Kung Fu Panda

Although its story is thin and predictable, this animated comedy/adventure boasts an elegant style that replicates the set design palette of the Chinese martial arts movies it spoofs, relying heavily on bright red and glittery golden hues. The portly protagonist is a panda named Po (voice of Jack Black), who works in the noodle shop owned by his father Mr. Ping (James Hong), located in the beautiful Valley of Peace. Po is charged with bringing food to the ancient temple, where the locals have gathered to witness the choosing of the Dragon Warrior, who will ultimately engage the dreaded Tai Lung (Ian McShane) in kung fu combat. Although there are five contenders—Monkey (Jackie Chan), Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu), and Crane (David Cross)—under the tutelage of wise old trainer Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), temple master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) chooses pudgy Po for reasons of his own. From there, filmmaker Mark Osborne's Kung Fu Panda serves up a predictable series of Po-in-training scenes, message moments about believing in oneself,and action sequences (some more vivid and creatively staged than others). On the whole, this colorful little movie is brisk, energetic, and funny, if also admittedly formulaic. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by directors John Stevenson and Mark Osborne; a 13-minute “Meet the Cast” featurette; the production featurettes “Pushing the Boundaries” (7 min.), “Mr. Ping's Noodle House” with food personality Alton Brown (5 min.), “Sound Design” (4 min.), and “How to Use Chopsticks” (3 min.); a PSA on wild pandas (2 min.), the “Kung Fu Fighting” music video performed by Cee-Lo, a “Dragon Warrior” game, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray version is “The Animators' Corner” with picture-in-picture storyboards and interviews, a trivia track, and BD Live functionality. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a solid family film.] (E. Hulse)