Kung Fu Panda • DigitalDingus Blu-ray Review

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Kung Fu Panda

Conclusion
April 5, 2009

Kung Fu Panda: Introduction / The Movie • Kung Fu Panda: Screencaps
Kung Fu Panda: Features & Specifications • Kung Fu Panda: Conclusion

Kung Fu Panda
Features: An hour and a half of enjoyable entertainment. Over an hour of extras (viewing running time) and several games. Very crisp and colorful transfer for Blu-ray.
Codec / Resolution: AVC / 1080p
Movie File Size: 20.75 GB
Average Bitrate: ~21 Mbps
Distributor: Dreamworks
Region: Region-Free
Movie Release: June 6, 2008
This Release: November 8, 2008
MPAA Rating: PG
Running Time: 88 mins
MSRP: $39.99
Current Price: Check Price / Purchase (Blu-ray)

Pros

Crisp video
Very fine detail
Primary colors are exceptional
Audio LPCM sounds great
A resourceful movie for kids (and adults) who will watch it over and over

Cons / Disadvantages

None observed

Noteworthy Observations

This is a CG animated feature, so it will look exceptionally better than a typical movie

AUDIO
VIDEO
CONTENT
EXTRAS

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Audio

Kung Fu Panda sounded great. No problems with the audio. Dolby TrueHD 5.1 is featured at 3256 Kbps or roughly 3.26 Mbps. The "48/24" (i.e., 48 kHz, 24-bit) soundtrack had some great lows, along with the entire audio spectrum performing very well. I heard no problems at all, and any sound system with a decent subwoofer will have quite a treat waiting.

Video

Kung Fu Panda has a near reference video quality, which would be an asset to any HD television of 50-inches or higher. Colors popped off the screen. Of course, this is a CG film, and by default we should expect a crystal clear presentation.

Content

You just can't go wrong with Kung Fu Panda. It does have a few familiar plots, but at the same time, the plots do have a few surprise twists which make the movie enjoyable.

The Extras

The extras on Kung Fu Panda are somewhat plentiful — even more than most epic films I've watched in the past. Over an hour of watching time, and several games and trivia additional features are offered.

Conclusion

Kung Fu Panda might be your typical underdog becomes superhero animated flick which we've seen time after time, but there are some great moments, and I can't simply say avoid this because of some usual linear plot developments. Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman are my two favorites in the film, and it's quite refreshing to hear their voices on the screen.

Kung Fu Panda also did a very nice job of conveying the mythical creatures of China, which the first-time viewer might overlook and just assume they were made up for the film. The Panda, Preying Mantis, Snake, Monkey, Tiger, and the Leopard were not chosen at random because of their cuteness. These creatures are a steadfast part of Chinese culture.

Kung Fu Panda gets a solid HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.