- davidahallnum5
Kung Fu Panda 3D Blu-ray Review
MOVIE REVIEW
Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 animated film by Dreamworks about a panda named Po. Although he works at a modest noodle shop with his father (a duck) Mr. Ping, Po dreams of one day learning kung fu among the masters known as the Furious Five, consisting Tigress, Mantis, Viper, Monkey, and Crane. That day ends up coming sooner than he expects when he gets chosen to become the Dragon Warrior and defeat a dangerous leopard named Tai Lung. Although he initially gets looked down upon by his peers because his weight and almost inability to do anything kung fu, Po, under the guidance of Master Shifu, undergoes training, both physical and personal, to become the Dragon Warrior everyone depends on him to be.
If that plot synopsis gave you the idea that this was basically another mid kiddie movie along the lines of Paws of Fury, well, I can't say I blame you. And with Jack Black's voice acting and Dreamworks's reputation of putting out films like Shark Tale every once in a while, you can certainly see audiences in 2008 thinking the same thing when the film was getting released. But since then, that's been almost the exact opposite case of how we remember Kung Fu Panda, and for good reason. Beyond just its cutesy surface is a film that not only knows how to deliver its action and and comedy well, but do it while also maintaining a surprisingly deep, expertly thought-out, and even somewhat poignant story about self-worth, moving past your struggles, and utilizing yourself to become the greatest person you can be. It elevates itself to not just becoming a well-rounded and consistently entertaining flick, but also one of my personal favorite animated films and certainly one of Dreamworks's best movies in their catalogue. That all sounds like a bit for a movie named "Kung Fu Panda" to live up, but live to it it does.
Before I move in-depth on how it handles the serious stuff well, I should dedicate some time to how it handles its more surface level elements. As for the comedy, Kung Fu Panda delivers in a genuinely charming and carefully executed way. This is the kind of film you'd probably expect would stoop to some low-brow fat jokes and potty humor. But it honestly doesn't do that at all. Instead, the humor is actually pretty clever, utilizing the characters, their personalities, and the way they interact with the environment around them. The comedy stems from the story and characters and not the other way around, and it's done so effortlessly it feels almost like a miracle. Jack Black's Po is quite the expert in comedic timing, even in animated form. But everyone else also gives genuinely great vocal performances that fit their characters in all the ways the movie requires of them. Even the great master Shifu, who's story arc is the most serious in the film, can lend himself to a few good chuckle-worthy moments.
The characters of course, is what drives the movie forward. Everyone has memorable and defining traits, but they're also counteracted by some internal conflict so the people feel three-dimensional. Po has dreams of becoming a kung fu legend. But when he finally gets chosen to become the Dragon Warrior, he undergoes imposter syndrome, having trouble believing he's truly meant to fill that role. Master Shifu, while certainly a martial arts master who's more capable of defeating powerful enemies than the Furious Five, has a backstory with the film's villain, Tai Lung, that's genuinely emotional and acts as the biggest conflict in the story. I won't go into detail on it for spoiler reasons. But I will say this, it's quite brilliant the way it sets up Tai to serve as both a villain to Shifu and Po equally. Everyone, even the Furious Five, have an obstacle they need to get pass and serve great purpose in the overall story. Yes, Po needs to learn to believe in himself, a storyline you've certainly never seen before. But it works great because of how well Po works as a well-rounded character. Meanwhile, Master Shifu needs to learn that he needs to let go of his pride and his belief that he can control everyone the way he wants to. Either way, both characters learn that being the Dragon Warrior isn't about how well you can perform kung fu compared to everyone else, but how well you can utilize what really makes you special for your own good. Tai Lung isn't even a one-dimensional villain either. And his encounter with Shifu near the end of the film truly becomes one of the most engaging action sequences in an animated film, visually and emotionally. It may seem like a basic believe-in-yourself message on paper. But Kung Fu Panda delivers it with such surprisingly deep characters and a refreshingly unique and well-told storyline that any sane person would find it difficult to complain about such a message.
And even besides the message and plot, everything else about Kung Fu Panda is, as Po would describe, pure awesome. The visual style gives off some appealing characters design and gorgeous Eastern scenery. The action sequences though, are what really makes this film pop. Right from the 2D animated opening, the martial arts action is stylistic and fluid throughout. It's all shot in such an engaging and thoroughly planned manner that you're never bored. Tai Lung's prison escape features so many elements and moves going on in a short amount of time it's easily one of my favorite action sequences in a movie period. And the way the camera manages to not only keep up with everything, but also do so while not inducing a sense of nausea is absolutely something to praise. The same can also be said about the action climax near the end of the film. But truth be told, pretty much all the action sequences stand out in their own ways. Did I also mention Hans Zimmer's score is a total banger? Pretty much anything he touches turns to gold. But with Kung Fu Panda especially, his music really ensures this film's status as an animated gem.
