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Kung Fu Panda (film)

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Kung Fu Panda
File:Kung fu panda poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMark Osborne
John Stevenson
Written byJonathan Aibel
Glenn Berger
Produced byMelissa Cobb
StarringJack Black
Dustin Hoffman
Angelina Jolie
Ian McShane
Jackie Chan
Seth Rogen
Lucy Liu
Randall Duk Kim
David Cross
CinematographyYong Duk Jhun
Music byHans Zimmer
John Powell
Distributed byDreamWorks Animation
Paramount Pictures
Release dates
North America:
6 June 2008
Australia:
26 June 2008
United Kingdom:
4 July 2008
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
BudgetUSD$130 million[1]
Box office$631,908,951[2]

Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American animated comedy blockbuster. It was directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne and produced by Melissa Cobb. The film was produced by DreamWorks Animation's studio in Glendale, California and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film stars the voices of Jack Black as the panda, Po, along with Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, David Cross, Randall Duk Kim and Jackie Chan. Set in ancient China, the plot revolves around a bumbling panda who aspires to be a kung fu master. After a much feared warrior is predicted to escape from prison, Po is foretold to be the Dragon Warrior, much to the chagrin of the resident kung fu warriors. DreamWorks is working on a sequel to Kung Fu Panda, the second part of a proposed six theatrical film series, which is currently in pre-production.[4]

Although the concept of a "kung fu panda" has been around since at least 1993,[5] the idea for the film was conceived by Michael Lachance,[6] a DreamWorks Animation executive. Work on the film did not begin until 2004. The film was originally intended to be a parody, but director Stevenson decided to instead shoot an action comedy martial arts film in the spirit of Hong Kong action cinema that incorporates the hero's journey narrative archetype for the lead character. The computer animation in the film was more complex than anything DreamWorks had done before. As with most DreamWorks animated films, Hans Zimmer (collaborating with John Powell this time around) scored Kung Fu Panda. He visited China to absorb the culture and get to know the China National Symphony Orchestra as part of his preparation.

Kung Fu Panda premiered in the United States on June 1 2008, and has since received very favorable reviews from critics. The film currently garners an 89% "Certified Fresh" approval rating from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Kung Fu Panda opened in 4,114 theaters, grossing $20.3 million on its opening day and $60.2 million on its opening weekend, resulting in the number one position at the box office. The film has resulted in DreamWorks' biggest opening for a non-sequel film, highest grossing animated movie of the year, and the third-largest weekend overall for a DreamWorks animated film, behind Shrek the Third and Shrek 2.

Plot

In China (populated entirely by anthropomorphic characters), the Valley of Peace is protected by the Furious Five - Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Viper, and Crane - a quintet of warriors trained in kung fu by tortoise Master Oogway and his protégé, the red panda Master Shifu. One day, Master Oogway has a premonition that Shifu's former pupil and foster-son, the snow leopard Tai Lung, who was imprisoned after turning to evil, will escape from prison and attack the Valley. Oogway instructs Shifu and the others to hold a tournament in order to choose the legendary Dragon Warrior, worthy to receive the power of the Dragon Scroll, which is said to give limitless power to whoever reads it.

UTF-8|title= 1104 Film Clips|accessdate=2008-09-01}}</ref> the co-directors wanted to make sure the film also had an authentic Chinese and kung fu feel to it. Production designer Raymond Zibach and art director Tang Heng spent years researching Chinese painting, sculpture, architecture and kung fu movies to help create the look of the film.[7] Zibach said some of the biggest influence of him are the more artful martial arts films such as Hero, and House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.[7] The aim for , Dreamworks Animation announced that Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu and Ian McShane would join Jack Black in the cast.[8]

Music

Main article: Kung Fu Panda soundtrack

As with most DreamWorks animated films, composer Hans Zimmer scored the film. Zimmer visited China in order to absorb the culture and got to know the Chinese National Symphony as part of his preparation; in addition, Timbaland also contributed to the soundtrack.[9] The soundtrack also includes a partially rewritten version of the classic song, "Kung Fu Fighting", performed by Cee-Lo Green and Jack Black for the end credits. Furthermore in some versions, the ending Credit was sang by Rain (entertainer). Although Zimmer was originally announced as the main composer of the film, during a test screening, CEO of DreamWorks Animation SKG Jeffrey Katzenberg announced that composer John Powell would also be contributing to the score. This marked the first collaboration in eight years for the two, having previously worked together on Dreamworks' The Road to El Dorado and the action thriller Chill Factor. A soundtrack album was released by Interscope Records on June 3, 2008.[10]

