Kung Fu Panda

[ChoiceStriker]

Did anyone else see KFP over the weekend?  My family and I *LOVED* it.  Without hyperbole, it's easily my favorite CG animated movie ever, and the best time I've had at the movies in a very long time. 

Editing and cinematography were stunning, the character design and backgrounds were gorgeous.  Hans Zimmer's score was very classy and the soundtrack didn't fall back on Smashmouth or any other flavor-of-the-week bands just to sell CDs.  Above all else, the story was simple, fun, sweet and touching.  If you don't mind the (bloodless) fighting, there's nothing objectionable for kids, but the movie's still enjoyable for all ages. 

I was happy that the filmmakers didn't fall into the trap of simply recycling all the old kung fu cliches - the movie still felt really fresh.  Of course it was an homage to martial arts movies, but was its own film.  Kudos.

I'm planning on watching it again in IMAX this weekend.

[shardian]

I've been hearing good things about this movie. Might try to distract the wife from Indy IV with this tomorrow night. I don't want to pay theater prices for Indy IV since I know almost all of the plot devices now.


Best animated movie ever though? Maybe you should go back and rewatch some Pixar classics again. The incredibles is my favorite, and of course Toy Story is pretty much perfection. I saw Toy Story in theaters and that was an incredible experience. I remember sitting there and thinking "this CG thing is going to huge!"

[ChoiceStriker]

Yes, personally, I think it tops anything Pixar has done.  I enjoyed KFP even more than the Incredibles (which I did really like - probably my favorite Pixar film).  Toy Story 1 and 2 were excellent as well, but I didn't have the same feeling of joy while watching them that I got from KFP.  It just hit all the right spots for me. 

In my opinion, lately Pixar has gotten a bit of a free pass on its name alone, and their films haven't done much for me.  I didn't see Cars, but I thought Ratatouille, while beautiful, was massively overrated.  There are plenty of other forgettable Pixar films as well (Bug's Life?).  After I got back from KFP, I watched a little bit of Finding Nemo on TV and couldn't believe how dumbed-down it felt - it really seemed to pander to children. Wall-E could be fun, but appears to rely quite a bit on slapstick humor.  I get the impression I could feel like I'm just watching an hour and a half of the love child of R2-D2 and Johnny 5.

Another studio doing good stuff is Sony Pictures Animation.  Open Season and Surf's Up are worth checking out - I enjoyed both of them more than I thought I would.

[Moose13]

I didn't see KFP yet, but my kids and wife did. They all loved it.

You really need to see Cars. It was visually stunning. It's the kid's favorite (along with the nearly 100 diecast cars to go along with the movie). I thought the movie was fantastic. I saw it about 20 times and heard it probably about 50 (while driving the mini van on trips).

Open season was OK for me, and I didn't think much of Surf's Up. The kid's only watched them once a piece, as far as I know, and never picked up the DVD's again.

They are really looking forward to Wall-E, I hope they don't get disappointed. But for some reason, I think they will.

[ChoiceStriker]

You're right, I should watch Cars, if only because I love cars themselves.  Sometimes Pixar's character designs just don't do it for me, and I think that's why I skipped that one. 

I can definitely see how Surf's Up isn't for everyone.  I liked the pseudo-documentary feel of it, but I admit there were long stretches without a lot of action.  Overall I thought they did a good job with it, though. 

To get back to KFP, thinking back on some of these other Pixar / Sony films, I'm reminded of another reason I liked KFP - it didn't have all the juvenile belching / farting / toilet humor gags that a lot of these movies have.  I remember rolling my eyes in the theater watching Finding Nemo at the "touch the butt" scene, just wondering if anyone over the age of four found that funny.

Anyway, glad to hear other people are enjoying KFP too.

[shardian]

Brief rundown of my opinions on Pixar films:

Toy Story - Set the bar super high for all-CG movies. I loved this film's story and visuals   

Toy Story 2 - Contrary to popular opinion, I didn't like this as much as part 1, but it was still very good.

