 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5051189135835
ASIN: B0019M5XN2
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: November 17, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New Sealed. SUPERFAST DESPATCH & DELIVERY FROM KENT, SAME DAY!!
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
What's a panda to do when his dreams of kung-fu awesomeness awake to the cold reality of noodle-making? Clumsy, overweight Po (Jack Black) dreams of becoming a kung fu master like China's revered "furious five," but instead seems destined to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather in the restaurant business. When great leader Oogway has a vision that the imprisoned kung fu warrior Tai Lung (Ian McShane) will soon escape, he declares it time to choose China's dragon warrior--one kung fu master deemed worthy of possessing the dragon's scroll and its secret to limitless power. Po and all the townspeople rush to the Jade Palace atop the highest mountain to witness the contest between Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Crane (David Cross) and Viper (Lucy Liu), but Po is locked outside the palace. After a miracle of sorts, Po lands inside the palace gates, where he is chosen as the dragon warrior and placed under the tutelage of the decidedly non-plussed master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman). An unconventional student to say the least, hilarity reigns as Shifu tries desperately to make Po into some semblance of a kung fu warrior. Can Po possibly fulfill his destiny as dragon warrior, or was Oogway's final decision a critical mistake? A film rich with hilarious moments, superior animation, and an important message about believing in oneself and the power that comes from within, Kung Fu Panda is great entertainment that will have the whole family laughing and begging for more. (Ages 3 and older) --Tami Horiuchi
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| Customer Reviews:
 A Great Movie With A Great Message June 21, 2008
Steven Stewart (steveo.stewart@hotmail.co.uk)
27 out of 31 found this review helpful
Kung Fu Panda is one of those movies that comes along once every couple of years, it gives you a good message without being patronising in the Disney movie type of way. It shows you a positive outlook on life while giving you genuine laughs without shoving slapstick comedy in your face. I would generally consider constructing my reviews on a pros and cons basis but it's difficult to do that with a film that is simply perfect in every way. I will, however, give you a list of my favourite points of the movie and discuss them in a bit more detail.
The Cast: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jacky Chan, Lucy Liu and many more. I don't think you can get a more star studded cast than this and they all deliver their own special brand of humour and great voice acting to the roles. Some characters are less funny than others which with a movie like this is to be expected. Together they all make this movie even more memorable.
The Animation: With a fully CGI movie it's going to get put in the same category as films like Shrek and Toy Story for the simple reason that it's a fully computer animated movie. Of course if you're going to make a movie about a panda who wants to learn Kung Fu, CGI is an inevitable way to go in order to bring this story to life. The animation for this movie is incredible, it gives us a slick blend of cartoon animation and detailed surroundings which helps make the movie that bit more realistic.
The Comedy: From one of the first opening lines being "He blinded his enemies with his awesomness" you knew this movie would be a high quality comedy. Jack Black as the lead character, Po, makes this movie great as he brings his typical silliness and projects it through his voice and into the character. At times I could genuinely believe Jack Black would be capable of playing the physical role of Po as the slapstick moments are something you can imagine Jack being a part of.
The Story: The story itself from the get go you can sort of work out where they're going with it. Po, a clumsy Panda bear works for his father making noodles but he dreams of one day becoming a Kung Fu master. Meanwhile up in the jade palace current Kung Fu master Oogway decides he must choose a Kung Fu warrior to receive the dragon scrolls which are believed to be the key to becoming the greatest Kung Fu warrior in history. Po must see this ceremony and whilst trying to get over the walls of the jade palace he finds himself being chosen as the one to receive the scrolls but first he must be trained by Shifu.
Overall it's a really good movie and when finally released on DVD is something that everybody must own.
Not giving up and believing in yourself makes Kung Fu Panda one of the best movies this year. June 12, 2008
Jenny J.J.I. (That Lives in Northern Nevada)
14 out of 18 found this review helpful
This movie was surprisely fun to watch and Paramount Pictures is having a Summer to remember at the box office this year. First it was Iron Man then came Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Both films were the weekend box office champions in their respective released week. Each one collecting more that $100 millions dollars in their opening weekends. Now the turn is for Kung Fu Panda to match those numbers, which is reachable for this furry, funny and cute big panda.
The visual aspect of the movie is golden and the animation is one of Dreamworks' best. An attempt to put to use new technology into the most dramatic scenes, the sound was a big match and that's what this film delivers. It is easy to see the detailed work in cinematography when an ancient Chinese town is well illustrated as well as the Jade Temple and surroundings uncovering memories of the many martial arts Chinese movies for some of the old crowd and for the young exposing them to new lands and frontiers.
Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman voices' in this film were just right. Each one giving strong life to their characters, especially Jack Black who provided that special touch that only he can give to his characters. The rest of the cast (Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan and Lucy Liu ) were ok. The biggest problem is that the script didn't provide supporting characters enough dialogue for these actors to expand their talents. On the other hand, children get to know "the legendary furious five" kung fu masters which as animals use their animal characteristics to fight the evil Tai Lung.
This cute, furry and funny film is set to get all audiences crazy about a little more than the Panda dance and that is to "be your own hero". It is just full family entertainment.
Best film of 2008, bar none June 25, 2008
Anna (London)
13 out of 18 found this review helpful
It's been a big year for films. Cloverfield finally arrived; Indiana Jones is back on our screens; Narnia has another outing (and it's a great one); Iron Man and the Hulk both wowed us; the anticipation of Sarah Marshall and Harold and Kumar going to Gitmo was palpable... and yet a chubby panda flinging his limbs has them all beat, hands down. Or raised, cobra-style.