Animation

"We’ve had some productions that were stressful, but this one ran very smoothly and DreamWorks is this production as a template on how they would like future productions to run. We lucked out, and there really was a sense of harmony on the animation. Even the production people. We all seemed like we were on the same page, believing in the film. That doesn’t happen very often. I tell animators, you will be working on dumpers for most of your career, but every once in a while you get a gem. Kung Fu Panda was a gem."

—Dan Wagner, Head of Character Animation.[11]

The hand-drawn animation sequence at the beginning of the film was made to resemble Chinese shadow puppetry.[12] The opening, which was directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and produced by James Baxter, was praised by The New York Times reviewer Manohla Dargis as "striking" and "visually different from most mainstream American animations".[13] Other reviewers have compared the opening to the evocative style of Genndy Tartakovsky's Samurai Jack.[14][15] The rest of the film is modern computer animation, which uses bright, offbeat colors to evoke the natural landscape of China.[12] The end credit sequence also features hand-drawn characters and still paintings in the background.[12]

The computer animation used throughout the film was more complex than anything Dreamworks had done before. When the head of production handed the script to VFX Supervisor Markus Manninen, she reportedly laughed and wished him "good luck". "When we started talking," said Manninen, "the movie was still a high concept. But for everyone that looked at it, it screamed complexity. We launched off saying, how can you make this movie tangible? How can you find smart ways to bring this world to life in a way that makes it a great movie and not feel like the complexity becomes the driver of the story, but the story and the emotion being the driver?"[16] In preparation, the animators took a six hour kung fu class.[17]

Voice Acting

Producer Melissa Cobb said that originally Po was "more of a jerk," but that the character changed after they heard Jack Black.[17] According to Jack Black, he mostly worked "in isolation", although he and Dustin Hoffman did spend a day together, which Cobb said helped with the scene where their characters face off.[17] Lucy Liu said that the film "was quite different because it was such a long process."[18] Liu said that when she was presented with the project they already had artwork of her character as well as a "short computerized video version of what she would look like when she moved."[18]

Release

Reception and performance

The film held its worldwide premiere at the 61st Cannes Film Festival, where it received massive and sustained applause at the end of the film's screening.[19][20] Kung Fu Panda later had national premieres in the United States on June 1, 2008 at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California,[21] and on June 26, 2008 at Leicester Square in London, for the United Kingdom.[22]

Since its release, Kung Fu Panda has received positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 88% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 156 reviews. The film has an approval rating of 74% from a select group of critics.[23] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 73 out of 100, based on 33 reviews.[24]

Richard Corliss of Time Magazine gave the film a positive review, stating the picture "provides a master coursed in cunning visual art and ultra-satisfying entertainment".[25] The New York Times said, "At once fuzzy-wuzzy and industrial strength, the tacky-sounding Kung Fu Panda is high concept with a heart," and the review called the film "consistently diverting" and "visually arresting".[13] Chris Barsanti of Filmcritics.com commented, "Blazing across the screen with eye-popping, sublime artwork, Kung Fu Panda sets itself apart from the modern domestic animation trend with its sheer beauty [...] the film enters instant classic status as some of the most gorgeous animation Hollywood has produced since the golden age of Disney."[26] The Chicago Tribune called the film "one of the few comedies of 2008 in any style or genre that knows what it’s doing".[27]

The film was released in 4,114 theaters, grossing $20.3 million on its opening day and $60.2 million over the weekend, resulting in the number one position at the box office. It is also DreamWorks Animation's biggest opening for a non-sequel film, and the third-largest opening weekend overall for a DreamWorks animated film (behind Shrek the Third and Shrek 2).[28][29][30] The film made more than $600 million worldwide,[2] making it the highest grossing animated movie of 2008 (even outperforming the highly acclaimed WALL-E) and also the third highest grossing movie of the year. The film was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on November 9, 2008.[31]

