Kung Fu Panda
2008; directed by Mark Osbourne and John Stevenson

Featuring an all-star cast, including Jackie Chan, Kung Fu Panda treads well-worn ground that martial arts fans have seen many times before -- except of course, the fact here that the protagonist is a portly bear. While it doesn't do anything all that amazing, Kung Fu Panda is at least a kid's movie that adults will be able to sit through, and perhaps even enjoy, especially if they're a fan of old-school kung fu pictures.

Offering an animated take on a familiar plot, Kung Fu Panda stars Jack Black as Po, a panda bear who dreams of being a great warrior while being stuck working in his father's noodle shop. In usual cartoon oddity, Po's dad (voiced by cult movie favorite James Hong) is actually a duck. How the hell did that work out? Well, anyway, Po ends up being seen as "the chosen" one by the powerful Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), which is good because Po ends up receiving training that turns him into a dangerous fighter, and bad because now he must face the evil Tai Lung (Deadwood's Ian McShane), Shifu's former pupil who is now bent for revenge.

Kung Fu Panda's story isn't exactly original, and the animation isn't really anything to write home about, either. It's not bad per se, it's just more that it lacks the style and charm of many other recent animated features such as 9. But the voice acting does help to elevate matters. Like his voice-over work as roadie Eddie Riggs in the video game Brutal Legend, Jack Black showcases a reserve here that is usually absent (for better or worse) from his live-action performances. This helps to make Po into a well-rounded and likeable persona instead of a catchphrase-spouting "dude with 'tude" a lot of modern cartoon characters end up turning into.

Combined with solid work from the other actors (which also include Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, and David Cross) and a good dose of action, Kung Fu Panda ends up being a fairly fun movie if you're not too picky. Plus, if you're looking to shut your kids up... oops, I mean keep them entertained... on a rainy day, this is one of those DVDs you can pop in and not have to worry about pulling your hair out after hearing that damn schmaltzy syrupy ballad on your average Disney release for the hundredth time. And, hey, maybe through this movie, you can get those little ones hooked on the "real" kung fu movies that gave Kung Fu Panda its' inspiration.

RATING: 6.5