Kung Fu Panda

***1/2 Stars

What ads such wonderful energy to Kung Fu Panda is the voice work of Jack Black. I was worried when I saw the trailer that it would just be Black shaped as a panda showing off his stereotypical mannerisms. But while watching the film, I found that Black's personality and the screenplay's old fashioned story telling created a winning combination to surprise my very low expectations. Other voices include Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Lui, Seth Rogen, and Jackie Chan.

Even when Jolie is portraying a tigress, she's still hot. She is one of the legendary Furious Five including Crane, Mantis, Viper, and Monkey whose powers are some of the best Kung Fu has ever seen. Black is a lazy panda named Po, who is accidentally chosen as the Dragon Warrior. As the Warrior, it is his responsibility to defeat the snow leopard Tai Lung, once a friend who turned foe when he himself was not chosen as the dragon warrior. Tai Lung’s overbearing power corrupted his mind and forced him to retreat and destroy the life he once knew.

Po is an overweight but kind-hearted soul. He may not have the muscles and strength as others in Kung Fu, but using what he knows, Po finds a way to learn a style that is different from any other. He is trained using his flaws as an asset to create potential as a member of Allies of Kung Fu.

Created by DreamWorks Animation, Kung Fu Panda is its strongest film since the original Shrek. It has a lovable hero, a wonderful supporting cast, and solid size of laughs. Not once did I lose a smile, unless I was laughing along with Po, who is destined to become an iconic animated character. I can now see why the film was selected to the Cannes film festival. Why not spice things up and embrace a genre that has dominated both box-office numbers and the kid in all of us? It seems this film and Pixar's Wall-E will be fighting for the crown come Oscar season.