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Kung Fu Panda
Metascore
73 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
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  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    91
    Light and goofy, yet the fight scenes, which are the heart of the film, are lickety-split mad fun.
  2. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Tasha Robinson
    91
    Yet another celebrity-voiced animal adventure, but it stands out from the crowd of similar films with its lightning wit and whirlwind brio.
  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Kirk Honeycutt
    90
    The stroke of genius is, of course, the film's hero -- the big, lovable bear that is the Chinese panda.
  4. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Manohla Dargis
    90
    At once fuzzy-wuzzy and industrial strength, the tacky-sounding Kung Fu Panda is high concept with a heart.
  5. Time
    Reviewed by: Richard Corliss
    90
    The new picture provides a master coursed in cunning visual art and ultra-satisfying entertainment.
  6. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: John Anderson
    90
    Infectious and inspiring, despite one's best efforts to resist its charms.
  7. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    88
    Everything about Kung Fu Panda is a little better, a little sharper, a little funnier than the animated run of the mill.
  8. Charlotte Observer
    Reviewed by: Lawrence Toppman
    88
    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.
  9. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: William Arnold
    83
    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.
  10. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    83
    The animation is consistently sporty and there are some choice comic riffs on martial arts movies.
  11. Empire
    Reviewed by: Chris Hewitt
    80
    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.
  12. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    75
    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.
  13. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Rene Rodriguez
    75
    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.
  14. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    75
    Po speaks loudly and carries big shtick. Let the rest of the world cringe at our hyperconfidence, our charisma, our pure awesomeness.
  15. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    75
    Thanks to a witty script and the recognizably goofy but absolutely earnest delivery of Black, Kung Fu Panda has a human soul, too.
  16. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Mick LaSalle
    75
    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.
  17. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    75
    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.
  18. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    75
    This is a solid family film material, although one suspects the children will get a little more out of it than their parents.
  19. Premiere
    Reviewed by: Jenni Miller
    75
    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.
  20. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    75
    The result is a genuinely pleasing kung fu movie that kids and grown-ups can enjoy.
  21. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Michael Sragow
    75
    This movie leaves 'em laughing - and gasping.
  22. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Ella Taylor
    70
    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.
  23. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Carina Chocano
    70
    The action, heavily influenced by Hong Kong martial arts films, is beautifully choreographed.
  24. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Joe Morgenstern
    70
    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.
  25. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Andrea Gronvall
    70
    Tongue-in-cheek dialogue, inventive slapstick and fight sequences, and luminous production design make this a treat.
  26. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Josh Rosenblatt
    67
    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.
  27. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    63
    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.
  28. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Stephen Cole
    63
    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.
  29. NPR
    Reviewed by: Bob Mondello
    60
    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.
  30. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    60
    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.
  31. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Claudia Puig
    50
    Though occasionally visually inventive, Kung Fu Panda is a disappointment when it comes to matters of simple black and white: the script.
  32. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Pete Vonder Haar
    50
    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.
  33. Variety
    Reviewed by: Todd McCarthy
    50
    A nice looking but heavily formulaic DreamWorks animation entry.
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User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.1 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 175 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 59 out of 65
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 65
  3. Negative: 1 out of 65
  1. grandpajoe6191
    8
    Recently, Dreamworks has been working hard to improve their story and dialogue, and they did use their time wisely. Their animation "Kung Fu Panda" blows it all, from comedy to action, like a boss.… Full Review »
  2. Treblotski
    3
    The picture itself is very beautiful, but it's not funny and the movie becomes boring right after the first 10 minutes when we find out how the movie goes on and how it ends. It rudely reminds me films where are actors like Chuck Norris or Arnold Schwarzenegger.… Full Review »
  3. MetalMan95
    9
    One of dreamwork's best. I got a karate kid feel from this. Jack Black was perfect for this role. I was laughing alot also. its a perfect family movie
See all user reviews »