CINEMA: Kung Fu Panda

Much better than Hancock is this cartoon with real depth, warmth and some truly amazing sequences. Jack Black provides the voice of Po, the overweight panda who dreams of being a master kung fu fighter – if he could only get away from his father’s noodle bar.

The opportunity arises when a new dragon warrior is needed to save his city from marauding snow leopard Tai Lung (Ian McShane). Kung fu master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) believes one of the Furious Five fighters he has already been training: Tigress (Angelina Joile), Viper (Lucy Liu), Crane (David Cross), Monkey (Jackie Chan) and Mantis (Seth Rogen), will get the job, so imagine his surprise when Po is chosen. Thus begins Po’s training, a seemingly impossible task until Shifu discovers the way to Po’s inner warrior is through his stomach.

Set in a stylised countryside of cherry blossom and waterfalls the film looks lovely and contains some striking images, but the best thing about it is its imagination – in one scene where Shifu and Po fight over a dumpling, the kung fu moves are innovative and startlingly good. Jack Black is less annoying as a panda than he can sometimes be in real life and gives Po depth and soul, while the happy ending sets just the right tone.      Dee Pilgrim