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Kung Fu Panda
directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
screenplay by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger
story by Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris
starring Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Ian McShane, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Seth Rogan, Randall Duk Kim

For the kids, this film offers up a safe, predictably wholesome message about believing in yourself despite all the obstacles that may wait in your path to ensnare you. It's just what you expect from a film of this ilk but somehow it doesn't come off as either trite or contrived. Po (Black), the clumsy, oafish Panda who dreams of Kung Fu glory, (shades of "The Forbidden Kingdom" released earlier this year) possesses not a modicum of skill as the film opens. He dreams big though and this is an important aspect of the film. Teach the wee ones to expect magnificent things of themselves, to firmly conceive of themselves as great.

The story is simplistic as it follows the plight of Po, whose father Mr. Ping (James Hong) wants to take over the family noodle business someday. Po has bigger plans and when he learns that the turtle master Oogway is going to announce the Dragon Warrior, he rushes to the palace only to find himself locked out. Somehow he manages to catapult himself right in the middle of the ceremony where Oogway is so impressed that he gives the honor to Po. This irritates the irascible Shifu (Hoffman) whose unfortunate task is to train the corpulent panda. It also angers the furious five. The five consist of Viper (Liu), Crane (Cross), Monkey (Chan), Tigress (Jolie), and Mantis (Rogan). Po struggles as Shifu attempts to convince him to quit. Po carries on clinging to his self-belief and slowly wins everyone over. Gradually he develops great skill and ultimately faces the great, terrifying Tai Lung (McShane), the enemy of the Valley of Peace.

The animation in this film is bright and demonstrably defined. There is a spirit of great fun to nearly every scene as Po transforms himself into a fearless warrior. The presence of a menacing enemy gives the film balance that it maintains throughout. It's thrilling to watch the flabby, outmatched Po gain power over himself and learn how to use his peculiar attributes to save the day and win the hearts and minds of the entire community as well as respect from the Furious Five. This story could have easily succumbed to sentimental hash but it maintains its integrity and manages to remain poignant and necessary.

There is a urgency to this film that comes through

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