It took longer than expected for the influence of kung fu to be felt in the world of animation, with Kung Fu Panda coming several years after The Matrix, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and other mainstream martial arts movies exploded at the box office. It was certainly worth the wait - Dreamworks can be a little hit and miss when it comes to their blockbuster animated movies, but Kung Fu Panda represented a perfect blend of cutting edge animation with Chinese tradition and a script which made the most of Jack Black's slacker persona. Inevitable sequels have followed since, but unlike Dreamworks' Shrek franchise the Kung Fu Panda movies have managed to maintain a high standard (although Shrek The Third's notable drop in quality didn't stop it from becoming the fourth highest grossing movie of 2007...)
