Film

'Kung Fu Panda': The great Black-and-White hope

By Daniel Montgomery

Friday, June 6, 2008

One of the most refreshing things about ‘Kung Fu Panda’, something likely to go overlooked if you’re not predisposed to notice such things, is how it reflects the changing roles of women in family films. We have come a long way, from the days of ‘Someday My Prince Will Come’. where damsels wait for dashing heroes to kiss them and make it all better, to women like Princess Fiona, who in the first Shrek film defended her companions, Matrix-style, from bandits, and to Giselle, who in last year’s Enchanted proved that a strong woman doesn’t need to wait for her prince to come—she can rescue herself. In this post-Crouching Tiger, post-Kill Bill era of movie-making, women aren’t just the prize anymore, they’re the champions.

In this film, the prime example is Tigress, a member of an elite fighting team called the Furious Five. She is the most fearsome of the group and expected to be named the Dragon Warrior, the chosen one who will bring peace to the land. And she not only participates, but takes the lead during fight scenes. Tigress is voiced by Angelina Jolie, the erstwhile Tomb Raider, who is experienced at playing powerful women. And to think, just ten years ago Mulan made China safe for animated women to be heroes.

But enough about cartoon feminism. ‘Kung Fu Panda’ isn’t about Tigress—though I’d watch a movie that is—it’s about Po (Jack Black), a rotund panda bear raised by his father to make noodles but who dreams of being a kung fu warrior. The Dragon Warrior is about to be selected from the Furious Five, but by a twist of fate, Po is selected instead. “There are no accidents,” explains Oogway (Randall Duk Kim), a wise old turtle who insists that Po, who displays no talent for martial arts or anything else save noodle-making, be trained in the ways of kung fu.

The theme will be familiar to anyone who saw ‘Ratatouille’ last year: From humble beginnings can come greatness. Just as Remy the rat was one of the finest chefs in France, so too can a portly panda with short, stubby legs be the hero of China. ‘Kung Fu Panda’ is not the equal of that Pixar masterpiece—few films are, animated or otherwise—but it’s among the stronger achievements of an era where the expectations for such films are high. It’s visually beautiful and delightfully funny.

The character animation is remarkably detailed, especially for the two wisest characters. Oogway, the turtle, has age you can see in his skin and patience in his graceful, unhurried movements. Given added emotional heft by Duk Kim’s warm voice performance, Oogway is the film’s most moving character. Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), a red panda, is the teacher of Furious Five and the pupil of Oogway. His face expresses nuanced emotions; watch his regret when he regards his former pupil Tai Lung (Ian McShane), who betrayed him. I marvel at the sophistication of computer animation, which more and more is able to give its characters rich interior lives.

I marvel also at the fight sequences, which make this effective comedy also a credible kung fu movie. Supervising animator and fight choreographer Rodolphe Guenoden, free of pesky restraints like the laws of physics and concern for the lives of stunt actors, orchestrates thrilling set pieces like a battle on a precarious rope bridge and a daring prison escape. Even dumplings are cause for warfare. During the most impressive maneuvers, the action slows down to better display the fluid, intricate motion. One of my favorite sequences features Tigress leaping headfirst from the temple mountain to the village far below, where she lands safely on the roof of a house.

Directors Mark Osborne and John Stevenson are seasoned animators despite their lack of feature directing experience, and they acquit themselves well with big-budget CGI. The film’s four wrtiers have TV credits as diverse as the terrorism drama Sleeper Cell (Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris, credited with the story) and the Texas-set family comedy King of the Hill (Glenn Berger and Jonathan Aibel, who penned the screenplay). You wouldn’t guess that this would be the creative team behind the rollicking panda movie, but then you probably wouldn’t guess either that Po’s father is a goose and not a panda. They say variety is the spice of life.

Visit ‘Kung Fu Panda’ Official Site