Favorite New Films: Kung-Fu Panda
posted by The Joe
The legacy of Dreamworks’ Shrek is a mighty awful one . . . turning American animated films into a slew of crude pop-culture references, outside of Pixar and a rare few other bright spots. I’d long since written the company off, and the awful trailers for Kung-Fu Panda did nothing to change my mind. But when I heard it was a throwback to the old Shaw Bros. films, that was enough to earn a hesitant try.
And wow. Just . . . wow. No crude humor. No pop culture references. Nothing. Just damn fine storytelling that feels like an old, awesome Sammo Hung flick. Gorgeous CG backdrops, exciting fight sequences that hold up to the best of live-action martial arts, and a surprising amount of zen wisdom interjected throughout all come together to make this work.
I’m thrilled that Dreamworks has stepped up their game to this level, completely out of nowhere. I’m always concerned about the state of American animation, as it’s constantly in danger of sinking to less-than-desirable quality, but if Dreamworks continues on this level, we might finally have another animation studio worth watching.
Kung-Fu Panda - Trailer That Does No Justice