This is an unashamedly old-fashioned children's movie, and a predictable message is part of the mission. But that's okay; what the movie lacks in surprises, it makes up for in whimsical fun
Comment
06/06/08
Kung Fu Panda (2008)
89
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:160
Fresh:142
Rotten:18
Average Rating:7.2/10
Consensus: Kung Fu Panda has a familiar message, but the pleasing mix of humor, swift martial arts action, and colorful animation makes for winning Summer entertainment.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Jun 26, 2008 Wide
US Box Office: $215,395,021
Synopsis: "Kung Fu Panda" features Jack Black as Po the Panda, a lowly waiter in a noodle restaurant, who is a kung fu fanatic but whose shape doesn't exactly lend itself to kung fu fighting. In fact, Po's... [More]
Starring: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan
Director: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
Reviews for Kung Fu Panda
81 - 100 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
The nicest surprise about Kung Fu Panda is that it's so much better than the goofy-cutesy title would lead you to expect.
06/06/08
...a likable movie that fits the bill when we talk about family entertainment.
06/06/08
Imaginatively done, full of peril, surprise and even humor.
06/06/08
The movie has lean, to-the-point simplicity, which is refreshing in an era when so many films take needlessly bloated, talky routes into their story (for more on this, see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull).
06/06/08
The message -- believe in yourself even when all evidence suggests you shouldn't -- is annoyingly familiar and frankly overdue for a serious debunking, but it's not about to happen here.
06/06/08
Top CriticDreamWorks Animation's best movie since Shrek.
06/06/08
Kung Fu Panda is one gorgeous movie. If only the story and comedy were half as absorbing.
06/06/08
Sure helps scrub away memories of Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny.
06/06/08
Very much a Hollywood production -- formulaic, made for marketing and never quite as inspired as it could have been.
06/06/08
With loads of laugh lines, Kung Fu Panda plays with the ying- yang tension of sincerity and irreverance. And it never shirks a popcorn tenet: kernels of wisdom must be tasty.
06/06/08
The kung fu scenes overflow with crisp, thrilling and funny moments that whiz by in the 88-minute run time.
06/06/08
The animation is consistently sporty and there are some choice comic riffs on martial arts movies.
06/06/08
Everything about Kung Fu Panda is a little better, a little sharper, a little funnier than the animated run of the mill. It's one of the few comedies of 2008 that knows what it's doing.
06/06/08
Manic but hilarious Kung Fu Panda kicks its way onto the scene with irresistible force.
06/06/08
Kung Fu Panda illustrates the dilemma CGI movies find themselves in: They're suspended on a rickety bridge between product and moviemaking, and the boards of our interest are beginning to rot away.
06/06/08
This movie leaves 'em laughing -- and gasping.
06/06/08
...use[s] dynamic animation and slapstick humor to compensate for the story's lack of originality.
06/06/08
A real charmer; a lightweight, generously funny family film that benefits from simplicity and a buffet of Asian cinema influences to pick from.
06/06/08
Kung Fu Panda gets a big kick from the vocal trio of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman and Ian McShane.
06/06/08
Latest News for Kung Fu Panda
May 14, 2009:
Stevenson Goes from Panda to Minotaur 
"The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break," Steven Sherrill's 2000 novel about a minotaur who works as a cook in a Midwestern diner, will get a live-action/CGI adaptation courtesy... More...
May 10, 2009:
Cannes 2009: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
The Cannes Film Festival will screen nearly 100 films as part of its Official Selection and associated sidebars when it kicks off next week in the Southern France town. The... More...
January 31, 2009:
Kung Fu Panda Dominates 36th Annie Awards
Kung Fu Panda dominated the 36th Annual Annie Awards, the most prestigious awards ceremony for feature and television animation. Wall-E was shut out from every award it was... More...
January 08, 2009:
Broadcast Film Critics Name Critics' Choice Winners
The 14th Annual Critics' Choice Awards were given on January 8, 2009, to honor the finest achievements in 2008 filmmaking. A list of nominees follows below, with winners in bold: More...
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