Kung Fu Panda (2008), directed by the duo of Mark Osborne and John Stevenson, stars Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Seth Rogan, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Randall Duk Kim, and James Hong. The film follows a goofy panda bear named Po (Black) who works in his father’s noodle shop but dreams of becoming a kung fu master. After a misunderstanding at a local ceremony, Po is mistaken (or maybe not) for the long prophesied “Dragon Warrior,” the fabled and powerful protector of the village. Unprepared and out of shape, Po attempts to prove himself to his new master, Shifu (Hoffman). Shifu and the rest of his pupils highly doubt Po can become the dragon warrior, only seeing him as an overweight and out-of-shape goofball. When one of Shifu’s former apprentices, the evil Tai Lung (McShane), escapes from prison, Po is forced to accept his destiny and attempt to save the day no matter how hopeless it seems.

Thankfully, the voice work here is mostly strong across the board. Voices in animation need to be larger than life to stand out. Phoning in a typical and/or safe voice is something an actor can get away with in live-action, but animation relies on unique voice work. It’s all the actor has to reel us in. It’s easy to tell when someone is using the role as an easy paycheck. For example, Seth Rogan does absolutely nothing to elevate his character. He doesn’t even play into his typical Seth Rogan schtick. He just talks normally. It makes sense as a big-name casting considering his popularity in 2008, but it doesn’t age well in the slightest. Jack Black, on the other hand, is impressively entertaining as Po. I’ve always been a Jack Black fan and I was disappointed when he decided to focus solely on voice acting. However, this and his eventual role as Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) have made me think differently. His voice work truly carries the character of Po and, in turn, the entire film. And this isn’t just the fact that Black’s voice is energetic and fun, he displays a wide range of emotions. Through all the zaniness, he’s able to convey a certain heart to the character of Po that makes him a lot more accessible than a simple buffoon who accidentally saves the day.

Although this film has a certain amount of appeal for the adult audience, the comedy will most likely only interest the children. There’s a large focus on physical comedy, and although it feels a bit juvenile, it does mix well with the film’s tendency for kung-fu action sequences. Speaking of the younger audiences, I think this film holds a lot of simple, accessible, yet important lessons for children. The film focuses on themes such as accepting one’s place versus pursuing something more, being passionate versus being skilled, and the idea that individuals achieve greatness because of the flaws they overcome. Nobody is inherently great, it is earned. It is also smart to convey these lessons through a character that happens to be a Panda. On a basic level, it’s an appealingly cute choice for the younger crowd. It allows the story to dive into more serious themes about being a hero and rising to the occasion without sacrificing the necessary easy-going feeling a children’s animated movie like this should display.

Overall, this is a fun animated film that takes a unique approach and effectively aims to entertain its target audience. For the most part, the animation holds up excluding a few shots that lack a good amount of detail. The humor will mostly appeal to kids, and will only make adults occasionally grin. That being said, I think the adults are more equipped to appreciate the film’s story and characters. What both age groups will be able to appreciate is the creative and fun action sequences. Most of the characters receive satisfying arcs (for an animated film), leading to a memorable mix of kung-fu, food, and cute critters. As Po says throughout the film, this will give the target audience a feeling of “awesomeness.” I won’t go as far as to say that the adults will enjoy it on that same level, but it will be a decent way for them to kill 90 minutes. If it’s nothing else, at least it’s entertaining. B–