Kung Fu Panda

Rove called this the "awesomest movie ever". Kung Fu Panda certainly seems to have everything going for it. There are cool celebrity voices (Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, and Angelina Jolie are just some of the luminaries who lend their pipes to the characters). There are some great laughs. The animation is stellar.There's lots of cool kung fu action to keep the guys entertained. In short, it's quite a fun romp.

Po the Panda is a bit lazy, helping his dad out in their noodle restaurant by day and dreaming of being a kung fu fighter by night. When he's offered the chance to train with his idols, the Furious Five, he unwittingly becomes a kung fu hero tasked with defending his hometown from an evil force.

The plotline is great for kids, but might frustrate parents, as there were several things left unexplained -- such as what actually happened to the bad guy at the end of the movie. My one criticism would be that they tried to pack too much into too short a movie, so had to sacrifice on some of the details and loose ends.

Still, it's a great story about believing in yourself. A little bit strange to have so much fighting in a kids' movie, but school-age kids should love Kung Fu Panda.

OHbaby! rates this movie: