Kung Fu Panda is a Great Movie for Dads and Kids
Action, adventure, comedy and Kung Fu – what more could a Dad want in a movie? I took my daughter Chani to see the movie Kung Fu Panda today, and I’ve got to say it was one of the best kid movies I’ve seen in a long time. It’s a classic good versus evil tale, with a slighted pupil gone bad up against an unlikely hero. The interesting thing to me, though, was the plot being as much about the battle of self-doubt within, as it was about the battle against evil in the world.
Jack Black does the voice of Po the Panda, and I always enjoy his humor. Dustin Hoffman fills in the voice of the Kung Fu Master, and Angelina Jolie and Jackie Chan also portray characters. It’s always a good sign for a kids film when it attracts some of the top talent in Hollywood to do the voices, in my experience. Kung Fu Panda is no exception.
I don’t want to ruin the movie for anyone who hasn’t seen it, but I did want to offer up a positive recommendation. This movie had an important message to kids, and it came through in a fun and accepting way. The message was that you don’t need something “special” given to you to make you a better person. It was about recognizing your own inner (and perhaps hidden) strengths.
All of the Kung Fu, action and adventure were just a bonus. I definitely think this is a film Dads will enjoy taking the kids to watch. You’ll leave feeling better than you did when you arrived, and it could even inspire a conversation between you and the kids about self-image and self-esteem.
Here’s one of the trailers to give you a little glimpse at the story line:
Anyone else who’s seen it have an opinion? Did you like it? Hate it? What did you think?
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Comment by PG on 17 July 2008:
haven’t seen it yet. My oldest saw it with a friend’s family and liked it plenty. I’d like to catch it, but my guess is it’ll wait for dvd at this rate.
Did see Wall-E this week. Pretty good. A bit heavy handed at times, but good.
Comment by Ed (zoesdad) on 17 July 2008:
Ski-doosh! Loved it. I saw it with the kids and was laughing probably more than them. It’s one as they say–for the whole familiy.
Ed (zoesdad)s latest discovery was..A Year in the Life–Album Style
Comment by OhCaptain on 17 July 2008:
We loved that movie. Me (the Dad) included. I was a huge fan (and still am) of the Kung Fu fighting movies when I was a kid. This movie did a great job of recreating some of the motifs from those films. Not that the kids would notice.
Now…to get a sitter so I can go to The Dark Night. Oh boy!!!
OhCaptains latest discovery was..We are leaving on a jet plane…
Comment by Jeremy on 17 July 2008:
I definitely agree Ed. Great family movie!
Comment by Jeremy on 17 July 2008:
Wall-E is one I want to see, but I’ll probably wait until it hits OnDemand. Saw the trailer for Clone Wars – I definitely want to see it on the big screen.
Comment by Will on 17 July 2008:
Got to say, I didn’t like it. The animation was uninspired, in particular the eyes were flat and lifeless. Saying a film stars Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, et. al. and they only have one or two lines throughout the entire film is like going to a five star restaurant, ordering a fabulous, expensive meal and then only eating the bread. You spent that money, you better have something to show for it. Also, as with ever other Jack Black vehicle, it strokes the ego of an actor who’s greatest moment came when he got offed by Bruce Willis in The Jackal. Netflix it and spend your money at a better film, Wall-E.
Wills latest discovery was..Three
Comment by Jeremy on 18 July 2008:
I’d also like to see Wall-E some time. As for Kung Fu Panda, they often say, ‘different strokes for different folks,’ right?
Comment by LiteralDan on 19 July 2008:
I’ve heard this is a great movie, but I’ve also heard it can cause unpleasant side effects in the form of hyper ninja preschoolers kicking you in the nads and such. I take it you didn’t experience that?
Comment by Phil Stanoch on 27 July 2008:
Great movie! I enjoyed it as an adult, and my twin 6-year-old girls loved it! I did experience a few kicks to the shins, but it was well worth it. Not to mention the added bonus of the life lessons learned from the movie.
Phil Stanochs latest discovery was..12 Better Life Commandments – Do You Have Yours?
Comment by movie buf on 14 August 2008:
still gotta see Kung Fu Panda… Jack Black is classic for sure; he’ll be forever famous for his work in School of Rock