"Panda" - monium

The new DreamWorks family film Kung Fu Panda had its local premier Sunday morning at SIFF, but I actually didn't get around to seeing it until last night and let me be one of the first to say (at least here in Seattle) that - move over great big lovably angry green ogre - but this tale about a karate-chopping overweight bear might just be the best animated feature the studio has ever produced.

Still held by review embargo until Thursday, what I can say now is that this action-comedy comes ever-so close to Pixar level creativity, energy and excitement. Heck, I'd go so far as to say it rivals both A Bug's Life and especially Cars in all three of those departments, the movie a bubbling burst of effervescent joy I pretty much loved beginning to end.

And that animation! The silly trailers and commercials don't even hint at how dexterous and remarkable it truly is. Every detail, every color, every shape, every movement is remarkably precise. This might be the most sensational looking cartoon epic since last year's instant classic Ratatouille, the film as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the funny bone. Again, I'll go into it all in more detail in this weekend's reviews but just know here and now Kung Fu Panda is a fun family winner worthy of hoots, hollers and long-lasting bursts and loudly chattering applause.

In other SIFF news, I watched two films from Asian wunderkid director Johnnie To (Exiled), one of which I loved while the other I found to be nothing more than an intriguing disappointment. The latter was Mad Detective, an odd bit of black comedy, buddy caper and film noir co-directed by Wai Ka-fai that offered up many curiously inviting possibilities onlyto ultimately do nothing of note with them. The central character, a neurotic - maybe schizophrenic - former detective named Bun (Lau Ching-wan) who can see a person's inner personality as if it were a fellow human being standing right alongside of them, is completely fascinating. He's like Monk and the girl from "Medium" combined, only the certifiably crazy version, and if someone decided to make a television show about him I'm almost completely positive I'd watch it in an instantaneous heartbeat.

But the film loses its footing during the final stretch, forgoing all the intriguing aspects of both the chracter and with his relationship with a younger detective (ably played by Andy On) in need of his help. While the final offers a couple of genuine surprises, and while the last shot is certainly a shiver-causing enigma that leaves the viewer with plenty to think about and mull over, the ultimate resolution is still so forced and, at times, distasteful I can't say I walked out of the theater with anything close to approaching a smile on my face.

On the flip side of the equation is To's much more straight forward (and yet ultimately much more satisfying) noir piece Sparrow with Simon Yam and Kelly Lin. A drama about a group of pickpockets seduced and manipulated by a beautiful femme fatale, this fast, furious and kinetically entertaining drama isn't much of a stretch for the director but it does show a delightfully playful side to the filmmaker's usual strum and drag. It reminded me a little bit of a oddly appealing combination of Stanley Donen's Charade and Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity, and while the film doesn't reach the timelessly classic status of either of those landmark entertainments that doesn't remotely change the fact it is still one of the more breezily entertaining SIFF entries I've see up to this point so far.

Today's slate is like a martial arts lalapalooza. First up is Paramount Vantage's The Foot Fist Way followed up by the Danish entry Fighter and finished up with Chilean action epic Mirageman. Hopefully, this rainy Seattle Tuesday will turn out as good as my (somewhat) magnificent Monday did. Yesterday was two for three, and I for one will take those king of numbers each and every day of the week.