Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda is another case of
Kung Fu Panda
Directed by Mark Osborne and John Stevenson (G)
A roly-poly panda aspires to be Bruce Lee.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
***
Kung Fu Panda is another case of “all form, no function,” said Ty Burr in the Boston Globe. This DreamWorks production about a tubby panda who dreams of becoming a martial arts expert is certainly fun to watch. But its wit and visual flair have been “yoked to a pro forma story line that wouldn’t fool a 3-year-old.” Though cute and cuddly, the film goes nowhere new, offering only the usual “character slapstick interspersed with believe-in-yourself moralizing.” Still, Kung Fu Panda is “a little better, a little sharper, a little funnier than the animated run of the mill,” said Michael Phillips in the Chicago Tribune. The film covers well-worn territory, from its tongue-in-cheek Chinese wisdom to its endless array of cutesy animal characters. But DreamWorks freshens up the formula with a “verifiable sense of humor” and a “prime voice cast” that includes Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, and Dustin Hoffman. Kung Fu Panda delivers action and silly antics—“exactly what its title promises,” said Rene Rodriguez in The Miami Herald. It’s a “breezy 90 minutes” of family entertainment with just enough kick.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'The winners and losers of AI may not be where we expect'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk, study finds
Speed Read Getting vaccinated appears to significantly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judge ends Eric Adams case, Trump leverage
Speed Read Federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams were dismissed, as requested by Trump's Justice Department
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published