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"Kung Fu Panda" (PG, 1 hr., 32 min. 92 minutes)

A chubby panda in ancient China dreams of being a Kung Fu master in this riotous, artfully animated delight. "Kung Fu Panda" doesn't get cheap laughs with pop-culture references or double-entendres. It unfolds as a classic hero's journey, with deliciously verbal and visual humor. Co-directors Mark Osborne and John Stevenson manage to simultaneously spoof and pay homage to Asian martial arts films and ancient Chinese legend, but not in a pretentious way that sacrifices the main story. While the film is great fare for most kids 6 and older -- and for many kindergartners -- it does contain pretty fierce fights. The Kung Fu dust-ups are fanciful rather than hyper-realistic, but on the big screen, with crossbows and sticks, they may feel intense to some kids. And the villain -- a powerful, bullying snow leopard -- may briefly scare the littlest ones with just a flash of his yellow eyes.

Po the panda (voice of Jack Black) lives with his dad, a goose named Mr. Ping (James Hong), behind the family noodle shop. Mr. Ping longs for the day Po will realize they are "noodle folk" and that he is meant to sell noodles like his dad. But Po dreams of kicking villainous behinds, not ladling soup. One day, Kung Fu master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) holds a contest at the nearby palace among his star students, the Furious Five -- Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Viper (Lucy Liu) and Crane (David Cross). The winner must fulfill a prophecy and defeat the only enemy the valley faces -- the snow leopard Tai Lung (Ian McShane). But Po, in his bumbling efforts to get over the palace walls to see his idols compete, crash-lands in front of Shifu and the ancient, wise turtle Oogway (Randall Duk Kim). Oogway takes this as a sign that Po is fated to fulfill the prophecy, and master Shifu grudgingly starts to train the pudgy panda, thinking it's a hopeless mistake. The training sequences are priceless, with only one joke about Po getting hit in his "tenders." The message, about being "your own hero" and living in the present should resonate with kids, as they watch Po overcome self-doubt and derision. With more hard work than luck, he triumphs.

Beyond the Ratings Game: Movie Reviews for various ages

-- FINE FOR KIDS 6 AND OLDER:

"Kung Fu Panda" PG (NEW) -- A chubby panda in ancient China dreams of being a Kung Fu master in this riotous, artfully animated gem. "Kung Fu Panda" doesn't use cheap pop-culture jokes or double-entendres to win laughs. It unfolds as a classic hero's journey, with deliciously inventive verbal and visual humor. Fine fare for most kids 6 and older -- and for many kindergartners -- it does contain some intense fights, but the action between animal combatants isn't hyper-realistic. The villain, a yellow-eyed snow leopard, may scare the littlest kids. Po the panda (voice of Jack Black) lives with his dad, a goose named Mr. Ping (James Hong), behind the family noodle shop. Mr. Ping wishes Po would realize he comes from "noodle folk" and is destined to sell noodles his whole life. But Po dreams of being a fighter. One day, Kung Fu master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) holds a contest at the local palace between his star students, the Furious Five -- Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Viper (Lucy Liu) and Crane (David Cross). The winner must fulfill a prophecy and defeat the evil snow leopard Tai Lung (Ian McShane). Po, in his bumbling efforts to get over the palace walls to see the contest, crash-lands in front of Shifu and the ancient turtle Oogway (Randall Duk Kim). Oogway believes Po is fated to defeat Tai Lung, and Shifu grudgingly starts to train the clumsy panda. These sequences are a riot, with only one joke about Po getting hit in the "tenders." Po's own self-doubts and the message about being "your own hero" should resonate.