A Bug's Life - This one was 'okay'. I've never desired to watch it again, and even missed a big chunk of it at the theater. Making out with my girlfriend was MUCH more interesting!

Monsters, Inc.    - Excellent movie. Great story, brilliant colors and visuals. Anyone want some yellow snowcones? 

Finding Nemo - I didn't like this one all that much. Nemo's dad was kind of a drag, especially the voice talent playing him.

The Incredibles - Knew this one would be great since the first teaser trailer. It was an all-around excellent movie that I can watch numerous times.   

Cars - Also an excellent and original movie. I laughed ---my bottom--- off during the cow tipping scene. The end credits of previous films receiving the 'cars' treatment was a highlight.

Ratatouille - Pretty good, but WTF were they thinking when they decided to make this? Ever seen any kids toys/tshirts/lunch boxes for this movie? Didn't think so...

WALL-E - It looks interesting, and I will probably see it.

[shardian]

To get back to KFP, thinking back on some of these other Pixar / Sony films, I'm reminded of another reason I liked KFP - it didn't have all the juvenile belching / farting / toilet humor gags that a lot of these movies have.  I remember rolling my eyes in the theater watching Finding Nemo at the "touch the butt" scene, just wondering if anyone over the age of four found that funny.

Anyway, glad to hear other people are enjoying KFP too.

Go watch cars, and I DARE you not to laugh during the cow tipping. I don't care how juvenile it is, that is some funny ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- right there.

[SavannahLion]

Ratatouille - Pretty good, but WTF were they thinking when they decided to make this? Ever seen any kids toys/tshirts/lunch boxes for this movie? Didn't think so...

The Disney store carries (carried?) Ratatouille merchandise.

The merchandise isn't all that great? Except for shirts or anything that uses images from the movie, most of the merchandise is really really bad. Most of the stuffed plushies look like it was designed by a first year art student then assembled by cheap Asian labor after which quality control signed off while watching a strip tease.

[ChoiceStriker]

Shardian: I agree with nearly all of your opinions re: the Pixar filmography. Here's my take:

Toy Story - Excellent start - fun story, funny characters, just an all-around good time. Ugly human characters.

Toy Story 2 - Superior to the original, touching and funny storyline. Ugly human characters.

A Bug's Life - Unoffensive, but unmemorable.  The one people usually forget when listing Pixar movies. Why do the ants only have four legs?

Monsters, Inc. - One of the most underrated Pixar movies. Really fun and unique concept.

Finding Nemo - Found it pretty tiresome.  Beautiful seascapes but a boring story and irritating character voices.  Felt maybe the most childish of any Pixar.  Ugly human characters.

The Incredibles - Really just a great movie, animated or not.  Not-so-ugly human characters.

Cars - Haven't seen it, can't comment.

Ratatouille - Visually incredible, but really just a ridiculous concept.  A rat manipulates a guy by pulling his hair?  <groan>.  I think their reputation preceded them a bit too much here.  Ugly human characters.

WALL-E - Hope it's more than the previews make it out to be.

I do have to give proper respect to Pixar for their groundbreaking CG and animation techniques, and for raising the bar in terms of the level of storytelling in their movies.  I just wish they hadn't inspired so many lackluster copycats!

[shmokes]

I think Cars is by far the worst Pixar film made to date.  It's still Pixar, so you won't be wasting your money to rent it and watch it once, but prepared to be underwhelmed.  The Characters seem ripped off directly from the Chevron Techron ads, and the story . . . I don't know what Shardian could possibly be talking about.  If by "original" he means, copy the Doc Hollywood script scene-for-scene, beginning to end, then, yeah, I suppose I'd call it original.  Otherwise, I think I'd call it unoriginal.

