KUNG FU PANDA 3 Is Kung Fu Awesome

KUNG FU PANDA 3 Review:

- The Kung Fu Panda movies are pretty much awesomeness on a stick. Each entry in the Dreamworks Animation series has been full of fun, joy, humor, heart, and visual fireworks - and the third entry is no exception. For a long time, Dreamworks was very much considered off-brand Pixar. But films like How To Train Your Dragon, Megamind, and Kung Fu Panda helped to, rightfully, change that perception. The Panda films may not be especially deep or profound, but they hit a sweet spot in terms of packing in just the right amount of adult-pleasing action and humor with kid-friendly characters and themes. While the formula wears perhaps a tiny bit thin in the third film, KUNG FU PANDA 3 still entertains with a steady and kung fu grip.

KUNG FU PANDA 3 follows up on Part 2's reveal of there being other pandas out there, hidden away in a secret city. Now, Po's father (voiced to great effect by Bryan Cranston), has gone in search of his long-lost son - with an aim to bring him back to be among his own kind. However, Po's family reunion comes just as an ancient evil - Kai - has resurfaced after an extended imprisonment in the spirit realm. Kai's powers allow him to absorb the chi of his enemies, turning them into glowy green ghost slaves that do is bidding. And the only way to stop Kai - because he is a spirit being - is to use the power of chi against him. Only problem is, there's no one around who has that power. Chi master Oogway is himself confined to the spirit realm, and the pandas - who were once adept at manipulating chi - have forgotten how to wield it. So of course, it's now up to Po and his friends to figure out how to stop Kai and his plans of conquest.

Jack Black is once again ridiculously fun as Po. Black makes his panda alter-ego both lovable and hilarious - mixing real heart amidst the rapid-fire jokes. In this movie, Po seemingly starts things off having not grown up too much from the previous movies. He's now a bonafide hero - the "Dragon Warrior" - but he mostly spends his time traipsing around the village and basking in his adulation of his fans. However, the movie then proceeds to give Po a real hero's journey - not only must he reconcile his life as he's known it so far with the way his fellow pandas live, but he also must finally become a true leader. The movie frames Po's character arc with surprising elegance. Also handled with surprising elegance: the relationship between Po, his adoptive dad Ping, and his actual, newly-reunited-with dad Li. Give credit to Cranston and James Hong (as Ping) for their great voice-work. But also give credit to a script that somehow makes you care about the relationship between a giant panda and a duck, and may even get you a bit misty-eyed.

This franchise has always had a pretty ridiculously-stacked bench of voice actors. Aside from Black as Po, you've also got a returning ensemble of Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, David Cross, Lucy Liu, and Jackie Chan as his kung-fu compatriots. Plus Dustin Hoffman as curmudgeonly mentor Master Shifu. Kate Hudson also gets to have fun as Mei Mei, an awkward female panda who comes on a bit strong towards her latest crush, Po. Basically, the voice acting here is pretty excellent - and it's no surprise that always-funny guys like Cross nail their jokes and provide great comic relief. Kai is voiced by J.K. Simmons, and he's suitably big, bad, and menacing.

In terms of action, well, this is where the franchise has always really excelled. Part 3 delivers - with some truly spectacular visuals and set pieces. What I really like is that the KUNG FU PANDA movies playfully pay homage to classic kung-fu films - though they also show a real respect for them, and for the elaborate fight choreography that is their trademark. There's a lot of Jackie Chan-style use of props and other objects in the action, which is cool. And, bigger picture, the overall visuals of the film are just plain eye-popping. Like the other entries in the franchise, the use of color here is fantastic. Plus, there are really cool interludes that are animated in the style of ancient Chinese scrolls. Very cool.

The only real knock against this one is that, in some ways, it's a bit same-y vs. the previous movies. A lot of the big themes (Po's lack of maturity, his directionless, his fraught relationship with his adopted father and friends) have been covered before. But there are some nice new twists (Po re-learning how to live properly as a Panda), and the mythology of the franchise feels satisfyingly expanded.

At the end of the day, these films are just incredibly fun. Perfect movie-going comfort food. I don't know that a KUNG FU PANDA movie will ever be held in the same high regard as the likes of Wall-E or Toy Story. But you know what? Maybe they should be.

