Kung Fu Panda (3 stars)
Voices of Jack Black , Dustin Hoffman , Ian McShane , Angelina Jolie . Directed by Mark Osborne and John Stevenson . 88 minutes. Rated PG. Black does his typical hyperactive-slacker shtick in animated form as Po, a pudgy panda who spends his days selling noodles in his father's shop and fantasizing about kung-fu adventures. A series of mishaps lands him in the middle of a ceremony where a revered master names him the Dragon Warrior, a chosen fighter who will bring peace to the land and fend off the evil Tai Lung ( McShane ). The movie is entirely efficient in its storytelling and its delivery of the standard "believe in yourself" message, and features a few exciting, well-animated fight sequences along the way. Black is generally funny as the likable Po, and the whole thing wraps up right about the time you're getting ready to check your watch.
Copyright 2008 Las Vegas Weekly