I really want to see KFP, and I think I'll love it.  But I doubt it's as good as Pixar's best.  I think you just forget how magical Toy Story was the first time you saw it.  I also doubt it will be as good as Monster's Inc. or The Incredibles (or even Toy Story 2), but I could easily see it topping Cars, Bug's Life or even Finding Nemo.

I LOVED Ratatouille.  And I've seen tons of Ratatouille merchandise for kids, so I'm not really sure what Shardian is talking about there either.

[ChoiceStriker]

I really want to see KFP, and I think I'll love it.  But I doubt it's as good as Pixar's best.  I think you just forget how magical Toy Story was the first time you saw it.  I also doubt it will be as good as Monster's Inc. or The Incredibles (or even Toy Story 2), but I could easily see it topping Cars, Bug's Life or even Finding Nemo.

All I can say is to go in with an open mind, and just watch it on its own without comparing it to anything else.  I think you'll really get sucked into it.  I honestly didn't expect to love KFP as much as I did, which may be part of why I so enthusiastically recommend it.  I really thought the trailer looked like fun, but didn't go into it expecting a whole lot.  Once I was in the theater, the movie just grabbed me.  If you like kung fu films you owe it to yourself to check it out; it has the visual appeal of a Hero or House of Flying Daggers, and the humor of something like Kung Fu Hustle. 

[AtomSmasher]

I'm having a hard time getting interested in Kung Fu Panda, it just doesn't seem like it would be very good.  It is getting pretty good reviews, so I could be wrong, but once again I'll be waiting until its a rental.

Heres a funny (albeit unfair) quote from a movie website I read:

Let’s take a second to compare animation studios here: Pixar - Makes a movie about a future 800 years from now.  Mankind has left the planet hoping to return once it’s cleaned up – a task left to robots.  All the robots have since broken down except for one, Wall E, with a tiny little glitch.  He’s developed a personality.  Wall E then falls in love with the far more advanced robot sent to Earth to check on its progress.

Dreamworks:  Look, it’s a Panda! Who does Kung Fu!  Get it?  Because Kung Fu is from China, and so are Pandas, LOL!  Oh, and we have 12 sequels planned – Chow Mein Panda, Dry Clean Panda, Sweatshop Panda, Three Gorges Dam Project Panda…

[ahofle]

I also thought Cars was excellent.  Although I have never watched the cinematic masterpiece "Doc Hollywood" in its entirety ( ) so maybe that's why it didn't "ruin" it for me.

[patrickl]

I think Cars is by far the worst Pixar film made to date.  It's still Pixar, so you won't be wasting your money to rent it and watch it once, but prepared to be underwhelmed.

Come on, Cars wasn't that bad? It's more meant for kids, but for them it was great. They don't need (want) deep and imaginative plots.

Obviously Cars was their best movie merchandise wise.

I LOVED Ratatouille.  And I've seen tons of Ratatouille merchandise for kids, so I'm not really sure what Shardian is talking about there either.

Indeed. My kid loved Ratatouille. He didn't really get the movie, but he loves the Ratatouille Wii game and a Ratatouille board game. He still likes Cars merchandising better though.

[shardian]

The only place I have seen Ratatouille marchandise was in the Disney store, and it was very little at that. I have never seen a kid wear or play with anything from the movie.

[shmokes]

Come on, Cars wasn't that bad? It's more meant for kids, but for them it was great. They don't need (want) deep and imaginative plots.

I'm not sure what you mean by, "that bad."  I said it's Pixar's worst, but it's still Pixar so it's not like it's horrible or anything.  I said it's unoriginal and, if you've seen Doc Hollywood, you'll know that it is.  I'm not talking about passing similarities.  I'm talking, blatantly ripped off.  As in, there is no way two movies could be so alike by coincidence.  And the characters seem ripped off from the Chevron gas ads which maybe have not been used on your side of the pond.  I'll include some pictures.

