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Matinee Melee: 'Kung Fu Panda' pulls its punches

By: Holly Leber
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By: Casey Phillips
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Casey Phillips: If only Chris Farley had lived to see this day. Ever since “Saving Silverman” and “Orange County,” I’ve thought of Jack Black as Farley’s replacement as Hollywood’s goto guy for stories involving a well-intentioned-yet-hopeless oaf. “Kung Fu Panda” convinced me. The story of how Po the Panda (Black) finds himself expected to perform feats of kung fu mastery far beyond what his potbellied physique can handle is almost identical to Farley’s role as a rotund ninja in training in “Beverly Hills Ninja.” And once I realized the borderline plagiarism on display, I was almost too distracted to notice the phenomenal animation and all-star vocal cast.

Holly Leber: I’ll just say that I was more impressed with your remembering the parallel Farley movie than I was with “Kung Fu Panda” itself. Nothing about it bothered or offended me, but there wasn’t anything that particularly jumped out at me either. There were positive elements — the movie was wellanimated and the voice casting, especially that of Black in the lead role, was quite good, but the plot didn’t hold my interest. Much like some of the earlier films we reviewed, I found this movie to be just ... vanilla. In early April that’s OK, but we’re officially in summer blockbuster season now. I expect better than banal.

Casey: “Kung Fu Panda,” is certainly not the next Pixar movie — for that, we’ve got another couple of weeks until the debut of “WALL - E.” That studio’s projects, like “Finding Nemo” and “Ratatouille,” always found ways to make CG animation emotionally affective for me, and even if rival firm DreamWorks Animation — the minds behind the “Shrek” and “Madagascar” films — has narrowed the visual gap, their storytelling still lags behind. “Kung Fu Panda” makes some headway in this regard with a positive, if same-old same-old, message of accepting yourself for who you are, but the magic just wasn’t there for me. Still, as a kung fu film nut, I was amused at how this film plays on the genre’s stereotypes (the eager novice, the wise temple master, the ridiculous names of signature moves like the Wuxi Finger Hold, etc.).

Holly: Seeing “Forbidden Kingdom” gave me some context to agree on that front. It’s a challenge for me to be moved by animation, but some have succeeded since “Bambi,” including “Ratatouille” and “Finding Nemo.” The “love yourself ” message of “Kung Fu Panda” is a worthwhile one, but it’s been done so much that, in order for it to not be a ridiculous refrain, some originality in the presentation is necessary. Dressing the characters up in animal suits isn’t original enough.

Casey: Even though “Panda” didn’t sink its hooks in me, the target audience — kids — will find a lot to like in the overthe-top fight scenes and the sniper-perfect casting. If you can avoid holding this film up to the stratospheric bar set by the likes of “Cars” and “Bug’s Life,” you’ll still have fun, especially if your Saturday mornings still include spending time at a pineapple under the sea. Ultimately, I think Farley would be proud of a film that is fun, if not smart.

Holly: If I were ten, I think I’d have gotten a kick out of “Kung Fu Panda,” however I barely remembered I’d seen it. Here’s my advice for parents: Drop off the kid with the teenage babysitter at the movies. Go to the grocery store, the gym, the hardware store, the beauty parlor — anywhere you don’t want to drag whiny, sticky children on a humid afternoon. Then circle back and pick them up. Best use of your time and energy, I promise. Enjoy the two hours of peace and efficiency.