Kung-Fu Panda

Running Time: 88 minutes
MPAA rating: PG

"Kung-Fu Panda," the latest computer-animated feature from DreamWorks, is half of a good movie.

The film stars Jack Black as Po, a chubby panda who dreams of being a great kung-fu hero. One day, he gets his wish when he accidentally drops in on the ceremony choosing the Dragon Warrior, the chosen one whose destiny it is to fight the evil Tai Lung, the greatest kung-fu master ever.

Reluctantly aided by Yoda-looking Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and the Furious Five (Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, Jackie Chan and David Cross), Po begins his last-minute training before Tai Lung arrives at their little village in the Valley of Peace.

Sure, the kids might enjoy it. It's a zippy 88 minutes long, there are some pretty fun fight sequences, the art direction is very good and some of the sight gags are funny.

But, grownups might find themselves bored by the hackneyed plot, groan-inducing dialogue and a ridiculous moral to the story that some might find annoying. The idea that all a person needs, regardless of shortcomings and a lack of qualifications, is self-esteem and he or she can do anything is absurd.

I mean, here's a fat, out-of-shape, undisciplined panda who, through the magic of selfesteem, is able to defeat the greatest kung-fu master of all time, while five other kung-fu masters who have trained really, really hard their entire lives get the stuffing kicked out of them. Let me tell you, as someone who is also fat, out of shape and undisciplined, the world doesn't work that way. If it did, I'd be playing point guard for the Lakers.

Ah, well. Not that any of that matters. The kids in the matinee I attended were having a great time, so I'm thinking your

kids will too. (c) 2008 King Features Synd., Inc.