As for it being for kids, that's fine, but that's not the discussion we're having here.  We're talking about the movies from the perspective of an adult who sees them.  And whether kids need a deep, imaginative plot or not, many many great films have them: Toy Story 1 & 2, The Iron Giant, Monster's, Inc., Ratatouille, The Incredibles. 

edit: forgot the pics

[Ginsu Victim]

Cars was easily the worst.

LARRY THE FREAKIN' CABLE GUY?

Nascar humor?

Butt jokes....on a car?

My least favorite of all of them.

Finding Nemo - I didn't like this one all that much. Nemo's dad was kind of a drag, especially the voice talent playing him.

Albert Brooks?!? Talk about a great actor who doesn't get enough respect. I liked his voice work for Finding Nemo. Check out My First Mister with him and Leelee Sobieski. Excellent film.

[Blanka]

I only saw the trailer, and I have to say Monkey is buttrocking cool! Really look forward to see it.

[ChoiceStriker]

I only saw the trailer, and I have to say Monkey is buttrocking cool! Really look forward to see it.

I hope I'm not ruining anything for you, or maybe you already knew this, but Jackie Chan does the voice of Monkey.  He doesn't have very many lines, but it's cool that a legend like him was willing to participate.  

[boogieman]

Toy story - liked it a lot!
Toy story 2 - HUH?
Nemo - O.K. but not too stimulating
Bugs life - Can't remember it (does that say something?)
Monsters inc - like it
Cars - liked it
Incredibles - boring as hell except the "action" scenes (if you have ADD, forget this movie too long and drawn out lol  )
Ratatouille - haven't seen it yet

EDIT: Hey schmokes check this out, chevron ripped Fischer Price off from when I was a kid lol

[shardian]

EDIT: Hey schmokes check this out, chevron ripped Fischer Price off from when I was a kid lol

Heh, no doubt! How many ways can you put a face on a car anyways?

[hypernova]

Toy story - Great classic.
Toy story 2 - Seen bits and pieces.  pretty good.
Nemo - I enjoyed it quite a bit.  I've always enjoyed Ellen, and the rest was good.
Bugs life - Decent.
Monsters inc - Possibly my favorite.
Cars - Blew chunks.  Cow tipping and Mater after LMcQ "paved" the road were the best parts.
Incredibles - Excellent.
Ratatouille - Haven't seen it yet either.

[CheffoJeffo]

Toy Story - Classic
Toy Story 2 - Better than average sequel
A Bug's Life - Good, but certainly the weakest of the lot
Monsters Inc - Enjoyable and original
Finding Nemo - Excellent, if you can tolerate Ellen and Albert
The Incredibles - Far better than I thought it would be (and I had high hopes)
Cars - Fun and brilliantly merchandised (even I like the eleventy die-cast cars)
Ratatouille - Good (I liked the cooking aspect)

Doc Hollywood - Who the hell would watch this movie enough to know it "scene-by-scene" ?   

[NiN^_^NiN]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Antz i liked that movie i know it's a dreamworks movie but still good.

Best kids movie i have watched to date is The Iron Giant it's a great movie and has a good story line that gets the adults into it aswell i think that was probably a really underrated movie.

Of course it's based on some anime series gigantor i believe not sure tho but i reccomend everyone watch this one

[shmokes]

Yeah, Fox dropped the ball with The Iron Giant.  They didn't think hand-drawn animation had any life in it anymore and they didn't advertise the movie for ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---.  Luckily Pixar recognized the enormous talent behind The Iron Giant (Brad Bird -- writer/director) and scooped him up.  He wrote and directed The Incredibles and Ratatouille.  He just got wooed to another studio, though . . . Dreamworks maybe, or maybe he's heading up a new animation studio for Warner Bros.  Something like that; I can't remember.  Or maybe he's going to direct a live-action film.  I don't know.  At any rate, I don't think he had anything to do with Wall-E and he won't be doing the next Pixar film.

