Kung Fu Panda

Clumsy, chubby noodle-seller Po the panda (voiced by Jack Black) becomes a martial arts master in this visually arresting CGI-animated adventure from DreamWorks. Po lives in the Valley of Peace, where harmony is threatened by the evil snow leopard Tai Lung (Ian McShane). Despite the presence of five highly skilled fighters, Po is revealed to be the new Dragon Warrior, who is prophesied to defeat Tai Lung. Taking a typical fists-of-fury plot from the Bruce Lee era, and using Hong Kong action clichés of slow-motion and freeze-frame to good effect, the film-makers were right to put most of their energies into the fight scenes, which are swiftly paced and great fun to watch. The main drawback is an overly familiar "believe in yourself" message. But the film's less geared around pop culture references and abrasive humour than DreamWorks's Shrek movies, and with Black's boundless enthusiasm giving Po a lovably goofball spark, this beautifully designed, cherry blossom-hued cartoon is brighter, breezier and bouncier than most.