“There are no accidents.”
Jack Black voices Po the Panda in the computer animated Kung Fu Panda, which kicked its way to the fifth highest box office opening for an animated film ever last weekend. Po doesn’t fit into the restaurant world his father, voiced by James Hong, has envisioned for him. Po talks a lot, producing catch phrases like “awesomeness” and “scadoosh”, but inside he want to feed his kung fu heart and defeat evil forces. Black narrates the beginning sequence for some big laughs, setting the tone for controlled fun filled with knowledge gems and life lessons.
Dustin Hoffman voices the next prominent character, Shifu, kung fu master and teacher of the Furious Five, Po’s idols. Once Po falls into Shifu‘s lap, both characters go through an admirable transformation. “If anyone could make me not like me, it’s you,” Po tells Shifu. Hoffman’s superb voice work makes him the ideal choice for a sensei. He connects emotionally on several occasions with a mix of soft undertones, forceful commands, and deadpan humor (you can even visualize his expressionless face upon delivery, which improves the already funny jokes).
Shifu’s master, named Oogway, is a turtle well voiced by Randall Duk Kim who played “The Keymaker“ in the Matrix Reloaded. As you might expect, when the wise Oogway talks, people listen. The interesting developments come when characters don’t agree with what Oogway says.
Angelina Jolie reduces the sultry tones in her voice to embody Tigress, the unofficial head of the group. Seth Rogen gets yet another voice acting opportunity, this time as the small but mighty Mantis while martial arts expert extraordinaire Jackie Chan voices Monkey. Rogen and Chan have a surprisingly low amount of dialogue considering their star power, but the movie still entertains well. Lucy Liu voices Viper and rounding out the five is comedian David Cross as Crane.
Article comments
1 - Derek Fleek
Jack Black is zany and goofy, making Kung Fu Panda all the better each time I see it. Great review.