Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special

Not that this has much to do with anything, but it came up on the newsfeeds this morning, and I surely tune in when it's broadcast. We'll come back to this in a few months.

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23 August 2010 09:45:21 AM
Bosnia-Bound Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie is to play a leading role in a romantic drama film set during the Bosnian War.

Angelina Jolie is to star in a romance movie set in the Bosnian War.

The 'Salt' actress - who is also a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador - will take a leading role in the film, which will tell the tale of a couple who meet just prior to the war starting in 1992.

However, Angelina has been keen to note the movie will not be a political one.

She said in a statement released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: "The film is a love story, not a political statement."

The actress was in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo over the past weekend, consulting with members of the country's government on Saturday (21.08.10) about the plight of returning refugees.

Discussing the as-yet-untitled film further, Angelina confirmed it would feature members of the local community.

She said: "I would like to involve as many local people as possible and learn as much as I can."

Angelina's only other upcoming work is the voice of the Tigress in 'Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special' and 'Kung Fu Panda 2', and the role of Elise in 'The Tourist', due for release in December 2010.

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http://images.contactmusic.com/newsi...ie_1161331.jpgObligatory Angelina pic

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Kung Fu Panda Goes 3D For Christmas Special
Submitted by Brendon Connelly on September 6, 2010 – 5:46 pm (1) comments

Stopping by Dreamworks Animation facility in Glendale, Animation Guild Business Rep Steve Hulett was shown the new Kung Fu Panda TV special that has been readied for screening this Christmastime. As well as confirming that the original voice cast from the movie was in place, Hulett commented on how the show was in 3D, and what sounds like rather good 3D too:

I’ll say what I’ve said before: DWA creates kick-ass dimensional cinema. The cuts and transitions were witty, making vivid use of the technology, and the gags played like gangbusters… I still think the Moving View Master format is overblown, but DreamWorks makes better use of it than anybody else.

I love 3D so I’m not in with his “Moving View Master” comment, and you must have noticed how much I love most of the films of Pixar, but I’ll agree: Dreamworks’ 3D is very good stuff. And even generally, the studio is on a real roll at the moment with the quality of their films – since Kung Fu Panda, in fact – regularly proving to be far more impressive than in the earlier days.

I’m hoping the Panda Holidays show plays over here in the UK, and in full digital 3D too. If not, I’m sure the 3D Blu-ray will be out in time for Christmas 2011, or maybe as soon as summer, timed to promote the second feature.

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3D TV has always been amusing. I haven't seen 3D HDTV yet, but I'm sure it'll also be amusing.

They should do this on Chinese New Year.

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DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda™ is Set to Debut as a Giant Helium Balloon in The 84th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®

NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- This Thanksgiving, a Dragon Warrior takes Manhattan ready to kick and karate chop his way into the holidays. On Thursday, November 25, 2010 at 9:00 a.m., DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda™ will make a thrilling debut above the skies of New York City as a giant character helium balloon in the 84th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®. Po, the loveable Kung Fu Master will take larger-than-life form ready to show more than 3.5 million spectators and over 50 million viewers nationwide just how awesome he is... even when filled with helium instead of his favorite noodles!

At more than 16,000 cubic feet of helium, Po from Kung Fu Panda™ is truly a larger-than-life master of the ancient Chinese art of Kung Fu. Designed by the magicians at Macy's Parade Studio, Po is created with the help of more than half a mile of fabric and is covered in 17 gallons of paint. For his Parade debut, Po the Panda measures 42-feet tall, 46-feet long, and 34-feet wide, giving him the scale to take giant leaps down the route, poised to deliver his signature martial arts moves along the way.

"Po is an incredible new addition to the Macy's Parade balloon lineup," said Amy Kule, executive producer of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. "He is poised to become an instant Parade classic. From the moment we saw Kung Fu Panda, we instinctively knew Po would be a huge hit with millions of children and their families that tune in to the Parade year after year. We anticipate his inaugural flight down the streets of New York this November will further establish Po as everyone's number one panda!"

