Mike experiences an endangered species: a good Dreamworks cartoon!

Dreamworks animation releases have taken a bit of a pounding at the hands of Pixar in recent years, and rightfully so: none of their many many releases came up to the quality of movies like MONSTERS INC, FINDING NEMO, THE INCREDIBLES and RATATOUILLE. It is thus no little surprise that they've hedged their bets by releasing KUNG FU PANDA significantly in advance of the much anticipated WALL-E. A savvy move indeed, and one which has not just rewarded them financially but increased the number of people who will actually see what has turned out to be a hilarious and charming comedy that ably entertains adults and kids alike for its whole 92 minutes. The story is a simple kung fu tale of the ordinary kid who enters the inner circle of elite warrior to combat evil, but with the inimicable buffoonery of Jack Black slotted in for added irony, jollity and general merriment. From the moment the film opens with a great dream sequence parodying the kung fu legend format an unstoppable floodgate of farcical gags, witticisms and playful genre jabs is opened. Admittedly a lot of this is fuelled by the persona, or on-screen persona, of Jack Black (the voice of the kung fu Panda himself, Po) but when you're constantly laughing who really cares why? And what's more, his persona could not stand alone. The animation itself is great! It's vibrant, playful and fun, engaging in the kind of understated visual flair that can at once support the childish farcical nature pandered to by Jack Black and the kids movie format yet still provide a few wry quirks for the adults watching. The supporting talent is impressive, and in fact it is a bit of a shock that names like Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan and Angelina Jolie are reduced to mere supporting roles. The 'furious five', the real martial arts experts who initially resent the intrusion of flabby Po into their elite ranks are often just the straight-laced serious ones for Jack Black's panda to play on. What's more, their part in the plot is a little simple too and though these great vocal talents add a lot to their characters they aren't given a lot to work with. Ian McShane adds genuine frustration to angry Siberian tiger Tai Lung whose anger at not being chosen as the dragon warrior has filled him rage, whilst the contained anger of Tigress is neatly encapsulated by Jolie. But when all's said and done, the bottom line is simply that this is an amusing film packed with great vocal talent, quality animation and funny moments. There are far worse ways to spend your time and money, and I'm pleased to report that this keeps Dreamworks alive in the animation war against the reigning champions... for the time being at least.