[DrewKaree]

I think Cars is by far the worst Pixar film made to date.  It's still Pixar, so you won't be wasting your money to rent it and watch it once, but prepared to be underwhelmed.  The Characters seem ripped off directly from the Chevron Techron ads, and the story . . . I don't know what Shardian could possibly be talking about.  If by "original" he means, copy the Doc Hollywood script scene-for-scene, beginning to end, then, yeah, I suppose I'd call it original.  Otherwise, I think I'd call it unoriginal.

I really want to see KFP, and I think I'll love it.  But I doubt it's as good as Pixar's best.  I think you just forget how magical Toy Story was the first time you saw it.  I also doubt it will be as good as Monster's Inc. or The Incredibles (or even Toy Story 2), but I could easily see it topping Cars, Bug's Life or even Finding Nemo.

I LOVED Ratatouille.  And I've seen tons of Ratatouille merchandise for kids, so I'm not really sure what Shardian is talking about there either.

Nice to see you back, Chad.

[Blanka]

I only saw the trailer, and I have to say Monkey is buttrocking cool! Really look forward to see it.

I hope I'm not ruining anything for you, or maybe you already knew this, but Jackie Chan does the voice of Monkey. 

Great! I love Jackie. He was totally cool in Canonball Run, so this must be good too.

[Malenko]

without getting into the pixar discussion (why are talking about pixar again?) I thought this movie was great, and this is coming from a guy who cant really tolerate jack black anymore. the "anime" scenes were downright amazing.... basically I liked everything about this movie, it was cute, funny, and entertaining; made for kids enjoyed by adults.

[ChoiceStriker]

Heh, thanks for getting the thread back on track, Malenko.    You're right, the opening sequence was one of the highlights of the film - it reminded me of Samurai Jack.  I was glad to see the movie sustain its momentum after that.  Did you stay through the credits?  There's a nice little bonus scene at the end that's worth checking out.
 

[ChoiceStriker]

Aw man, that sucks.  At our showing, all the previews were incorrectly projected and matted.  You're right, stuff like that really tarnishes the experience.  And then the theaters and studios can't figure out why attendances are down.  Um, let's see... I can pay $30 to buy tickets for my family of four, pay $11(!!) for a large popcorn and soda, sit through 15 minutes of commercials and 15 minutes of previews, listen to some obnoxious ass's phone interrupt the movie, have my seat kicked, etc. etc...

Or I can wait 3 months, pay $18 for a DVD I can watch over and over again, view it in the privacy of my own home, pause and rewind as I please, have better sound and no projection problems, and eat my own food at non-extortionate prices.  Tough decision.  Nowadays it's only the huge event movies I feel compelled to watch in the theater and have the whole experience, for better or worse. 

[shardian]

Aw man, that sucks.  At our showing, all the previews were incorrectly projected and matted.  You're right, stuff like that really tarnishes the experience.  And then the theaters and studios can't figure out why attendances are down.  Um, let's see... I can pay $30 to buy tickets for my family of four, pay $11(!!) for a large popcorn and soda, sit through 15 minutes of commercials and 15 minutes of previews, listen to some obnoxious ass's phone interrupt the movie, have my seat kicked, etc. etc...

Or I can wait 3 months, pay $18 for a DVD I can watch over and over again, view it in the privacy of my own home, pause and rewind as I please, have better sound and no projection problems, and eat my own food at non-extortionate prices.  Tough decision.  Nowadays it's only the huge event movies I feel compelled to watch in the theater and have the whole experience, for better or worse. 

Movie theaters still have their uses. Back when I was a teen, it was a guaranteed unchaperoned 2 hours of time with my girlfriend. Now that I am married to said girlfriend, we actually watch the movie and expect it to be good for our hard-earned money. 

I am also unashamed to say we sneak in our own drinks and candy.

[ChoiceStriker]

Yeah, I still sneak in snacks and drinks too.  Even though I'm pretty sure AMC allows you to bring in your own stuff, I still try to conceal it.  I understand the reasons behind the high concession prices; it's just a little ridiculous. 

