FilmCreature

According to Wikipedia, "China has one of the longest histories of continuously recorded martial arts tradition of any society in the world, and with hundreds of styles probably the most varied. Over the past two to four thousand years, many distinctive styles have been developed, each with its own set of techniques and ideas." One of the coolest things about Kung Fu Panda is that it seems to celebrate some of these individual styles, representing them with its own animal. The animated martial arts in the film is lithe and mesmerizing; surprisingly sharp for a kids movie. Teens, parents, and kung fu fanatics will all get their money's worth with this high-spirited and high-energy flick.

The plot is obvious. A fat, lazy panda (voiced by a precisely cast Jack Black) gets a chance to prove his worth as the "Dragon Warrior" who will save China from the wicked snow leopard Tai Lung (Ian McShane). In order to do this, he must be trained by Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), a deceptively small red panda who has trained the greatest kung fu warriors in all China, the Furious Five, voiced by (*deep breath*) Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, and David Cross. Of course, they all expected to be chosen to be the Dragon Warrior, and here's Chub Fu to take away the coveted prize.

The voice talents are mostly generic. The exceptions would be Jack Black, who brings a slacker panda reminiscent of Kevin Smith comedy to life almost flawlessly, and Dustin Hoffman, doing such a good job as Master Shifu that you won't even recognize his gravely enunciation unless you listen closely.

I recommend 'Kung Fu Panda'. Everyone'll have a blast. Even if it's predictable to the very end, the characters are all likable, and the film has a cartoony animation style but still looks gorgeous.

3/4

"I like being depressed. It makes me feel deep and introspective."

Famke Janssen is a joy to behold in this insightful, underrated portrait of an alarmingly cynical woman. 'Love & Sex' takes a refreshingly frank look at the politics of sex between two individuals. Janssen, whom I had only beheld in all her beauty in a few "meh" action flicks, puts mountains of charm and introspection into this performance.

She plays Kate Welles, a jaded women's magazine columnist who finds trouble with her foulmouthed boss for writing an article with step-by-step instructions on oral sex ("When life sucks, so should you!") This pretty much sets the tone for the film, which contains no nudity but some explicit sexual dialogue.

I'm not presenting this as a negative whatsoever. It's almost inspiring, in fact, seeing a romantic comedy (no matter how IFC it is) that is so candid about such matters.

Roger Ebert, the best critic out there, gave the film a negative review, feeling that "In successful screen romance, there needs to be the sense that the partners are happy simply to be there with one another, that there is a physical yearning, and not simply the need to talk fast enough to stay ahead of the one-liners." I would agree, partially. 'Love & Sex' is not perfect, far from it. At times it can seem like a series of one-liners, but would you rather have a train of quick and biting one-liners for dialogue, or a wretched dredge through moronic cheeseball sentimentality? I prefer the former.

Overall, 'Love & Sex' is a shrewd and funny mix of Woody Allen and 'Sex and the City', and I would recommend it to open-minded moviegoers looking a quick and pleasing comedy with satisfying bite.

3/4