Everybody loves kung fu fighting, and Kung Fu Panda is the Greatest Movie EVER!
Click on the movie poster or the title above to download our review of the film, featuring Sean “Hollywood” Hunting.
Review in a Nutshell: Combining humor, heart, and heroism, Kung Fu Panda is a great kung fu movie with a positive message. Don’t let the advertising fool you; there’s plenty of action, character development, and hilarity to be found here.
The Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast 
With this following hot on the heels of THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE would it be too much to ask for something really obscure, morally repugnant, and deserving of the Greatest Movie Ever moniker?
Kung Fu Panda is a surprisingly great movie that I managed to see in the theater only because my mom wanted to see it, but I’m with you as far as it having marketing about as terrible as the also-awesome How to Train Your Dragon (and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, though that was Sony). One look at that DVD cover with everyone making the same super-smug face reminds me of this:
http://tinyurl.com/376bued
There’s some story out there on yonder Internet in which a Dreamworks animator notes that the marketing department forces them to make these images of all their characters in order to appeal to the “hip, ironic” demographic. The logic is that crowd sees movies in groups, and since they often have to take younger siblings/relatives you sell the most tickets by getting them to go. Except they hate sincerity or something. Criteria for these character shots include “feet must be visible,” “character must be facing the camera and smirking BUT NOT SMILING,” “eyebrow levels must not be level,” and the ever-popular “no hidden phalluses.”
I am somewhat concerned, though. As good as this movie is, Dreamworks has announced they’re going to make SIX feature film installments of Kung Fu Panda, to say nothing of TV specials/series. Something tells me that the tone and quality simply won’t hold up, especially considering the multiple planned sequels to How to Train Your Dragon (which is also getting a TV series).
PS: In my mind I consider The Transporter films to be French movies instead of American ones despite the fact that they’re all filmed in English. I think it’s because no uncut versions of the movie were released on Blu-Ray in the US and the opening credits are in French.
WOOT! Thank you for covering this flick! It’s always nice to hear people who truly love kung-fu talking about a kung-fu movie they enjoyed.
My experience in getting to this movie was similar to Paul’s, except replace recommendation from sister with MMO friend.
I thought there is no way this movie is going to be good. I have not ever liked a single movie with Jack black in it, and it was horribly advertised, but this is the real deal.
I don’t actually think this is a kids movie. I think this is an adult kung-fu movie cleverly disguised as a kids movie. The fight sequences are just awesome. The things the characters have to deal with are all real and palpable. The characters themselves are almost all three dimentional.
All the little things they put into this movie really make the difference.
Out of all the characters, the one that pulls the movie together for me is Ian (Tai Lung). He really makes this movie believable. The story, the motives, and that voice. I could listen to Ian have a conversation about wallpaper.
Thank you again for covering this movie, and hopefully getting more people to enjoy this.
I realize Kung Fu Panda and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice are more mainstream than our usual fare here, but I think the recordings highlight why we feel they are worthy of the Greatest Movie EVER moniker. And people have been clamoring for the Kung Fu Panda episode since we mentioned it on our review of Surf Ninjas. Sometimes you just have to give the listeners what they want. But I see what you’re saying, and if I can pin M.O.M. down any time soon, we’ll try to do something off-the-wall, like The Green Slime.
Never commented before been listening for a year. I like it when Daryl Surat and the Fast Karate guys are on. I also enjoy the ones with Sean. I generally don’t listen when its your mom or sister, that kind of weirds me out. No offense. Keep making the podcast, it’s good fun. I’m going to have to check out Kung Fu Panda again sometime.
I’m surprised to hear how good this movie is. Like Paul, I was expecting this to be a dumb parody with Jack Black simply being Jack Black. But after talking with Julian and listening to this podcast I might just give this movie a look. the fact both Paul and Sean liked it also helps.
This is like the one Dreamworks CG cartoon that’s Pixar good?
I think you could hold this movie to Pixar standards and it would be fine.
Great podcast of a great movie. One thing you didn’t mention is how popular Kung-Fu Panda is in China, to the point that the movie caused public questioning of the Chinese movie industry and why they aren’t producing films of similar quality.
And it would be a great time to sit down with Mom and do a The Green Slime podcast, as it’s recently been given a remastered DVD release.
“Great podcast of a great movie. One thing you didn’t mention is how popular Kung-Fu Panda is in China, to the point that the movie caused public questioning of the Chinese movie industry and why they aren’t producing films of similar quality.”
Were already seeing this come about with several Chinese animated features that have started to make news like “Big Fish and Begonia”. Of course that also didn’t stop Dreamworks from also setting up show in China too.