Kung Fu Panda
Paramount Pictures | Release Date: June 6, 2008 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
74
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 36 Critic Reviews
Positive:
31
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Light and goofy, yet the fight scenes, which are the heart of the film, are lickety-split mad fun. Read full review
91
The A.V. ClubTasha Robinson
Yet another celebrity-voiced animal adventure, but it stands out from the crowd of similar films with its lightning wit and whirlwind brio. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
The stroke of genius is, of course, the film's hero -- the big, lovable bear that is the Chinese panda. Read full review
90
Washington PostJohn Anderson
Infectious and inspiring, despite one's best efforts to resist its charms. Read full review
90
The New York TimesManohla Dargis
At once fuzzy-wuzzy and industrial strength, the tacky-sounding Kung Fu Panda is high concept with a heart. Read full review
90
TimeRichard Corliss
The new picture provides a master coursed in cunning visual art and ultra-satisfying entertainment. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
Everything about Kung Fu Panda is a little better, a little sharper, a little funnier than the animated run of the mill. Read full review
88
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
The voice cast includes Angelina Jolie as a tigress, omnipresent Seth Rogen as an acupuncturist who's a praying mantis, David Cross as a nasal crane and Lucy Liu as a cheerful viper. Read full review
88
LarsenOnFilmJosh Larsen
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. Read full review
83
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
It's not an instant classic, but it's imaginatively drawn, full of charming characters, alive with action sequences and blissfully free of the snickering scatology and endless pop-culture references. Read full review
83
Christian Science MonitorPeter Rainer
The animation is consistently sporty and there are some choice comic riffs on martial arts movies. Read full review
80
EmpireChris Hewitt (1)
Rudimentary plot and merely decent gags aside, this is the finest DreamWorks Animation effort since the first Shrek, chiefly because of its astonishing visuals and kinetic kung fu sequences. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicBill Goodykoontz
The animation is first-rate, and the settings and background are appropriately exotic. The fights are a lot more exciting than you would think. And if the story is somewhat predictable (and the final blow somewhat difficult to fathom), one could find lesser heroes to root for than Po, although none more unlikely. Read full review
80
Screen RantVic Holtreman
If you're a martial arts/action movie fan in particular, much of the action in the film will leave you very satisfied. There's a prison escape sequence that is jaw-droppingly cool. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
This is a solid family film material, although one suspects the children will get a little more out of it than their parents. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Not one of the great recent animated films. The story is way too predictable, and truth to tell, Po himself didn't overwhelm me with his charisma. But it's elegantly drawn, the action sequences are packed with energy, and it's short enough that older viewers will be forgiving. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Thanks to a witty script and the recognizably goofy but absolutely earnest delivery of Black, Kung Fu Panda has a human soul, too. Read full review
75
PremiereJenni Miller
It was definitely a great idea to give Kung Fu Panda the IMAX treatment. The fight scenes, quivering whiskers and moist noses, foggy mountaintops, and fluttering peach blossoms are equally impressive on the huge, curved screen. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Beautifully animated, the celebrity voice performances are terrific, and the action sequences negotiate the fine line between being physically convincing and becoming too intense for the young children. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this is probably the best movie so far this year about a kung-fu fighting panda. Read full review
75
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
This movie leaves 'em laughing - and gasping. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
It's the overriding spirit of the movie that forms its greatest appeal: Here's a movie that isn't intent on conquering the world but simply entertaining you for a breezy 90 minutes. Read full review
75
New York PostKyle Smith
Po speaks loudly and carries big shtick. Let the rest of the world cringe at our hyperconfidence, our charisma, our pure awesomeness. Read full review
75
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
The result is a genuinely pleasing kung fu movie that kids and grown-ups can enjoy. Read full review
70
Village VoiceElla Taylor
Perfectly pleasant, very good-looking, modestly funny, dispiritingly unoriginal variant on the nerd-with-a-dream recipe that's been clobbered to death in animated films for at least a decade now. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesCarina Chocano
The action, heavily influenced by Hong Kong martial arts films, is beautifully choreographed. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
The essence of the film is slapsticky, chopsocky action, rendered with great verve and accompanied by bromides having to do with the need to believe. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderAndrea Gronvall
Tongue-in-cheek dialogue, inventive slapstick and fight sequences, and luminous production design make this a treat. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleJosh Rosenblatt
Po (Black) may be an animated panda bear, but make no mistake: Deep down he's really just a nerd with a pop-culture obsession. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Stephen Cole
The film lacks the comic ingenuity of the best in CGI critter movies. It's not fun-for-the-whole-family, like "Shrek." Still, it's a howl and amazement for anyone under 12. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeTy Burr
Kung Fu Panda goes nowhere surprising even as its images unscroll handsomely before our eyes. The sound could go out in the theater, and you wouldn't ask for your money back. Read full review
60
NPRBob Mondello
Though the film's simple story is squarely aimed at tots, DreamWorks' digitizers have referenced Eastern visual styles -- everything from delicate Chinese screens to flashy Japanese anime -- to enliven the look of the film. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
This is an unashamedly old-fashioned children's movie, and a predictable message is part of the mission. But that's okay; what the movie lacks in surprises, it makes up for in whimsical fun. Read full review
50
VarietyTodd McCarthy
A nice looking but heavily formulaic DreamWorks animation entry. Read full review
50
USA TodayClaudia Puig
Though occasionally visually inventive, Kung Fu Panda is a disappointment when it comes to matters of simple black and white: the script. Read full review
50
Film ThreatPete Vonder Haar
It's impressive enough to look at, and the voice talent – especially Black and Hoffman - doesn't disappoint, but all the CGI wankery and high-end talent only barely allows Kung Fu Panda to rise above cliché. Read full review
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