'Kung Fu Panda' DVD Review

Here's the deal: I wasn't a huge fan of Kung Fu Panda during its theatrical release but I was in the minority. The kids in attendance at the preview screening loved it and truthfully, they are the film's intended audience - not me. And now that it's made its way to DVD, I can see why the little ones love the kung fu action. Kung Fu Panda has grown on me. It's vibrantly animated, the action's fast and furious, and who can resist a giant huggable, lovable panda?

The Story
Po the Panda loves kung fu, but kung fu doesn't exactly love him right back. He's a bit of a klutz and the martial art requires smooth moves and lightning fast reflexes. Still, he believes in himself enough to think he's ready to join the Furious Five, an elite group of kung fu fighters who work until Master Shifu. When his dreams sort of come true, Po and his new 'friends' wind up in deep trouble involving a vengeful and deadly snow leopard named Tai Lung. In order to stand up to Tai Lung, Po must first train hard and learn the true secrets of kung fu.

The Bonus Material
The Kung Fu Panda / Secrets of the Furious Five Pandamonium Double Pack includes an all new adventure with our hero Po having to teach a group of young students all about the world of kung fu and the Furious Five. Cute for kids, this new animated tale is definitely more for the younger set. The Furious Five DVD also includes a batch of bonus features including a bit on how to do the Panda Dance, step by step lessons on kung fu fighting styles, a featurette on the history of the different styles, some games for kids, and an interactive quiz to find out which fighting style best represents you.

The bonus features on the Kung Fu Panda disc deal more with bringing the story to life onscreen. Go behind the scenes and meet the cast, learn about how important sound design is to an animated movie, and see the difficulties faced by animators as they attempted to bring kung fu animals wearing clothing to life as realistically as possible. There's even a very interesting featurette on how to make noodles (I can't cook and I could follow this!). And just for those who can't use chopsticks, there's a beginner's guide on how to handle the tricky sticks. And on a more serious note, Jack Black narrates a piece on saving wild pandas.