A word of explanation is in order.
See, I'm taken to a lot of kids movies. A lot. That's not to dump on the genre or say there are no good kids movies out there, but if I saw as many horror movies as I see kids movies, most people would think there was something wrong with me. Having young kids will do that to you.
As a side effect to sitting through more than my fair share of "Alvin and the Chipmunks" (hope you enjoy your lake house, David Cross), I think I've developed a nice little sense for what kids movies are going to suck and which ones might actually shoot for something beyond cultural references and fart jokes - one that might go for a family second viewing where the father in the audience doesn't want to take his own life with the nearest sharp instrument. Again, as someone who sat through "Disney Princesses: Follow Your Dreams" almost more times than my soul will allow, I appreciate a "family" movie that actually tries to make everyone smile.
And damn if I didn't smile during the trailer to this one. Check it out.
Notice how attuned this movie is to the martial arts genre? Notice how the fairly simple character designs foster an amazing set of movements? Notice how you didn't want to kill yourself while watching this? That's why I'm looking forward to "Kung-Fu Panda" because I now I'm headed there anyway. To put it in fortune cookie-ese, "approach Kung-Fu Panda with a smile, and you won't want to leap off a cliff to your grisly death".
See, I'm taken to a lot of kids movies. A lot. That's not to dump on the genre or say there are no good kids movies out there, but if I saw as many horror movies as I see kids movies, most people would think there was something wrong with me. Having young kids will do that to you.
As a side effect to sitting through more than my fair share of "Alvin and the Chipmunks" (hope you enjoy your lake house, David Cross), I think I've developed a nice little sense for what kids movies are going to suck and which ones might actually shoot for something beyond cultural references and fart jokes - one that might go for a family second viewing where the father in the audience doesn't want to take his own life with the nearest sharp instrument. Again, as someone who sat through "Disney Princesses: Follow Your Dreams" almost more times than my soul will allow, I appreciate a "family" movie that actually tries to make everyone smile.
And damn if I didn't smile during the trailer to this one. Check it out.
Notice how attuned this movie is to the martial arts genre? Notice how the fairly simple character designs foster an amazing set of movements? Notice how you didn't want to kill yourself while watching this? That's why I'm looking forward to "Kung-Fu Panda" because I now I'm headed there anyway. To put it in fortune cookie-ese, "approach Kung-Fu Panda with a smile, and you won't want to leap off a cliff to your grisly death".
I'm also anticipating this one because, in an odd way, it might be just what Jack Black needs. The dude has sort of been on the ass end of some choices that might have looked intelligent on paper, but didn't pan out in the theater. It's been rough, but one of my favorite things about celebrity-voiced animation is that you immediately lose all the baggage you have with having to watch an actor. By way of example -Woody Allen's best performance in 20 years was in the movie "Antz," where instead of looking at him and thinking "slept with his step-daughter, slept with his step-daughter," you're allowed to enjoy his neurosis-laden delivery for what it is. It was a masterful turn and maybe Jack Black can benefit from not actually being on screen.
"Kung-Fu Panda" also has been getting some good early notices, which doesn't hurt. Critics are saying they're cracking up and I believe them. I crack up a bit myself during the slo-mo at the end.
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