All things considered, there are still a few good animated films out there more groundbreaking and enjoyable than Kung Fu Panda. But emphasis on "few". This film is top-notch in almost every sense of the phrase. It's action-packed, stylistic, and funny in all the ways an animated movie can hope to accomplish. But even then, it goes the extra mile to include a story that, while might be a bit predictable, is none the less still a bit touching and much deeper than it has any right to be. It'll entertain the kiddies for sure. But I also imagine it'll be hard for most adults to leave without having had a good time as well. Whether you're young, young at heart, or just plum enjoy good quality films, Kung Fu Panda is a flick that needs to be seen to be believed.
OVERALL FILM RATING: 4.5/5
3D RATING
Kung Fu Panda is an interesting 3D Blu-ray in that unlike most other films, it seemed to just come out of nowhere. Besides a couple of IMDb credits, I can't find any evidence to prove who or what company is responsible for the 3D conversion, if this was a conversion at all. This film also had so little advertising in the 3D market that if it didn't show up in my Amazon recommendation page for "3D Blu-ray movies" one day, I probably wouldn't even know it existed. This is certainly an official 3D Blu-ray release from Dreamworks and not just a bootleg I found on eBay. But because of how little promotion or information available on the movie's 3D, it feels almost as if this release shouldn't even be real. And it definitely stands out as an oddball among much more well known 3D releases out there, including the movie's sequel Kung Fu Panda 2.
And because of the lack of information regarding Kung Fu Panda's 3D, I'm having a hard time figuring out if 3D was even a consideration during the film's production. Judging by how this release came out in 2011, during the height of 3D in the mainstream market and three years after the movie's official theatrical release, I'm inclined to think this is a post-conversion like with Toy Stories 1 & 2 and the first three Shrek films. However, there's so much in the film that works so well with 3D that if 3D was an afterthought, well, they got extremely lucky with Kung Fu Panda. Yes, I've seen quite a few 3D post-conversions in my time. But amongst even the likes of Jaws, Jurassic Park, and The Little Mermaid, Kung Fu Panda easily stands as the best 3D conversion out there for a film that wasn't shot with 3D in mind. Not only do the conversion team spare no expense with putting depth on display, but the direction and overall world of the film works so splendidly with 3D I can't imagine going back and watching it in 2D. And just like with Shrek 3-D in my last review, 3D highlights are so plentiful I'm afraid I'll forget to mention something significant.
Right from the opening logos, you can tell this is going to be a tour de force when the 2D painted background goes way back into the screen and the word "Panda" in the title of the film "Kung Fu Panda" appears slanted in 3D. In fact, the 2D opening sequence of this film surprisingly one of the greatest and most unique 3D scenes in the whole movie, and that's saying a lot. Everything in the frame looks like a piece of cardboard, but the depth between objects, people, and the background is simply astounding. I'll try and save discussing the action-related bits till later. But for now, I want to focus mainly on the depth in-screen and how it brings the world of Kung Fu Panda to life. Of course, the 2D animated sequences looks fantastic. But the 3D animated real world also has much to offer the eyes. Mountains look incredibly far off, large palaces took genuinely large, and even scenes involving stairs give you an impression of just how high up they are. Inside towns, buildings can be clearly separated, which especially comes into use in the third act. The night sky with all of its stars in certain scenes are visually incredible in 3D. Scenes in the wilderness, whether they involve trees, flat plains of land, cliffs, or far off mountaintops all look superb. There are shots with floating objects such as fireflies or flower petals. There's one highlight in particular that combines many of these great elements. It's when Master Oogway sits atop a tall cliff in a mountainous valley at night and he disappears into a swarm of floating rose petals that move deep into the screen. That moment alone is worth the price of 3D admission.
Even in Mr. Ping's small noodle shop or in Po's bedroom, the depth gives the room some dimension and places everything in its proper 3D space, which leads to some good composition especially around windows. In Mr. Ping's noodle shop, the extra dimension helps you to feel the claustrophobia Po feels as he moves across the small space. There are other such scenes that take place indoors, such as with the Jade Palace, a hallway that hold the Furious Five's bedrooms, and the Chorh-Gom Prison that allow for so much good 3D composition it would take longer to describe them to you than it would to just watch the movie itself. We get everything from reflections in pools to long down shots of bridges to pillars to holes in walls to candles and way much more. The animals themselves also carry a much more mesmerizing shape to them in 3D. The way Master Oogway's head stems out far from his body to Po's body shape and weight to long duck beaks and necks to times when you can even make characters's individual furs all shine excellently.
Now onto the action, which is where Kung Fu Panda absolutely excels. Back to that 2D sequence earlier, people forming together to attack, weapons and animals flying everywhere, floating leaves, martial arts kicks and punches, and even a shot of people falling from the sky make the first two minutes of the film a complete marvel, even if the people themselves look all flat (though it fits the aesthetic, so I'm not counting that against the movie). There's one brief but still noteworthy shot where the inside of a building is completely dark with only everyone's eyes glowing red. But when Po opens the door and brings light into the room, everyone else immediately snaps into 3D space. Even with that scene over with, the rest of the film remains just as awesome with its usage of 3D. Once again, to list off all the ways it does so would take longer to read than to just watch the film. But I'll try to list off all the most notable scene from the top of my head. One such part in particular occurs when the Dragon Warrior is getting decided and Po is doing everything in his power to get into the palace. It includes everything from crowds of people, to a wave of air to fireworks to sparklers to even a first person shot where Po falls from the sky onto the floor of the palace that'll be sure to make you flinch.