-- OK FOR KIDS 8 AND OLDER:

"Speed Racer" PG -- This racing fantasy will enthrall lots of kids 8 and older, though its eye-popping fusion of live-action and computer-animation adds up to less than the sum of its parts. "Speed Racer" is long, weak on story, and bloated by racing sequences that grow repetitive. The convoluted tale (its nonsensical lines lent a bit of meaning by a first-rate cast), has been reimagined from a 1967 Japanese comic book and animated TV series. Young Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is haunted by the death of his brother Rex (Scott Porter) in a racing accident (shown in nongraphic flashbacks), but Pops (John Goodman) still builds fast cars and Speed races them. The CEO (Roger Allam) of a corrupt race-car company tries to get Speed to drive for them. The fights are rough for a PG, and a man screams when he's forced to put his finger in a tank of piranhas, though nothing's shown. There is a little crude language, mild sexual innuendo, beer, and a mention of liquor.

-- MORE FOR 10 AND OLDER:

"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" PG -- Plenty of kids 10 and older will dive happily into this second installment, but a familiarity with the first film ("The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," PG, 2005), or with the books by C.S. Lewis would help, as the new film assumes much prior knowledge. "Prince Caspian" is a solid enough fantasy/epic, but slower, darker and less funny than the first film, with a look and tone that are more sword-and-sorcery than storybook. The four Pevensie kids, Lucy (Georgie Henley), Peter (William Moseley), Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Susan (Anna Popplewell), are back in World War II-era London. Thirteen-hundred years have passed in Narnia time. The magical land is ruled by the evil Miraz (Sergio Castellitto), who plots against his nephew, Prince Caspian (bland Ben Barnes), the rightful heir to the throne. The Pevensies are whisked back when Caspian sounds a magical horn. Battle scenes push the PG limit, implying that arrows and blades pierce flesh. Kids under 10 may cringe at a charging bear and two demons. The film begins with an intense childbirth scene. The Christian parable aspects of the story are understated, so kids of any faith can enjoy it.

-- PG-13s OF VARYING INTENSITY:

"You Don't Mess with the Zohan" (NEW) -- Adam Sandler takes on the Israeli-Palestinian dispute in miniature here, but his sophomoric farce trivializes the conflict. High-schoolers will learn little about the issues, but a lot about eating hummus. The bawdy humor makes the movie too lewd for middle-schoolers. The laugh-out-loud moments are based on old stereotypes or old sex jokes. Sandler plays Israeli Army commando Zohan. He can kill you with his thumb and forefinger, but his real love is styling hair and bedding as many women as possible. Zohan fakes his own death after a shootout with a terrorist (John Turturro). He sneaks into New York, changes his name, and lands a job at a Palestinian-owned salon run by the lovely Dalia (Emmanuelle Chriqui). He's stunned to see Israelis and Palestinians living peacefully in the same neighborhood. He becomes the stylist/lover of choice for all ladies over 60. The movie's engine runs on crude sexual innuendo and slang, strongly implied sexual situations and graphic crotch gags. The violence is comedic, too. There are ethnic slurs, gay jokes and mild profanity. Not for middle-schoolers.

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" -- Nearly 20 years after "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (PG-13, 1989), this belated fourth chapter offers flashes of high amusement. Yet it feels a little forced, a little cobbled-together and at times a little dull. It is 1957. Intrepid archeologist, adventurer and professor Indiana Jones is a senior citizen now, still wry and athletic. The film opens with him held captive by KGB agents in the Nevada desert, led by a rapier-wielding woman (Cate Blanchett). Jones escapes, but loses his teaching job when the red-baiting FBI doubts his story. A young Marlon Brando wannabe named Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) brings news that Jones' colleague (John Hurt) has been kidnapped in the Peruvian jungle after finding an ancient crystal skull. Jones and Mutt go to Peru, fight bad guys, and encounter Jones' one-time love, Marion (Karen Allen, who was in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," PG, 1981). Aside from near-bloodless gunplay and fights, there are wild stunts (a few of which fall a little flat) and chases. Under-10s may cower at man-eating ants, scorpions, mummified skeletons, zombie-like creatures and a shattering nuclear test. There is mild profanity and drinking. OK for most teens and preteens, but adults may need to explain the 1950s Cold War mentality.

