Ordered to teach a martial arts class of rambunctious bunny kittens, Po tells stories of each of the Furious Five's pasts
I am positively surprised by this short. It tells the story of each of the Furious Five, and a virtue that each has learned through Kung Fu. Each story is fun and inspiring in a unique way. It teaches great virtues of human beings in an entertaining way, without being preachy.
The animation is great, especially the bunnies who are so cute and cuddly! I am also impressed that all the Chinese characters in the film are all correct. Usually Chinese characters in animations are simply jumbled up strokes.
I saw this in the theater with my family and we enjoyed it quite a bit. It's one of those rare family films that's actually entertaining for both adults and children.
For the adults, there's some great action here. The battle scenes between Tai Lung and the Furious Five are quite cool. The build up to the battle between him and Po is perfectly executed. Adults will also appreciate the performances by the voice cast. Jack Black is perfectly cast as Po. He's a bit more restrained than he is in many of his live action performances, but this is easily his best animated performance. He delivers the right mix of humor, sincerity, and improvisation. Dustin Hoffman is also good as Shifu, his master. His exasperation with Po is amusing and perfectly builds up to his eventual acceptance of the pudgy panda. As for the rest of the cast, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, David Cross, and Jackie Chan all do a fine job with their voice performances, but they don't stand out nearly as much as Black and Hoffman.
As for the kids, they're going to love the humor. Po's kung fu antics are hilarious and the subtle animation with his character is perfect. He's able to generate a laugh with the most minor facial expression. It also has a good message for kids about using your unique characteristics as a strength rather than being ashamed of them.
The only time the film really falters is when it gets 'serious,' but I suppose you can't expect it to be laugh out loud hilarious for the entire running time.
There is a lot of positivity in "Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five". I really enjoyed watching it.