The first thing that needs to be said is Kung Fu Panda is laugh out loud funny. As I write this, am thinking back to it and it's making me laugh. Not even The Incredibles (an understandable comparison) manages that. The very first line goes as following: "Legend tells of a legendary warrior whose kung fu skills were the stuff of legend..." Now add Jack Black's (Black is Po, the eponymous panda) voice and intonation, and you'll giggle within the first 10 seconds. It keeps it up, too. Within 30 seconds, we're told "he's so deadly, in fact, that his enemies would go blind from over-exposure to pure awesomeness!" The humour ranges from slapstick, to flat-out silly to subversive - and all of it will make you laugh out loud. "Lol" has become common internetese, but if something actually *can* make you laugh out loud - constantly, no less - it's special.
The first minute or so is cartoon - very much in the style of Samurai Jack - and then it turns to CGI... and the quality is mind-blowingly good. Really, this probably isn't the sort of film that receives plaudits from the Oscars, but it absolutely deserves a nod. The detail and the quality is unrivalled. Just wait til you see the whiskers on Dustin Hoffman's red-panda cheeks, and the amazing angles they create for the fight scenes. Truly wonderful.
The supporting cast is also fabulous. James Hong as Po's dad (he's a noodle-obsessed goose, by the way) is especially good. Other people include Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, Ian McShane and Jackie Chan. That's an astonishing cast for what is, ostensibly, a kid's movie or a Jack Black vehicle. That's because it's so much more. Adults will fall for this movie as hard as kids will, and if you're not a fan of Jack Black already, Kung Fu Panda may just change your mind.
This is a glorious film about pursuing a dream, no matter how fanciful it seems, and I don't know enough superlatives to describe it. So instead I'll leave you with another line from within the first 30 seconds: "I see you like to chew. Maybe you should chew... ON MY FIST!"
Predictable, but nonetheless brilliant... August 10, 2008
R. Burgess (Liverpool, England)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
OK, you could probably figure out the ending of the movie in the first 10 minutes if you've seen enough chop-socky/ underdog overcomes adversity movies, but reaching that ending is still a huge amount of fun.
Jack Black and the many designers and animators have done a great job on Po the Panda, playing him as a hopeless wide eyed flabby fanboy that dreams of being a Kung fu master but who can't even climb upstairs without sweating buckets. You empathise with all his triumphs and setbacks and you want him to succeed. The range of facial expression is some of the best I've ever seen in an animated movie.
In lesser hands it could have been an uninspired trudge through training montage after training montage, but the choreography keeps it fresh and funny without the usual knowing references. The food-based training session reaches the dizzy absurdity of "Ranma 1/2" in it's head on collision between kung fu and food cravings.
The scenery is lush and the supporting performances, especially Hoffman as the impatient Master Shifu and McShane as the villainous Tai-Leung make their universe one that you're happy to explore for the duration.
I only dropped 1 star for predictibility, but in every other respect it's a triumph.
One of those rare movies that entertains kids and grown-ups in equal measure.
THE BEST KIDS FILM OF 2008 July 13, 2008
stuart (MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND)
6 out of 16 found this review helpful
With the exception of the first Shrek and Aardman's efforts under its aegis, DreamWorks Animation has tended to pale considerably when compared to the Pixar monolith. Shark Tale, Bee Movie and Madagascar were mediocre efforts, stranded in a morass of quickly dating pop-culture references, uninspired gags and a general absence of the spirit and visual acuity that sets John Lasseter's mob apart. And, apart from an excellent Manga-style dream sequence that opens the picture, it seems after the first 25 minutes or so of Kung Fu Panda that the run is going to continue. There's nothing particularly compelling here, as Jack Black's Po gets accidentally selected to become the fabled Dragon Warrior, and tries desperately to prove himself to wise old Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and his new, sceptical dojo-mates. In fact, it's pretty rote stuff, as Po topples over, bumps into things and sends stuff flying like a fat, furry version of the Chuckle Brothers.
But then something rather wonderful happens, ratcheting the film up to the dizzying heights where Pixar and a few select others reside. That something is an escape attempt by the movie's villain, Tai Lung (voiced with relish by Ian McShane), a psychotic snow leopard so dangerous that he's been imprisoned in a mountain hellhole constructed especially for him. In an exhilarating sequence, Tai Lung manages to negotiate the three fiendish levels of the jail in a flurry of punches, kicks and gravity-defying leaps that culminate in a magnificent series of vertigo-inducing shots. In fact, ignore the fact that you're seeing combinations of panda, snake, tiger, snow leopard, crane and monkey duking it out, and chances are that the kung fu action sequence of your dreams is here.
From a devilishly clever sequence where the `Furious Five' take on Tai Lung on an unravelling rope bridge, to a hugely enjoyable training sequence between Shifu and Po and the final showdown between Po and Tai Lung (featuring the funniest use of slo-mo we've seen in ages), directors Mark Osborne and John Stevenson take advantage of the limitless possibilities of CGI to bring us action on a scale, and of a type, rarely seen before.
But it's not all about (surprisingly violent) fisticuffs or roundhouse kicks. There's a level of visual beauty here that's a notch above anything DreamWorks has attempted before - a sequence where the ancient master, Oogway (Randall Duk Kim), blends with a cloud of cherry blossom is achingly gorgeous. And, while the movie doesn't deliver frequent belly laughs, it does get funnier as it goes along, with the relationship between Po and Shifu particularly rich in humour. Of course, it's all leading to a standard `be yourself' message, but while the kidlings are digesting that tidbit of profundity, you can wallow in action that well and truly socks it to your chops. Hard. You'll never look at Ling-Ling in the same way again.
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