"Po makes us feel like there is a hero inside of everyone and it is very exciting for millions of fans to get to witness our Panda balloon make its kung fu-kicking debut in the skies of Manhattan alongside DreamWorks Animation's iconic 'Shrek' in the 2010 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade," commented Kerry Phelan, Head of Worldwide Consumer Products for DreamWorks Animation.

Ahead of his Macy's Parade debut, Po will become the star of his own seasonal special, as NBC-TV airs the "Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special" on Wednesday, November 24th at 8:30 p.m. ET. However, fans of the high kicking Panda will be thrilled to hear that Po will be returning to the big screen in Kung Fu Panda 2, out on May 27, 2011.

For fans who can't wait until November for Po's holiday special and Parade debut, they can interact with their favorite character in the online destination found at Kung Fu Panda World (www.kungfupandaworld.com). The interactive experience for kids allows enthusiasts to follow in Po's footsteps to become their own Kung Fu Master. Featuring games, chat and trading activities, there are tons of elements to explore and enjoy at this exciting virtual world.

Kung Fu Panda's DreamWorks Animation pal, Shrek® will also be returning to the 84th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade line-up this year and both can be seen on the NBC-TV national broadcast airing on Thursday, November 25, 2010 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., in all time zones.

About the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

With more than 50 million viewers across the country and more than 3.5 million spectators that line up along the streets of New York City each year, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a national icon that has grown into a world-famous holiday event. For more than 80 years, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has marked the official start of the holiday season. Growing in size and scale, the Parade proudly marches down a more than 2-mile route in New York City with more than 8,000 participants in tow including Macy's employees, their families, celebrities, athletes, clowns and dance groups spreading holiday cheer. The Parade also features America's best marching bands, fabulous floats and Macy's signature giant helium character balloons. For more information on the Macy's Parade please visit www.macys.com/parade or call the Parade hotline at (212) 494-4495.

About DreamWorks Animation SKG

DreamWorks Animation SKG (Nasdaq: DWA) is devoted to producing high-quality family entertainment through the use of computer-generated (CG) animation. Utilizing world-class creative talent and state-of-the-art technological capabilities, the company is committed to making two computer-animated feature films a year that appeal to a broad movie-going audience.

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It's really all about Pablo Sandoval for me right now...

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Macy's Balloonfest
Updated: Saturday, 06 Nov 2010, 6:23 PM EDT
Published : Saturday, 06 Nov 2010, 6:23 PM EDT
http://media2.myfoxny.com//photo/201...33_320_240.JPG
MYFOXNY.COM - The newest balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade got a test flight on Saturday.

Diary of A Wimpy Kid and Kung Fu Panda were inflated and test flown at Macy's Balloonfest, an outdoor test flight of the parade's newest giant balloons. It is a chance for the balloons to be test flown in a real world outdoor setting.

It took place in a parking lot in the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J.

The balloons are flown under the direction of a pilot and captain, a flight management team of 12 who lead a corps of hundreds of balloon handlers.

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The balloon promotes the Holiday special, which in turn promotes the May 2011 sequel.

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Review | Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special
http://www.usmagazine.com/uploads/as...kungfu-290.jpg
Credit: DreamWorks Animation
Tuesday – November 16, 2010 – 11:07am
Air Date: Wednesday 11/24
Us Rating: ***

Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan and Seth Rogen were wise to reprise their vocal roles in this rollicking winter-themed offshoot of the 2008 animated flick. This time, jovial panda-slash-kung fu student Po (Black) opts to fulfill his obligations as the Dragon Warrior instead of celebrating the holidays with his pop. A heartwarming lesson ensues. Parental warning, though: Po gets into a violent fight. (NBC, 8:30 P.M.)

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Is it still 3D? Where do I get some glasses?

