SINGAPORE : Kung Fu Panda is a laugh-a-minute, star-studded animated animal adventure centred on the underdog — or, in this case, under-panda.

Po (Jack Black) is a fat panda whose dreams of glory as a martial arts master fighting alongside his idols — the legendary Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Snake (Lucy Liu) and Mantis (Seth Rogen) — come true when the peaceful valley in which he lives gets threatened by the treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung (Ian McShane).

And so begins his significant journey — and a moralistic tale for the audience — under the tutelage of pint-size powerhouse Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) as Po leaves his old life as a lazy noodle-seller behind to fulfil his destiny as Dragon Warrior, aka The Chosen One.

The premise is a tad formulaic and over-familiar, but there is a certain sense of timelessness thanks to the absence of the usual pop culture references found rampant in most of today’s animated fare — which is surprisingly refreshing and a welcome change.

The movie’s message of self-confidence to its kiddie demographic is done succinctly, never straying far from the well-choreographed action and physical comedy found in classic chop-socky martial arts flicks.

While the animation breaks no new ground, it is cleanly and artistically rendered, with watercolour-esque backdrops and sets playing truthful homages to Chinese landscape art and architecture.

But it must be said that the film’s secret weapons have to be the dryly-wonderful Hoffman and splendidly-evil McShane, whose remarkable show-stealing performances bring voice-acting to a whole new plane. The sometimes overbearingly enthusiastic Black is also perfectly cast as the titular furry hero.

Kung Fu Panda is a fuss-free ride with a heart-warming moral-of-the-story mantra that is guaranteed to warm the cockles of any cold-blooded, cynical heart and tickle both the young and old. - TODAY/ra