Review – Kung Fu Panda

Once again Dreamworks serves up a big bag of kiddie corn. Jack Black (who oddly enough is a little less annoying when we don’t actually have to look at him) lends his voice to a bumbling panda who gets selected to become the “Dragon Warrior.” Of course this misfit can only succeed with the aid of a whatever-the-hell-it-is (Dustin Hoffman) and the Furious Five, each of whom represents a traditional animal style of kung fu. The physical comedy is amusing, the plot is entertaining, and the animation is good. Further, if this movie helps get kids hooked on the martial arts, that’s at least potentially a good thing. My only real gripe here is the “Secret” approach to achievement: wanting to be the Dragon Warrior is sufficient – with only minimal training – to make our hero into the Dragon Warrior. That aside, this is an enjoyable experience. Mildly amusing