I got a call from Kisu yesterday. Yes, Kisu, the banned. ;) Anyway, he said he's been working on the KFP series and Korra. No, there was no mention of you all on the forum, so I guess he doesn't miss y'all. :p I'll probably see him early next year.

Looks promising. It'll be a grand way to start the holiday for our household.
SPOILER ALERT: THE LAST PREVIEW REVEALS THE ENDING.

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Four Clips from the KUNG FU PANDA HOLIDAY SPECIAL!
Written by IESB Staff Thursday, 18 November 2010 23:22

Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special celebrates Winter Feast, Po's (voiced by Jack Black) favorite holiday.

Every year, Po and his father hang decorations, cook together and serve noodle soup to the villagers. But this year Shifu (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) informs Po that as Dragon Warrior, it is his duty to host the formal Winter Feast at the Jade Palace. Po is caught between his obligations as the Dragon Warrior and his family traditions.

The KUNG FU PANDA HOLIDAY SPECIAL airs Wednesday, November 24 on NBC (8:30-9 p.m. ET) and Saturday, November 27 on NBC (8:30-9 p.m. ET).

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I thought this was more of a Thanksgiving special, not Christmas. Pandas don't celebrate the massacre of Native Americans any more than the birth of Christ. :rolleyes:

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'Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special,' special
This is far from a Christmas story, set in a Chinese village
By Tom Conroy
Nov 22, 2010

Some people have expressed annoyance over the increased use of the word “holiday” in place of “Christmas,” especially by national retailers and media outlets.

The title of NBC’s “Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special,” airing this Wednesday, Nov. 24, at 8:30 p.m., might seem to be a lightning rod in this controversy, but the network really deserves a pass. After all, one can’t realistically expect a panda to be celebrating the birth of Christ in what appears to be a medieval Chinese village.

In any case, it’s hard to begrudge this show anything. Though the story is slight and will be predictable to even the youngest viewers, the 3D animation is spectacular, even beautiful at times, living up to the standard set by the 2008 “Kung Fu Panda” movie.

What’s more, the producers have managed to reassemble most of the stars in the original movie’s voice cast, including Jack Black as Po, the tubby panda who discovered that he is the prophesied Dragon Warrior, and Dustin Hoffman as Shifu, his often exasperated martial-arts master.

In the special, Shifu tells Po that he must host the annual Winter Festival banquet for the country’s kung-fu masters, even though Po’s father, Mr. Ping (James Hong), who runs a noodle shop, always throws a big party that night. Mr. Ping says he provides a destination “for lonely people who have no place else to go….And lonely people pay extra.”

As in the movie, Po has a hard time meeting Shifu’s standards. Unable to learn the ritual meaning of hand gestures, he inadvertently insults a prospective chef (Jack McBrayer), a little bunny who spends the rest of the special trying to regain his honor by getting Po to kill him in battle or, failing that, in the kitchen.

As befits a family TV show, there’s little straight violence. A battle between bandits and the members of the Furious Five (Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, et al.) is played for laughs.

This being a holiday special, few people will be surprised when Po and Ping wind up celebrating Winter Festival together, but the way they get there could be cleverer.

The visuals, however, are top quality. The quick-cut scenes of Po and his associates preparing the banquet are particularly inventive. As in the movie, some of the wide shots show how beautiful computer-generated animation can be.

Though fans of the movie will be happy to catch up with the characters in anticipation of the release of the sequel next year, the merely serviceable script will probably keep “Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special” from becoming a Christmas — er, holiday — perennial.

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I really think this one should have been saved for Chinese New Year.

I'm cutting out of kung fu practice early tonight to rush home and catch this with my kid.

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Tuned In: New Kung Fu Panda joins TV holiday lineup
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
By Rob Owen, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/image...005_1__500.jpg
Po (voiced by Jack Black) in "Kung Fu Panda Holiday."

