Po, a chubby panda bear, is deeply unhappy. In his dreams, he’s a mighty hero, a martial arts master, a vanquisher of demon armies. But when he wakes up, he’s just a noodle server in his father’s small diner, run by a sensible duck. Even on the day of the festival, where the local monastery’s abbot is to choose the Dragon Warrior, the best of all masters, Po has to lug his noodle cart along to sell to the hungry onlookers. Still, he rushes as fast as he can – after all, the Furious Five will be there: Tigress, Viper, Mantis, Monkey, Crane, and the great Master Shifu himself, master and kung fu mentor. Perhaps Po wouldn’t be in such a hurry if he knew that the Dragon Warrior is being sought because Tai Lung, the most fearsome fighter of modern times, imprisoned in the dungeons, will soon break free. And the one who will have to fight him is the fattest Dragon Warrior in the history of kung fu – the clueless panda, Po.
Kung Fu Panda: More Than Just Animation
It’s rather unfair to treat this cartoon as just another, albeit successful, animated production. Although “Shrek” (2001), “Ratatouille” (2007), “Open Season” (2006), and other animated films have already proven that cartoons can be enjoyed by adults, they haven’t quite shaken off the fairy-tale past that has clung to the animation genre since “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937).
“Panda,” on the other hand, is a brazen invader, an occupier that has stormed into the realm of big cinema with its comical bear, using Jackie Chan, who voiced Monkey, as an infiltrator. Because this film is almost “Project A” (1983) and “Armour of God” (1987), but with an entire zoo in the leading roles. The Charlie Chaplin of martial arts films, Jackie has created so many stunts and gags in his lifetime that they would now suffice for a hundred sequels to “Kung Fu Panda” (2008). Incredibly cheerful, like Chan’s live-action films, the cartoon showcases countless falls, the obligatory training room with terrifying contraptions, a meditating mentor under a peach tree, an unstoppable villain, and a fierce battle for a plate of dumplings using the entire arsenal of ancient martial arts.
Voice Acting and Overall Impression
We won’t hear Jackie Chan in the voice acting, of course – however, the English dubbing turned out to be quite decent. Po the Panda is voiced by Jack Black, which gives the film an elusive, surreal tinge. John Powell wrote the music, which is quite uplifting. Everything came together. Children and adults alike will be equally pleased.
Jackie Chan’s Influence
One thing is surprising. Jackie could have performed each of the stunts live – it seems, even flying on a chair with fireworks attached to it.
And that means we no longer have to believe that Jackie Chan is real, and not a cartoon that squeezed into our reality, like Roger Rabbit.