The story of Kung Fu Panda is simple: a panda who loves kung fu but is, to put it nicely, not quite sporting the Bruce Lee physique is “accidentally” chosen to be a warrior by the local dojo in order to combat a psychopathic snow leopard. Training does not go as planned, Po is rejected by the other members of the team, he discovers his secret strength (predisposition to stress-bingeing! now harnessed for motivational use!), saves the day, gains the respect of his peers, everyone goes home happy.
It’s not a new story, but it doesn’t need to be. The small tweaks to the formula, the quality of the animation, and the enthusiasm demonstrated by all of the voice actors involved all make Kung Fu Panda worthwhile. It’s not the best thing that Disney has ever produced, but it is one of the more entertaining bits of their recent oeuvre. Classify this with The Emperor’s New Groove under “throwaway but damn funny”, I guess.
Generally, Disney has a template, and they don’t like deviate from it. It’s worked for donkey’s years and there’s no reason for them to change now. Right? Kung Fu Panda, by and large, plays into this formula -- stressing understanding, individuality, and the ability to succeed against all odds. Where it gets interesting is in where it deviates from the mold. Kids’ movies tend to have a strongly teamwork or cooperative focus, and what really struck me is how independence-focused this one was. Po, our plus-sized hero, does have allies and guidance but he confronts the big bad and triumphs all on his own. It is only after he rejects his position as a member of the team that he is able to succeed. This theme is never made explicit, but the implication is certainly there. There is a line between the importance of being true to yourself and an active dismissal of conformity, and Kung Fu Panda definitely walks it. Striking in a kids’ movie, and a Disney movie, no less.
Also striking: there is no romantic interest whatsoever. The only female character to be found is a bitch -- talented and emotionally-damaged, certainly, but still not romantically appealing. She lives up to her characterization as a tigress, and tigers and pandas don’t play nice. More importantly, she has no arc that would allow her to do so. Respect may be granted between characters, but Kung Fu Panda has no interest in creating frisson. This moral, in and of itself, is refreshing. You can succeed on your own, by the skin of your own teeth, because of your own desire for the end goal -- not because of the motivation offered by a kiss.
Jack Black does, well, Jack Black, but somehow it works. I am not a huge fan of his comedic style, but it’s a lot more palatable when in animated form. There are the requisite fat jokes, PG-rated implications of the obscene, and general JB schtick-- no worries, there. Pandas are also super-cute, which helps, and the rest of the characters are also appealing and work very well as straight-men to the “wackiness” demonstrated by our hero. Dustin Hoffman, in particular, is charmingly dour as the red panda who is the head of the dojo. James Hong, as Po’s oblivious noodle-selling duck of a father, also manages to add heart to what could have been a seriously pathetic role.
I do have a few things to say about the weird kind of fat-positive messages incorporated into this film, but I think that “weight issues” might be an essay unto itself. I realize that I’m probably a bit more sensitive to such things than the average bear, but there was something definitely strange (or at least unconventional) in Kung Fu Panda’s approach to the issue of weight. The one thing that was most off-putting, however, is the esteeming of what is, essentially, bingeing. It’s all for comedic effect, of course, and it is honed into a positive, but still, it’s really unappealing.
Also, in the tradition of Paul, my true ugly point: an ass-clench shot. I really did not need to see a wedgied panda-bum being clenched on a movie-theater sized screen.
It’s a throwaway effort by Disney, but what it lacks in resonance, Kung Fu Panda makes up for in enthusiasm and humor. There’s not a lot of sophisticated humor, but even adults can appreciate sweet and simple amusement, right?
7/10
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