My personal favorite 3D action sequence in the film is Tai Lung's escape from prison. Like I said before, the prison inside the ginormous mountain lends its way to a lot of great 3D composition. When the action starts though, that only gets amplified even further. We get arrows and spears flying every which way, groups of people firing arrows, an elevator that goes down to the bottom of the prison, falling stalactites, explosions, fights that send people flying through the air, fluid camera motions, and deep shots of bridges. And it concludes with a shot outside the mountain full of falling snow. The scene is a little dark, but that doesn't stop it from being the pinnacle of 3D action not just in this movie, but any movie I've seen in quite some time. There's one excellent slow mo shot in particular where Tai Lung jumps underneath an elevator right as a herd of arrows comes headed down on top of him. Even throughout the movie, the action sequences remain fluid, full of fantastic details, and doesn't go by without including several great moments of 3D choreography. The action sequence at the end is full of martial arts moves in the palace and the city below. Buildings gets destroyed in clouds of dust, characters jump up and fall to the ground in some expertly crafted 3D shots, there's even fire, swords, fireworks, pans, and so much more. The training room also lends itself nice to 3D with its equipment. The fight sequence on the super long bridge over the deep mountain valley was truly a wonder. I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting here in this section, but you probably get the idea.
As for pop outs, Kung Fu Panda doesn't disappoint. In fact, in the first half of the movie, the pop outs are some of the best I've seen in a feature film for a long time. In the action, we get everything including feathers, people flying around, dust, confetti, fireworks, arrows, spears, the characters themselves performing martial arts moves, fire, waves of energy or air, debris, and even a dumpling at one point. There's even one scene where Po is taunting a dummy and we get a funny shot of him waving his arms and head way out of the screen. But even in the more subtle moments, we still get interesting screen protrusions involving Master's Oogway's head, anyone with a beak or long neck, flower petals, falling snow, chopsticks, and various items in the environment. I will have to say though, during the second half of the film, everything gets pushed back into the screen harder, so some things like Monkey's hand, pieces of rope, and even Tai Lung himself find themselves having to push harder to come off the screen. But still, that doesn't take away from the otherwise superb 3D on display and the ample amount of pop out fun the movie has in the first half.
Whether by accident or not, Kung Fu Panda has ended up becoming not just a 3D winner, but a 3D knockout. Typically with around 80% of 3D flicks I find, while the 3D can certainly end up becoming plenty of fun, I can enjoy the film almost about the same story-wise in 2D. But then there are other films like this one where the visuals matter just as much as the story and the added dimension not only adds more to the experience, but ultimately becomes the definitive way to watch it. Kung Fu Panda is exactly that kind of movie. In fact, I'd say it even rivals the 3D greats like Avatar and How To Train Your Dragon. I don't know if it fully surpasses them. But a film that offers this much consistently fun and deep 3D needs to gain some sort of credit. For me, to give this film a 3D rating of anything less than "excellent" would be a disgrace. In fact, this is one of those few films I wish I could see in IMAX 3D. Still, even at home, Kung Fu Panda offer up some of the best 3D money can buy. Whether you're a 3D fanatic or a casual 3D consumer, this is a must-have. So what are you waiting for? Purchase the 3D Blu-ray, watch it, enjoy it, and get the word out about how amazing its 3D is. It more than deserves it.
3D RATING: EXCELLENT
OTHER SOURCES THAT REVIEW THIS MOVIE'S 3D:
High-Def Digest's Review: https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/6242/kf_panda_3d.html
FINAL THOUGHTS
Kung Fu Panda is family entertainment at its finest. It's the perfect balance of heart, humor, action, depth, and spectacle. It not only results in an excellent kids movie, but an excellent martial arts movie too. This acts as another example of how animation can be used not just to entertain children, but to also deliver some of the most unique visuals, charming characters, and well-directed action you'll ever see in a film. In short, it's just plain fun and well worth seeing if you haven't already. As for the 3D, it's a definite must-own. Say what you will about Jurassic Park, Terminator 2, and Monsters Inc. Kung Fu Panda is the best 3D conversion of a film not created with 3D in mind to date. Honestly, there are sequences in here that are difficult for me to fathom that the filmmakers didn't purposefully compose them for 3D. But none the less, the end product is a picture perfect 3D presentation that should make the the list of anyone's favorite 3D movies. Unfortunately, that might not be the case with plenty of people as the 3D Blu-ray is of this film is never talked about and has almost zero promotion. Still, you can easily find it on Amazon for a decent price. If you've read this review, you deserve to treat yourself to it and to tell others about it. Does it top Kung Fu Panda 2 in terms of 3D? Well, stay tuned for that upcoming review from The 3D Dinosaur. Until then, sit back and immerse yourself in the 3D world of Po and his kung fu fighting pals.
BUY IT HERE
DID YOU LIKE "KUNG FU PANDA" IN 3D?
0%Yes
0%No
0%I haven't even watched it