"Iron Man" -- Spun off its Marvel Comics roots, this superhero flick is smartly written, crisply acted and elegantly designed, with gasp-inducing action and flashes of intellectual and moral heft. It is, however, too long, and jihadist villains seem a cheesy choice. Robert Downey Jr. exudes both hip and cool as weapons magnate Tony Stark, who is injured and captured by Afghan insurgents. A fellow captive (Shaun Toub) inserts a glowing electromagnetic device in Stark's chest to keep shrapnel out of his heart. The two men secretly build a weaponized, robotic suit of armor and Stark escapes in it. Back in Malibu, he announces he will no longer sell weapons and builds a supersonic battle suit so he can protect the innocent. The violence is thunderous, but nearly bloodless. It includes implied torture, images of surgery and Afghan families threatened at gunpoint. There is profanity, a nongraphic sexual situation, mild sexual innuendo and drinking. OK for teens who can handle war scenes.

-- R's:

"The Children of Huang Shi" (NEW; LIMITED RELEASE) -- This fact-based story of bravery and altruism in the face of wartime brutality could be a moving experience for high-schoolers. Though not helped by Jonathan Rhys Meyers' oddly pallid lead performance, the movie does offer vivid supporting characters and a harrowing sketch of life in China under Japanese occupation in the 1930s. Rhys Meyers plays real-life British journalist George Hogg, who organized a dangerous trek over hundreds of miles to move a group of orphaned boys to safety. Early on, the callow young reporter witnesses an atrocity -- the murder of Chinese civilians by Japanese troops in Nanjing. A Chinese Communist insurgent (Chow Yun Fat) and an American nurse, Lee Pearson (Radha Mitchell), befriend him and suggest he help out at the orphanage. The film includes intense, but not overly graphic violence, talk of rape and beheading, a boy's suicide, drug addiction themes, a nongraphic sexual situation, nonsexual nudity, profanity, drinking and smoking. A common slur is used to refer to the Japanese soldiers.

"Sex and the City" -- Some things are better left on the small screen. At two-and-a-quarter hours and blown up far larger than life, this feature film sequel to HBO's hit half-hour series feels like a drawn-out and vacuous soap opera, despite the fab clothes and racy repartee. One hopes that teens over 17 will at least acknowledge the crass consumption that fuels the four fashionista friends' lives as much as sex. Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), the narrator and chronicler of all their adventures, and her on-again-off-again love, Mr. Big (Chris Noth), may wed wealthily. Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) is a harried wife and mother whose husband Steve (David Eigenberg) confesses an infidelity. Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is a wife to Harry (Evan Handler) and a mom, but fears her happiness can't last. Samantha (Kim Cattrall), the most free-spirited (i.e. promiscuous) pal, lives with her actor-lover (Jason Lewis) in L.A. and is bored. The film's finale of forgiveness and reconciliation doesn't make up for the celebration of self-absorption that comes before. "Sex and the City" has explicit sexual situations, sexual language, nudity, crude humor, profanity and drinking. Not for under-17s.

"The Strangers" -- Three masked home invaders toy with a petrified couple in an isolated house, then turn violent in this worst-nightmare scarefest. "The Strangers" leaves a filmgoer with an appropriately clammy feeling, but offers little in the way of actual entertainment. It is a humorless, dour enterprise. James (Scott Speedman) and Kristen (Liv Tyler, whose deer-in-the-headlights acting doesn't help) are just home from a party and have had a falling out. There is a knock at the door -- a girl standing in the shadows asks for someone who doesn't live there. Later the knocking escalates into terror. The film contains a bloody shooting, stabbings, a steamy but nongraphic sex scene, occasional profanity and smoking. OK for teens 16 and older.

(c) 2008, Washington Post Writers Group.

This news arrived on: 06/05/2008

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