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Seeing two movies with in a week’s time is pretty unusual for me, but last week Beth and I took Matthew to see Kung Fu Panda. Kung Fu Panda wasn’t on my list of must see movies, but I knew it was a movie that I would most likely see this summer.  After all, Matthew had seen the trailers and was hoping to see it.  And since a martial arts cartoon seemed right up his alley, we were happy to oblige.

Kung Fu Panda did surprise me in a few ways.  For instance, it broke the streak of some not so stealer Dreamworks films, like Shrek the Third and Bee Movie. Unlike my complaint with Bee Movie, this film actually featured some unique, interesting and lovable characters. Also, it offered a well-developed story rather than a film focused on showing off its animation, or crazy action sequences for quick laughs.

The film offers an A-list cast but its one where, with the exception of Jack Black, goes largely unnoticed.  I for one did not realize all the big names behind most of the voices until halfway through the movie. Making me wonder if big names like Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen and Lucy Liu, who are billed as stars, were needed at all. Not that there was anything wrong with their performances, but it almost didn’t pay to have them in the movie in the first place. But I would like to go on record… Ian McShane (Al Swearengen from Deadwood) makes a great animated villain.

As for the animation, the visuals were not terribly lush, but the animation in still top notch. Everything flows and looks great. The animators did a great job of matching each of the characters to their own style of kung fu. However, DreamWorks still feels like Pixar’s younger, more inexperienced sibling.

Overall, Kung Fu Panda was adequate. The movie has a good message. I’d give this movie a B.