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I am as astonished as the next sceptic when I say this, but allow me to assure you that Kung Fu Panda transcends several levels of cinema excellence.

From the razor sharp and heartwarmingly funny script to the flawless character animation, there is no stone left unturned in this masterpiece from the Dreamworks studio. I tip my hat to that crew wholeheartedly. What we have in Kung Fu Panda is a movie that is light years ahead of their previous pop-culture-reference-laden-cu tefests (and yes, I mean the "Shrek" movies).

Acting as both a slice of life inspirational tale for the kid in all of us who dreams of being more than the sum of his or her parts, and as a jaw droppingly exciting action flick Kung Fu Panda delivers on both fronts. And it does it with a genuine style without winking at the camera or poking fun.

I normally try not to gush in movie reviews but this is one where I have difficulty with that concept. I truly can't imagine anyone hating this movie.

Jack Black comes through charmingly as the voice of Po, our titular robust black and white bear. Po starts off working in his father's noodle shop dreaming of a life high atop the mountain battling evil-doers with "The Furious Five" and learning the secrets hidden within the Dragon Scroll. When fate rears it's ironical head and Po earns his chance to learn and train with the legendary Master Shifu (voiced hilariously by Dustin Hoffman), the panda begins to learn the true meaning of sacrifice, determination and hunger.

Where this movie differs from lesser tales is in it's unwillingness to fall into traps. Master Shifu learns from his mistakes without a huge epiphany and is willing to accept the error of his ways. The villanous Tai Lung (voiced by Ian McShane, continuing his work with Dreamworks Animation) doesn't learn a lesson at all, which is a nice surprise to see the arrogant bad guy actually just get what he deserves without a moral dilemma. Most important of all, Po learns the best lesson any child needs to hear; that everyone is special in their own way so long as they believe in themselves.

Other big names do voice spots in this movie as well (Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogan) bt the movie is blended together so well that you barely notice them at all, which is just the way it should be.

Take your kids to this one. Heck, take your friends' kids too. I am personally buying a copy of this movie for my neices and nephews and making it mandatory viewing for them.

Learn more about this author, Adam Knight.
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