Reception in China

Kung Fu Panda was also well-received in China[32]. It made nearly 110 million Chinese Yuan by July 2, 2008, becoming the first animated film to make more than 100 million Yuan in Chinese box offices.[33][34] The Chinese director Lu Chuan commented, "From a production standpoint, the movie is nearly perfect. Its American creators showed a very sincere attitude about Chinese culture."[35][36] With the film's success at the Chinese box office, some people within China have questioned the quality of China's domestic animations. The fact that such a successful film based on Chinese culture was created by the American movie industry has led to some Chinese introspection.[37][38][39]

The release of the film in the land where it was set was not without controversy. Zhao Bandi, a Chinese artist and fashion designer who specializes in panda-related designs, launched an online petition suggesting that the film should be boycotted.[40][41] In his petition, Bandi stated that Hollywood was seeking to profit from Chinese culture. The film was aired soon after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, and the petition said that the film was in poor taste to be released so soon after the disaster, given that pandas live within the area affected by the quake. Bandi also protested against the fact that the film was produced by DreamWorks, which is owned by Steven Spielberg. Spielberg withdrew from his role as an adviser to the 2008 Summer Olympics over concerns about China’s role in Sudan (although Spielberg is not one of the producers of Kung Fu Panda). Zhao Bandi admitted that he had not actually seen the film prior to the petition.[42] However, while postings on his website both praised and criticized the film, many people said that there was no reason to boycott it. Zhao's complaints prompted an online backlash asserting that an entertaining film paying tribute to Chinese heritage would be welcome at this difficult time,[43] and some even questioned whether this was just a publicity stunt by the artist.[42]

Home release

Kung Fu Panda was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on November 9, 2008. The special features include an animated short film starring Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu and David Cross, a Kung Fu Fighting music video by Cee-Lo Green and Jack Black, a tutorial on how to use chopsticks, sound, The Tech of Kung Fu Panda, The Cast of Kung Fu Panda, deleted and alternate scenes, cast interviews and biographies with Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu and David Cross, The Premiere of Kung Fu Panda, interactive games and more. The movie can be purchased as a stand-alone DVD or as part of a two-disc pack that includes the companion story Secrets of the Furious Five.[44]

Awards

Kung Fu Panda has been shortlisted for nomination for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature[45] and the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film. [46] However, both awards were won by Pixar's WALL-E instead.

By contrast, Kung Fu Panda won 11 Annie Awards, including Best Picture [47]

Video game

Main article: Kung Fu Panda video game

A video game adaptation of the film was developed and published by Activision on June 3, 2008.[48] The game follows the same basic plot as the film, but with Tai Lung portrayed as the leader of various gangs that surround the Valley of Peace, which Po, who possesses some basic martial art skills which can be upgraded as the game progresses, must defeat. The game was released on PC, as well as multiple consoles. The game received mostly positive reviews; it scored a Metacritic rating of 76% from critics[49] and a 7.5/10 from IGN.[50] In 2009, it won the International Animated Film Society's Annie Award for Best Animated Video Game, "in recognition of creative excellence in the art of animation". [51]

