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Kung Fu Panda

Kung ‘kay tabatchoy
Review by Vives Anunciacion
Inquirer Libre June 13, 2008
review in Filipino

Directed by Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
Featuring the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Lucy Liu, Jackie Chan

Galit ako sa mga tamad. Sa mga panahon ngayon, bawal ang katamaran. Pero sa mga panahon ding ganito nakakatulog ang kaunting aliw.

Si Po (boses ni Nacho Libre Jack Black) ay isang matabang panda na parang Juan Tamad - maghapong nangangarap maging pinakamahusay na Kung Fu fighter sa buong China, mas mahusay pa kaysa sa Furious Five na kaniyang iniidolo. Kahit na sa gitna ng pagwe-waiter niya sa maliit na noodle restaurant nila ng kaniyang ama, nangangarap pa rin siya. Kaya nang marinig niya ang announcement na pipiliin na ni Shaolin Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) ang Dragon Warrior na magiging tagapagtanggol ng Valley of Peace, agad binitawan ni Po ang mga hawak na bowl at kumaripas patungong templo.

Doon nag-e-exhibition ng martial arts ang mga estudyante ni Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) - ang Furious Five na sina Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Crane (David Cross), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu) at Monkey (Jackie Chan). Sa pagkagulat ng lahat, idineklara ni Oogway na ang susunod na Dragon Warrior ay ang patid-paang bundating si Po. Walang magagawa ang lahat kundi sundin ang Shaolin Master, sa kabila ng pagtutol ni Shifu na mistulang ininsulto dahil hindi mga estudyante niya ang piniling tagapagtanggol laban sa malakas na rebeldeng fighter na si Tai Lung (Ian McShane).

Sa madaling salita, mapatutunayan ni Po na karapatdapat siyang maging Dragon Warrior, at sa huli, maibabalik ang katahimikan sa Valley.

Luma na yung theme na "believe in yourself and prove your detractors wrong" na siyang tema ng kwento ng isang biluging Panda na nangarap maging shaolin master. Pero hindi dahil luma ay hindi na pwedeng gamitin, lalu na kung pwede pang retokehin. Nakaaaliw na ang mga residente ng Valley of Peace dahil karamihan sa kanila ay mga animals sa 12 Zodiacs ng Chinese astrology. Panda si Po, turtle si Oogway, may Viper, Monkey, Crane at Tiger, merong mythical Dragon, at maraming pigs at storks (si master Shifu ay isang red panda, samantalang snow leopard naman si Tai Lung).

May limang dahilan kung bakit maganda ang Kung Fu Panda. Una na dito ang visual style - kapag animation ang pinag-uusapan, importante ang technique dahil parang shaolin, kailangan mag-improve ito sa paglipas ng panahon (take note, Urduja). Pangalawa ang mga exciting na action sequences na kasing galing ng mga pelikula ni Jackie Chan. Meron pang running over the rooftops ala Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon at makapigil-hiningang confrontation ng Furious Five versus Tai Lung sa gitna ng mataas na rope bridges. Magaling ang voice acting ng cast, na hindi nagpapansin kung sino silang artista. Siyempre pa ang nakatatawang comedy, parang Shaolin Soccer, pero animals. Na-master na yata ng Hollywood ang pagpapatawa sa animation.

Pero ang pinakamahusay na desisyon ng mga gumawa ng Kung Fu Panda ay gawing Panda ang bida ng pelikula. Cute na, hindi mo pa aakalaing may pakinabang pala ang umuumbok na katabaan nito para matalo ang kalaban.

May lesson na matututunan dito sa Kung Fu Panda, at ito ay: kung ikaw ay masaya, tumawa ka.

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