Kung Fu Panda

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Combo Pack with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 5 free Blu-ray and DVD combo packs up for grabs for the highly anticipated home release of “Turbo” from the makers of “Kung Fu Panda” and “Madagascar”!

CHICAGO – That headline may seem like ridiculously faint praise. As a parent of two boys who love TV, trust me when I tell you that it’s not. There is some incredibly smart TV aimed at kids — “Adventure Time,” “Phineas & Ferb” — but a lot of it fails to pass the test that you won’t want to jump out a window when your rugrat wants to watch it on repeat. “Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomess,” not unlike another DreamWorks movie-turned-show in “The Penguins of Madagascar,” isn’t as ambitious or clever as the best children’s TV but it’s also far from the bottom of the barrel. It’s reasonably entertaining and if your kid liked “Kung Fu Panda” or “Kung Fu Panda 2,” this first DVD release of the show will more than satisfy.

CHICAGO – “How to Train Your Dragon” is one of the best mainstream animated films of the last several years. After years of watching Pixar deservedly take home most of the critical acclaim in the medium, DreamWorks has produced a film that deserves mention in the same breath as the Pixar greats. With gorgeous visuals, strong voice work, and confident storytelling, “How to Train Your Dragon,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD, works for all ages and will surely become one of the most highly-desired and purchased titles of the upcoming season.

CHICAGO – So far in the 2008 summer animation season we’ve seen cuddly martial artists (“Kung Fu Panda”) and robots in love (“WALL-E”).

CHICAGO – The 62nd-annual Tony Awards, which were held on Sunday night, reflect a diverse but weak year for original theatre. Revivals bested originals nine to two.

CHICAGO – In this summer movie season of old men with whips, gals in stilettos and superheroes a go-go, you may ask: “Where’s the cartoon?” (“Speed Racer” doesn’t count.) Indeed, the most highly anticipated animation event of the summer is “Kung Fu Panda”.

The man means business. On July 12, 2007, I published an interview with IMAX Filmed President Greg Foster in Time Out Chicago where he promised “the vast majority will be in 3D” down the road.