5. Why a Panda?

Where did Kung Fu Panda come from? According to Jeffrey Katzenberg, the idea originated from an assignment over a long weekend where employees were asked to bring in a list of animals not seen in computer animation, and genres of movies in which they were interested. One young executive came up with “kung-fu, panda.” Five years later, the typical length of time it takes DreamWorks to take an idea to a completed movie, Kung Fu Panda is ready for release.

Kung Fu Panda has many themes, influences and choreography reminiscent of martial arts movies and martial pop culture, from Jackie Chan movies to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Star Wars. Ultimately, DreamWorks’ latest effort is a kids’ movie that riffs on grown-up Kung Fu action films. Whether it has franchise potential and can do for the advancement of CGI what Toy Story and Shrek have done is uncertain, but as with each new animated feature, DreamWorks has pushed the boundaries of technology-dependent art and entertainment with Kung Fu Panda.