My Grade: A-

OSCAR 2015 - Pre-Show Thoughts & Predictions & Rants

OSCARS 2015 Thoughts and Predictions:

Oscar time, once again. The Oscars have gotten a lot of flack this year, but hey, I give 'em flack every year. The fact is, the Academy Awards rarely seem to really reflect the year's best films. And this year is no exception. From the complete lack of major awards love for the masterpiece that is Nightcrawler, to the stunning omission of deserving directors like Selma's Ava DuVernay, this year's Oscars seem to have dropped the proverbial ball in multiple ways. That said, what's often worse than the Oscar omissions is the unfounded backlash against deserving films that actually do get nominations. This year, there is tons of hate being thrown in the direction of movies like Boyhood. Wake-up call, people. Maybe it's not to everyone's tastes, but Boyhood is a landmark movie from a director who is both one of our best and one of our most historically under-appreciated. I have to shake my head at the same people who long griped about Richard Linklater not getting his due who now claim that perhaps his greatest work is overrated Oscar-bait (as if ... to work on a quirky side project for twelve years with the intention of it being Oscar-bait would be flat-out insane). In any case, while there are some clear omissions this year from the Oscar race, and some nominated films that to me are mere B+ players, there are also some fantastic movies in the mix that, should they win, would be more than deserving of Oscar gold.

To kick things off though, here are my Top 10 OSCAR SNUBS of 2015:

1.) Best Actor - Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler

- WTF. This was a performance for the ages, a De Niro in Taxi Driver-esque turn that was both mesmerizing and nightmare-inducing. This omission is flat-out embarrassing for the Oscars, because this is one that will be talked about for a long, long time.

2.) Best Picture - Nightcrawler

- Again, WTF. A clear top-tier film of 2015, it's shocking to me that this one was omitted at the expense of the good-but-not-even-Wes-Anderson's-best Grand Budapest Hotel and the overrated Birdman.

3.) Best Animated Feature - The LEGO Movie

- Once again - are you freaking kidding me? The LEGO Movie was one of the best animated films in YEARS, not even just of 2015. It was hilarious, poignant, and smartly self-aware. Crazy that it wasn't nominated.

4.) Best Director - Ava DuVernay - Selma

- It got a Best Picture nom, and yet the director of the masterfully-directed Selma got no nomination? But the director of Foxcatcher did? Say it ain't so.

5.) Best Actor - David Oyelowo - Selma

- Similarly ... are you serious, bro?! David Oyelowo kills it as MLK Jr., and brings humanity and dimensionality to an impossibly tricky role - and yet no nom? Completely crazy.

6.) Best Supporting Actress - Rene Russo - Nightcrawler

- Meryl Streep is nominated for Into. The. Woods?! But Rene Russo's incendiary turn in Nightcrawler is snubbed? Oscar, what hath thou become?

7.) Interstellar ... for anything.

- I suppose some of the backlash to this film kept it out of the Oscar race. But to me it was on par with Inception and other top-tier Nolan films. Nolan should have been nominated. McConaughey should have been nominated. And Jessica Chastain.

8.) Best Actor - Philip Seymour Hoffman - A Most Wanted Man

- One of the best ever gives you one final performance for the ages ... and no Oscar love? Guess it's fitting, as Hoffman was the kind of actor so good that he was sort of too good for the Oscars, anyways.

9.) Best Actor - Tom Hardy - Locke

- Tom Hardy destroys in Locke. He's the only actor on-camera the entire movie. And the whole thing takes place in the dude's car! And it's totally riveting. If that doesn't spell Oscar-worthy, then the Academy is on crack.

10.) Funny Women

- 2014 was a landmark year for women in comedy. Jenny Slate in Obvious Child. Kristin Wiig in Skeleton Twins. Amy Poehler in They Came Together. But as per usual, comedy is completely ignored by the Oscars unless it contains Wes Anderson quirk or whatever it is that Birdman has. Lame. Oscars, get a sense of humor.

2015 OSCAR PICKS AND PREDICTIONS:

BEST PICTURE:

Should Win: Boyhood or Whiplash

- Boyhood was, to me, a masterpiece. A flat-out modern classic in a year that produced few of them. Hate on it if you will, but I think this is the ultimate Richard Linklater film. Meanwhile, Whiplash for me was a very close second. A movie so intense that it's practically a horror movie. JK Simmons was *the man* in this film and his is a performance for the ages.

Will Win: Boyhood

- Despite some eleventh-hour backlash, I think there is some degree of consensus that Boyhood is the film to beat this year. Linklater's moment is now, and it's time that the rebel-slacker indie darling gets his moment in the sun.

BEST ACTOR:

Should Win: Eh ...

- I don't absolutely love any of the actual nominees this year. Eddie Redmayne was pretty amazing in The Theory of Everything, but it's also not a role that produced any super-memorable moments. Benedict Cumberbatch was fantastic in The Imitation Game as well, but again, not sure if there was truly a huge, classic, Oscar-worthy moment in the film. Gyllenhaal and Hardy should have been nominated here.