[shardian]

  I understand the reasons behind the high concession prices; it's just a little ridiculous. 

I don't understand it. If they were reasonably priced, I would buy my snacks there. They would make up the difference in volume.

[Ginsu Victim]

The movie theater industry has no concept of economics.

If they would lower the concession prices, more people would buy them. They would make MORE money by lowering their prices than constantly raising them.

I'm not paying $5.10 for a small popcorn. We sneak in our own snacks and only buy a large drink (just under $4.00) which has free refills, but we never finish the drink during the movie (who wants to get up and pee? Not me).

[ChoiceStriker]

  I understand the reasons behind the high concession prices; it's just a little ridiculous. 

I don't understand it. If they were reasonably priced, I would buy my snacks there. They would make up the difference in volume.

Well, the explanation I've heard is that the studios and distributors take such a huge percentage of ticket revenue back that the theaters actually make more money from concessions than they do from tickets.  Realistically, I don't know how they can expect people to pay $5 for a large Coke and $6 for a bucket of popcorn.  But I guess people must be desperate enough to pay those prices, because they've been that high for as long as I can remember, and if people weren't paying it, the market wouldn't bear it.

As for volume sales, I haven't seen a theater (in the KC area) with a concessions area capable of handling the volume of customers it would take to make the same amount of money with four or five times the transactions.   Even when you go to a movie on opening night, the aforementioned desperate concessions customers are lined up six or seven deep, four or five registers across.  When people are in a rush to get into their movie, I think lines would just be too long for most people to wait if concessions were actually reasonably priced.  So apparently, the current system is working for the theaters.

[shmokes]

Higher volume means more space for inventory, more employees to sell the food, more space for lines behind the registers, etc.  I think, at least in the short term, the movie theaters are probably maximizing profits perfectly with their extortionate prices.  Now, if they charged reasonable prices they might, in the long run, bring in more customers altogether because people have an overall better experience.  But their prices are very well researched and tested.  If profits were higher with lower prices, prices would be lower.  Of course, what this means is that instead of grumbling while you buy popcorn, you have to skip the popcorn.  It's the only the way the prices will come down.

[patrickl]

I am also unashamed to say we sneak in our own drinks and candy.

Lol, me too.

I have a subscription to a movie magazine. Besides 6 magazines with movie news, it comes with 10 cinema tickets every year.

[shmokes]

Saw Kung Fu Panda.  It was good.  It was nowhere near Pixar's best, IMO. 

Also, the opening sequence is traditional 2D animation and the art direction is freaking brilliant.  The whole movie should have been animated using this style.  Seriously, the second it switches into the now-typical CG animation you will be instantly disappointed.  It's still a good movie -- lots of fun.  And it's got a good (if incredibly unrealistic) moral.  But it would have been way WAY cooler if they'd animated the whole movie the way they animated the first few minutes.

[ErikRuud]

Brad Bird is still with Pixar!  He is working on the mostly live-action film "1906".

Yeah, Fox dropped the ball with The Iron Giant.  They didn't think hand-drawn animation had any life in it anymore and they didn't advertise the movie for ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---.  Luckily Pixar recognized the enormous talent behind The Iron Giant (Brad Bird -- writer/director) and scooped him up.  He wrote and directed The Incredibles and Ratatouille.  He just got wooed to another studio, though . . . Dreamworks maybe, or maybe he's heading up a new animation studio for Warner Bros.  Something like that; I can't remember.  Or maybe he's going to direct a live-action film.  I don't know.  At any rate, I don't think he had anything to do with Wall-E and he won't be doing the next Pixar film.

[shmokes]

Hmm . . . that's interesting.  That movie was originally announced as being produced by Paula Weinstein at Warner Bros.  Now it looks like Pixar is co-financing the film.  Maybe that was the set up from the beginning, but I'm under the impression that isn't the case.  I bet Pixar decided that they REALLY didn't want to lose Bird and made him a sweetheart deal.