Pandas are among Nature’s most loved animals. Any time something happens to or with one of the pandas at the National Zoo, every TV station in Washington, DC carries the news. Hollywood’s first beloved panda was popular in the 1940s: Andy Panda, a creation of Walter Lantz (who also brought us Woody Woodpecker, Chilly Willy, and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit). But since then there had been no casting call for pandas. How refreshing and nostalgic to see that the star of this very strong computer-animated feature is an appealing, cuddly, overweight panda named Po.

Po (voiced by Jack Black, who displays a much gentler, more appealing side than many might have thought possible) lives in ancient China, and works as a noodle maker for his unlikely father, a goose (James Hong). But Po dreams of being a kung fu fighter, and of joining the Furious Five: Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Crane (David Cross), Viper (Lucy Liu), and Monkey (Jackie Chan). These stalwart warrior students are being trained by Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), whose guru is the turtle Oogway (Randall Duk Kim).

The Five’s nemesis is Tai Lung (Ian McShane), a powerful snow leopard who has escaped from prison and is threatening the village where everyone lives. To fulfill an ancient prophecy, Oogway must find a Dragon Warrior to defend them, and through a quirk, Po is selected. It takes some doing, but Shifu finally finds a way to motivate the lumbering bear, who not only learns to fight, but gains the deeper knowledge that must also be part of a kung fu fighter’s makeup.

After the somewhat crude Shrek movies, one might be forgiven for wondering if DreamWorks could come up with anything better in CGI. Kung Fu Panda proves that they can. The exquisite animation is an homage to delicate, intricate Asian art, and is deftly mixed with boisterous action. After all, a kung fu movie is nothing without spectacular fights, and this one has several that will leave you breathless and impressed.

Between them, the film’s two directors, Mark Osborne and Josh Stevenson, have only one feature film to their directing credits (Osborne’s Dropping Out, in 2000), but they have an uncanny sense of timing, both in the fights and in quieter moments. Po’s best characteristic is his good nature -- when the other characters try to get a rise out of him, his dead-pan responses are just right, neither too long nor too short. We like Po, and laugh with him, not at him.

I think I’m just going to forget that this summer’s movie season was launched by the tired Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and go with Kung Fu Panda instead. It’s a much better start: a genial, heartwarming, entertaining movie that you should put on your must-see list, whatever your age.

And stay for the end credits. Otherwise, you’ll miss some lovely still-frame paintings, as well as a short final scene that perfectly sums up the story. DreamWorks has still not quite attained the level of Pixar, but with Kung Fu Panda, it seems they could in a very short time.

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