Will Win: Michael Keaton

- It seems like the momentum is in his favor. And who doesn't love Michael Keaton? But the fact is, he's great in Birdman, but the movie itself is a jumble of ideas and concepts that doesn't really amount to a fulyl cohesive statement. Plus, to me it was actually Emma Stone who stole the movie.

BEST ACTRESS:

Should Win: Rosamund Poke

- Pike killed it in Gone Girl, giving us the perfect balance of pulpiness and legit-disturbing psycho-killer creepiness. Without her, Gone Girl would not have worked as well as it did, and she deserves the gold.

Will Win: Julianne Moore

- I have yet to see Still Alice, but the movie just seems like the sort of dour prestige pic that the Oscars love. And Moore is a great actress long overdue for a win. I'm not opposed, but I'm not all that enthused either.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Should and Will Win: J.K. Simmons

- If there's one sure thing this year, it's Simmons - no question. Bet on it. Sometimes a performance is so damn awesome that there's no choice but to give it all of the awards. And Simmons' work in Whiplash is just such a performance. Not quite your tempo? If that's the case, I seriously question your movie taste, dude.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Should and Will Win: Patricia Arquette

- I liked all of the actresses in this category (save Meryl Streep in the messy Into the Woods). But Arquette was legendarily good in Boyhood - funny, heartbreaking, and pretty much awesome. She made it as much her story as anyone's (which makes you wonder why she's not in the Lead Actress category, but whatever). But Arquette - long an underrated actress - deserves awards for killin' it in Boyhood.

BEST DIRECTOR:

Should and Will Win: Richard Linklater

- This is a tough one to call, but again, I think this is the year Linklater get his due. I could see Alejandro Inarritu with an outside chance, but I'm guessing enough people agree with me that Birdman's single-take style was more gimmicky than great to keep him from taking the top prize. I don't think you can underrate Linklater's achievement with Boyhood. To weave twelve years' worth of story into a compelling and moving narrative is no easy feat.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

Should Win: Nightcrawler

- Seriously, what an innovative, dark, funny, satirical, crackling screenplay. But given its omission from every other major category, I'd be shocked if the deserving Nightcrawler and Dan Gilroy won here.

Will Win: Birdman

- Deserving? Not really? There are some great little monologues in the movie (Emma Stone's kills it), but thematically and tonally, this one is all over the map. Still, the combo of quirky and meta and commenting on Hollywood (we know how Hollywood loves that!) will give it a victory.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

Should Win and Will Win: Whiplash

- I've got to think that Whiplash will take this one. I mean, it's by far the most quotable movie of this Oscar season, with J.K. Simmons' "Not my tempo!" now in the pop-culture lexicon. Maybe The Imitation Game plays spoiler, but I think Whiplash gets the edge.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:

Should and Will Win: Big Hero 6

- Disney's film was action-packed, stylish, smart, and had an awesome pro-science message. In LEGO Movie's absence, it's my pick. I also loved Book of Life, so wouldn't be upset to see it with an upset. I will caveat by saying that the Japanese films Song of the Sea and The Tale of Princess Kayuga could also play spoiler. I haven't seen these, but both have received rave reviews. So it's a tough one to call, no question.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:

Should and Will Win: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

- There is room, I suppose, for an upset here. But come on, APES for the win. I mean, the movie made me care, a lot, about warring armies of intelligent apes. And Ceaser and Koba were the best hero/villain rivals of 2014 - and again, they were mo-capped monkeys! (er, apes). No monkey business, Oscar!

BEST FILM EDITING:

- Should and Will Win: Whiplash

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

- Should Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Will Win: Birdman

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:

- Should and Will Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel

BEST ANIMATED FILM SHORT:

- Should and Will Win: Feast

BEST DOCUMENTARY:

- Should and Will Win: Citizenfour

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT:

- Should Win: ?
- Will Win: Joanna

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT:

- Should Win: ?
- Will Win: The Phone Call

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:

- Should Win: ?
- Will Win: Ida

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:

- Should and Will Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING:

- Should and Will Win: Guardians of the Galaxy

BEST SOUND MIXING:

- Should and Will Win: Whiplash

BEST SOUND EDITING:

- Should and Will Win: American Sniper

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:

- Should and Will Win: Interstellar

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:

Should and Will Win: "Glory" from Selma

And there you have it. As I always do, I urge everyone to enjoy the Oscars but also not pay them too much attention. 2014 was an amazing year for movies - but a lot of the year's best were films that the Oscars simply doesn't and won't recognize. I'm talking about action films like The Raid 2 and Snowpiercer, blockbusters like Edge of Tomorrow and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Guardians of the Galaxy, horror like The Babadook, thrillers like The Guest, and comedies like Obvious Child, Top Five, and They Came Together. Remember, the Oscars are just one narrow slice of the movie universe. Be sure to explore it.