References

  1. ^ "Kung Fu Panda". The Numbers. Retrieved 2008-06-11. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ a b "Kung Fu Panda". The Numbers. Retrieved 2008-12-25.
  3. ^ "Dreamworls Animation announces plans for "Kung Fu Panda" sequel in 2011". Dreamworks News. October 1, 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
  4. ^ "Kung Fu Panda sequel in pipeline". BBC. 2008-08-14. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
  5. ^ Brown, Geoff (1993-10-19). "Who framed the animator's artistry?". The Times.
  6. ^ "Imagi Announces Strategic Alliance for Gatchaman and Astro Boy Toy Development". IT News. 2007-08-07. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
  7. ^ a b "Kung Fu Panda gets cuddly". New York Daily News. 2008-05-31. Retrieved 2008-06-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ "DreamWorks Announces the Cast of "Kung Fu Panda". UPI Entertainment News. 2005-11-09. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
  9. ^ Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster (2007-09-18). "The Big Screen Scene". National Ledger. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
  10. ^ Jonathan Cohen (2008-05-12). "Jack Black, Cee-Lo cover Kung Fu Fighting". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  11. ^ Renne Dunlop. "Kung Fu Panda - One For Life". CG Studios. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
  12. ^ a b c Chris Hewitt (2008-06-06). "Kung Fu Panda is fresh, surprising and beautiful". Twin cities. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
  13. ^ a b Manohla Dargis (2008-06-06). "Fuzzy Outsider, Kicking His Way Toward His Dream". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-06-10. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ "Kung Fu Cinemapoo Kung Fu Panda review". Kung Fu Cinema. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
  15. ^ Stephen Garrett. "Timeout Kung Fu Panda review". Time Out. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
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  17. ^ a b c Roberts, Sheila. "Jack Black Interview, Kung Fu Panda". MoviesOnline. Retrieved 2008-12-22. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  18. ^ a b Roberts, Sheila. "Lucy Liu Interview, Kung Fu Panda". MoviesOnline. Retrieved 2008-12-22. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  19. ^ "Cannes Film Festival on MSN Movies". MSN. 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  20. ^ ""Kung Fu Panda" a martial arts masterpiece". Reuters/Hollywood Reporter. 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2008-06-01.
  21. ^ "Helmers talk 'Kung Fu Panda'". The Hollywood Reporter. 2008-06-01.
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  24. ^ "Kung Fu Panda (2008)". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  25. ^ Richard Corliss (2008-06-05). "Kung Fu Panda: Wise Heart, Sweet Art". Time. Retrieved 2008-07-28. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ Chris Barsanti. "Kung Fu Panda". Film Critic. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
  27. ^ Michael Phillips (2008-06-06). "Kung Fu Panda stars the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie". Retrieved 2008-07-28.
  28. ^ Carl DiOrio (2008-06-08). "Kung Fu Panda beats projections". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
  29. ^ "Panda beats Sandler with $60 million weekend". Yahoo! Movies. 2008-06-08. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
  30. ^ "Panda kicks Sandler at U.S. box office". Yahoo! Movies. 2008-06-08. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
  31. ^ Ribera, J. C. (2008-08-20). "Blu-ray Release for Kung Fu Panda Revealed". Blu-Ray. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  32. ^ ""Kung Fu Panda" Received with Enthusiasm in Asia". Toonzone. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  33. ^ "Kung Fu Panda breaks Chinese box-office records". Telegraph. 2008-07-08. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
  34. ^ ""Kung Fu Panda" Breaks Box Office Record of Animation". CriEnglish. 2008-07-08. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
  35. ^ "Kung Fu Panda reaches Chinese box office milestone". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2008-07-28. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  36. ^ "Kung Fu Panda reaches Chinese box office milestone". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-07-28. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  37. ^ Bernstein, Richard (2008-07-20). "The Panda That Roared". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-23. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  38. ^ Fan, Maureen (2008-07-12). "Kung Fu Panda Hits A Sore Spot in China". Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  39. ^ Watts, Jonathan (2008-07-08). "Kung Fu Panda: 'The director has really got in touch with what China is today'". Guardian. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
  40. ^ "Chinese artists can't bear "Panda"". Variety Asia online. Retrieved 2008-06-23. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  41. ^ "Is "Kung Fu Panda" Ready for the China Challenge?". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-06-22. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  42. ^ a b "Kung Fu Panda". Yahoo!. 2008-06-20. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
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  44. ^ "Kung Fu Panda 2 in '11". IGN. October 2, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
  45. ^ "14 cartoons seek 3 Oscar berths". Reuters. November 11, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
  46. ^ "Golden Globes nominations unveiled". Los Angeles Times. December 11, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  47. ^ http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2009/01/kung-fu-panda-d.html
  48. ^ Matos, de Xav (2008-03-12). "Are you sitting down? Kung fu Panda revealed!". Xbox 360 Fanboy. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
  49. ^ "Kung Fu Panda". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
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  51. ^ "Kung Fu Panda dominates the Annie Awards", The Annie Awards, January 30, 2009.
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