For a movie built around an ungainly, slothful creature, Kung Fu Panda displays a delirious amount of dexterity. Outside of Japanese anime – and maybe Pixar’s The Incredibles – I can’t think of another animated feature packed with this much exhilarating, ingenious action. Po the panda (voiced by Jack Black with his usual fanboy enthusiasm) is the only son of a goose who owns a noodle shop (don’t ask). Though his father wants him to take over the business, Po daydreams of fighting alongside the Furious Five – a collective of martial arts experts who protect the valley in which he lives. When the valley’s guru, an elegantly aged tortoise named Oogway, grants the clumsy Po his wish, everyone wonders if the tortoise has lost his mind. The stunning set pieces take full advantage of animation’s unique mastery over time and space, so that we don’t just watch the characters’ daredevil exploits – we’re spinning and whirling right along with them. It’s as if we’ve mastered space and time ourselves.
