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(perfect)

 

To be brutally honest, I thought the trailer for Kung-fu Panda was pretty capitalist at best. Sure, it got me to laugh at Jack Black, but really, that’s never hard to do. The rest of the trailer kind of sets up the other characters, but that’s about it. What I didn’t expect, is that it would be the best movie of the year so far. That’s a compliment, especially when you gage what it was up against.

 

Sure, the story is familiar, even stereotypical: A big dreamer has to fight a battle to become a hero. Star Wars, anyone? There’s not much meat and potatoes to the story itself. It is what it is.

 

But delivery of the package is among the best in this case. Jack Black is absolutely superb. His performance in this film is as good and in some ways better than his turn in School of Rock. He plays Panda with much heart and gusto. Dustin Hoffman, whom I usually find somewhat grating these days, puts his all into a voice-only performance, and I think it’s his interaction with Black that steals the show.

 

All of the voice acting is credible. The dialogue, music, and animation work to create a kind of emotional symphony around the simplistic story. And the Kung-Fu? Fantastic. Sure, it’s animals, and sure, it’s animated, but you get the sense that serious choreography went into the movie’s battles. They are great, never boring, and in some cases the animation has such depth and detail you forget you are watching animation all together.

 

This is a message movie, but thankfully not the same old political stuff. Family, honoring others, friendship, and selflessness are at heart here, just like the traditional Kung-Fu martial art itself.   It’s timeless and a lot of fun.

 

I seriously doubt there will be a more airtight movie this summer than this one. It has no unnecessary scenes, and every scene it has is perfection. The score, colors, heart, humor is just spot on. Go see at all costs.