by Paul Cook

Created on: June 05, 2010

Let's face it - without the Shrek franchise what can Dreamworks honestly boast about that Pixar cannot instantly beat? With each and every film, with the exception of A Bug's Life, Pixar has edged closer and closer to animated superiority. In its 15 year official history as a feature animation company Pixar has released such groundbreaking titles as Toy Story, Monsters Inc. Wall-E, Ratatouille and last year's UP. Dreamworks, despite it's continued efforts, has released only two films worthy of going down in animation history books, and both follow a grumpy, green ogre and irritating donkey sidekick.

The opinion polls and critics' commendations weigh heavily in the favour of Pixar with its films averaging 94% on Rotten Tomatoes compared with Dreamworks lowly 68%. Although this is a rather scientific and systematic way of comparing the two companies' bodies of work, it does help highlight the weight that lies on Kung Fu Panda's shoulders. Kung Fu Panda bravely took the limelight from the Shrek franchise whilst Shrek Forever After (4) was in production.

Nevertheless, despite such a huge, albeit implicit responsibility, the kicking, punching but more frequently eating panda, voiced by the energetic Jack Black, holds well as both an example of the advances in animation and uncharacteristically (for Dreamworks anyway) solid, enthralling plot for youngsters and parents alike. With a generous helping of intelligent comedy which won't just appeal to the younger generations in the audience, it does have most of the vital elements which make a successful animated feature film. Although Kung Fu Panda is just another action-adventure with talking animals, a premise which Dreamworks habitually recycles year in year out, it is written well and animated beautifully. Vivid colours and fast, smooth action sequences are delectable and with a mixture of traditional hand-drawn, orientally-influenced animation and typical blockbuster CGI animation styles the film consistently pleases the eye.

Plot-wise, it is erring on the side of predictable and yet it is still fulfilling in that the action plays out at an enjoyable, high tempo and the scenes involving Jack Black's panda 'Po' and Dustin Hoffman's Kung Fu guru 'Master Chifu' are cleverly comical and refreshingly original. Unfortunately one of the negatives of the film is that despite it's A-list cast for voicing the deadly trained animals only Black and Hoffman are recognisable. Jackie Chan, the monkey and Lucy Liu, the Viper barely have a memorable line throughout and although 'Tigress' voiced by Angelina Jolie, has the most lines of the 'Furious Five' she is still part of the baggage the film lugs along throughout. It is the film's excessively big-name cast, an element of animated films which is common but not essential, which slides so easily under the radar for the audience that make it a good film worthy of greater things.

Without the adorability and subtlety of a WALL-E character, charm of a Carl of Russell (UP) and without the intelligence and observance of Ratatouille or Toy Story, Kung Fu Panda is satisfactory once or twice but hasn't the depth or quality of writing to impress audiences for years to come.

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