Synopsis: Self-control, perseverance, integrity, indomitable spirit – that’s what it’s supposed to be all about at the Concord Tae Kwon Do Studio, where boys are turned into black-belts and suburbanites are chiseled into great warriors, all under the watchful tutelage of proud sensei Fred Simmons. That is, until Fred discovers his wife has been unfaithful and instantly descends into a blubbering mess. OK, so maybe Fred is far more blowhard than kick-ass hero. But, when he sets out on a last-ditch quest to meet his kung-fu idol – the eight-time undefeated champ and star of the Seven Rings of Pain trilogy, Chuck “The Truck” Wallace – Fred winds up on a wild, comic journey that will take him from egomaniacal bluster all to the way to becoming the stand-up man of his delusional dreams.

Review: Making a belated theatrical bow after playing at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, this laugh-filled feature debut for writer/director Jody Hill is cheerfully vulgar and could be a summer sleeper. Cult possibilities are strong, too.

Acting: McBride, soon to be seen in Tropic Thunder and Pineapple Express, plays it perfectly straight as the pompous boor, who’s not nearly as smart, sexy or savvy as he thinks he is. Instead, he’s smug, smarmy, and would be utterly unbearable were it not for the clueless charm that McBride plays him with. It’s a splendid comedic performance. Bostick complements McBride perfectly as the bubble-headed, salon-tanned, stereotypical dumb-blonde wife, who just can’t seem to keep her hands to herself – and we’re not talking about the martial (or even the marital) arts. Ben Best, who also collaborated on the screenplay with McBride and Jody Hill, comes into the game late as Fred’s chop-socky idol, the equally smarmy Chuck “The Truck” Wallace, whose own adherence to the contemplative and spiritual nature of the martial arts is as bogus as Fred’s. As the most stalwart of Fred’s students, Spencer Moreno and Carlos Lopez IV stand out, with director Hill himself rounds out an enthusiastic cast of up-and-comers.

Direction: The true success of the film is its confident execution, which belies Hill’s first-timer status. The Foot Fist Way is consistently funny not because of the slapstick gags – although those work, too – but in the pitch-perfect realization of characters that, in other hands, might well have been insufferable. Instead, they’re amusing and appealing – even more so the worse they behave. The Hollywood landscape is littered with slob comedies that mistake lowbrow idiocy for inventiveness. The Foot Fist Way never makes that mistake, and it moves speedily and entertainingly enough that its slow patches are quickly forgotten and forgiven.

Bottom Line: Hollywood.com rated this film 3 stars.

Synopsis: Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po is the biggest fan of kung fu around – which doesn’t exactly come in handy while working every day in his family’s noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po’s dreams become reality when he joins the world of kung fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five – Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey – under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it’s up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a kung fu master into reality? Po puts his heart – and his girth – into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths.

Review: Kung Fu Panda is a thrilling, funny, charming and inspiring animation triumph that brings out the hero in all of us.

Acting: Dreamworks, whose previous animated hits have included Shrek, Madagascar and Bee Movie, has very successfully mined the brand of CGI ‘toons that rely heavily on their all-star voice casts. Kung Fu Panda is no exception, and, in fact, probably has the best mix of celebrity voice talent to date with a cast that most notably reunites Shark Tale stars Jack Black and Angelina Jolie. Black is a dead-on perfect choice to voice the clumsy but friendly kung-fu loving Po. He creates a wonderfully likeable Panda, getting the audience on his side right from the very first moments. The great thing about his Po – much like Patton Oswalt’s work as Remy, the culinary rat in last year’s Pixar triumph Ratatouille – is we can readily identify with the outsized dreams these characters share. Jolie, Cross, Rogen and Liu, who make up the core of the Furious Five, all have their moments – but just not enough of them. Especially fun is Chan’s work as Monkey, while Hoffman is appropriately wise as their leader. Deadwood’s McShane fills the bill nicely as the villainous Tai Lung.

Direction: Like so many animated films these days, Kung Fu Panda is one in which the directorial credit is shared by two veterans of the art, John Stevenson and Mark Osborne. They prove more than adept at making Panda one of the more artful animation entries in years, a wonderful summer family movie treat. In fact, outside of the work coming out of Japanese Anime, this may be the most stunning looking film of it’s kind. It’s almost like an animated Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, perfectly capturing the look and feel of that martial arts masterpiece but still remaining accessible enough even for the youngest of audience members. Unlike most before it, Panda also doesn’t always go for the obvious laughs and finds it’s real soul in staying true to it’s central story without selling out any of it’s characters for some cheap easy comedy. No small feat. One fine movie.

Bottom Line: Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.