Characters from the 2008 movie come to television for the "Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special" (8:30 p.m. Wednesday, WPXI) with several of the film's voice stars reprising their roles. It's not a typical Christmas special -- there's some snow, but no Santa suit -- as Po (Jack Black) tries to spend a winter holiday with his father but must juggle family time with his responsibilities as Dragon Warrior to produce a Winter Feast.

The animation -- top-notch computer-animated work -- is complemented by a voice cast that includes Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross and Jack McBrayer ("30 Rock"), who plays a small bunny named Wo Hop, a character new to the "Kung Fu Panda" story.

"He is trying to get hired to be the head chef of this extravagant feast they've got going for the holidays," Mr. McBrayer said in a teleconference last week. "He's very eager to please and very, you know, determined. And then he accidentally gets dismissed, which makes him disgraced by his village. And so then he's dead set on this mission to get back his honor of himself and his village."

Mr. McBrayer recorded his dialogue alone in a sound booth with no other actors present, a pretty common approach on animated movies with big-name casts.

"There's nothing really to look at so you're just flying by the seat of your pants, which can be super fun but also pretty intimidating because you don't know if you're doing great or stinking up the joint," he said. "So [you're] really relying on the people working with you, the director and producer and any of the artists or animators who are there."

This holiday special probably is intended to keep the "Kung Fu Panda" story in kids' minds until a sequel film hits theaters next year.

"It's not a big kung fu thing with the big villain in it," said Melissa Cobb, a producer on the original film and the upcoming sequel. "In fact, Wo Hop is one of the primary antagonists to Po's mission at certain points. He's a tiny bunny, so it doesn't have that sort of, like, dark, action edge to it but a lot of that same kind of heartwarming feeling."

The "Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special" is not Mr. McBrayer's first time giving voice to an animated character. He has a recurring role on Disney Channel's "Phineas & Ferb" and had a part this past summer in "Despicable Me." And he's recorded a voice playing a character called Ewell Freestone for an episode of "The Simpsons," titled "The Great Simpsina," which will air in the spring.

"That was pretty fantastic because I really was expecting to be by myself with a microphone but in that one it was all of the actors in the room and I was excited because my one little tiny scene takes place with the entire family," Mr. McBrayer said. "So I was in there with Dan Castellaneta and Julie Kavner and Yeardley Smith and Nancy Cartwright. It was crazy. It was so weird to see those voices coming from, you know, human beings."

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...but even my kid could predict the outcome from the onset.

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Kung Fu Panda is Back with a Holiday Season Storybook App
Herzeliya, IL Dec 01, 2010 in Books

[prMac.com] Los Angeles, California - Kung Fu Panda Holiday Storybook App, based on DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda Holiday, is packed with original movie images and audio clips featuring the movie's vocal talents; including Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman.

The story follows Po who is invited by Master Shifu to be the host of the "Winter Feast." Po's excitement runs short when he discovers that he can't invite his father, with whom he spends every Winter Festival. The obligation leaves Po torn between his family traditions and the job he loves.

Kids will absolutely love the beautiful imagery, excitement and comedy this storybook offers, parents will surely relate to its moral values, making this storybook app a perfect virtual stocking stuffer.

Developed by iStoryTime; The Kung Fu Panda Holiday Storybook App was developed with your child's entertainment and education in mind. Priced at $2.99, it's perfectly suited to keep them busy on those sometimes "a little too long" car rides. iStoryTime books are illustrated and narrated so you can share quality time with your kids or even let them enjoy it on their own when you're busy.

The app lets you own the excitement with features such as:
* Actual character audio from the movie
* Automatic or manual page turn
* Find the hidden lantern on every page
* Automatic navigation and 'narrator' options make it incredibly simple to use
* Highlighted text helps beginning readers make associations between the words they hear and see

Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
* Requires iOS 3.0 or later
* 19.5 MB

Pricing and Availability:
Kung Fu Panda Holiday Storybook 1.0 is priced at $2.99 USD available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Books category.

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Do you stuff virtual stocking stuffers in virtual stockings?