Kung Fu Panda
I always used to think it was weird when an animated movie would advertise using the voice of a famous actor as a centerpiece of their production. The first time this tactic really made a splash was when Robin Williams did "Aladdin" (The movie contains so many obvious Williams improvisations that they must have had to reanimate the whole thing after he left the recording studio). Now, advertising the voice of a well-known actor is commonplace, but it remains odd when you´re in a country like Peru and the film is only offered in a dubbed version at most theaters. Fortunately, however, there are a couple cinemas here in Peru that offer "Kung Fu Panda" with Jack Black´s original voice work.
Needless to say, Jack Black is an inspired choice for this kind of project. Although much of his humor is physical (the guy can roll his eyebrows like a tidal wave) Po the Panda looks and acts so muck like the actor that I can almost imagine Black during production standing around in a room in a black suit covered with little white balls. But whether or not that was the case, "Panda" makes great use of Black´s vocal chords. With all his buffoonery, it´s sometimes easy to forget that the guy really does have a pretty powerful set of pipes (just go watch "School of Rock" or pick up a "Tenacious D" album to find out what I´m talking about). Five seconds into the opening narration, Black is majestically orating about a "legendary warrior whose legendary deeds were the stuff of legend!" and the goofy, good-natured tone of the film is set in stone.
We meet Po, a simple noodle chef of all things, dreaming about the five great warriors who live up at the Jade Palace (these are voiced by actors such as Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, and Dustin Hoffman; none of whom are able to convey their personalities in voice-over as effectively as Black). Through a series of misadventures, Po is accidentally chosen as the next Dragon Warrior, much to the annoyance of the true Kung Fu masters who have been training diligently for years for just such an honor.
From there, the film goes on to the inevitable training and fighting sequences that remind you of movies like "Star Wars" or "Kill Bill" (the comedic, satirized mystical parts of "Kill Bill" not the Tarantino parts). Of note is Master Oogway´s discussion on the illusion of control (it´s a nice concept and I admit it did me good to hear it), and poor Master Shifu´s guilt over his wayward apprentice Tai Lung.
When you come right down to it, "Kung Fu Panda" is a pretty excellent movie. It´s got something in it just about everyone can enjoy, and it strikes a good balance of action, comedy, and the basics of Eastern Philosophy. I´m sure the dubbed version would be highly entertaining, but if you have an opportunity to watch the original, it´s worth the time.
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