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Kung Fu Panda celebrates an unlikely hero

May 15, 2008, 15:38 GMT

Cannes - There is a simple message behind Kung Fu Panda, an animated film about an anti hero in the shape of chubby panda, said Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie Wednesday who provides the voice for one of the animal characters in the movie. (L-R) US actors Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie and Jack Black poses for photographers during a photocall for the film 'Kung Fu Panda' running out of competition at the 61st edition of the Cannes Film Festival, 15 May 2008, in Cannes, France. EPA/GUILLAUME HORCAJUELO

(L-R) US actors Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie and Jack Black poses for photographers during a photocall for the film 'Kung Fu Panda' running out of competition at the 61st edition of the Cannes Film Festival, 15 May 2008, in Cannes, France. EPA/GUILLAUME HORCAJUELO'Whatever makes you makes you different,' said a heavily pregnant Jolie at a press conference in Cannes marking the movie's launch at the festival which also stars the voices of Hollywood actors Dustin Hoffman and Jack Black as Po the panda who suddenly finds himself forced to fend off a threat to his community of animal friends. One member of the press gave Jolie, who confirmed she is expecting twins, a small toy at the start of the press conference. Kung Fu Panda said Jolie, who lends her voice for the Master Tigress in the film, is about how people 'should not try to be something else' but should embrace what they are. Jolie, who is to be joined by husband Brad Pitt on Cannes' famed red carpet for Kung Fu Panda's debut at the festival, said her children had seen the film and had loved it, describing the movie as essentially drawing on the genre of classic animated films. American Mark Osborne, who along with John Stevenson, directed the movie, paid tribute to the actors saying that they had not treated it as a cartoon but had approached it as they do other movies that they make. The film's directors also said that they went out of their way to be faithful to the martial arts tradition and the Chinese culture that surrounds it. 'We love martial arts films,' said Stevenson, adding that in a sense the martial arts genre was similar to American westerns. 'It would be so easy to get it wrong so we wanted to make sure we got it right,' said Stevenson. 'Martial arts are cool films', with the directors studying closely recent Chinese martial arts and fighting movies for inspiration for Kung Fu Panda. 'We really set out to transport the film to this world,' said Jeffrey Kratzenberg, the president of Dream Works. The movie, Kratzenberg said was 'a homage to China.' Black, whose character dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master, also admitted that he was a big fan of martial arts, saying he had been recently watching some of the greats in action such as Bruce Lee. 'There is a wisdom that goes with the movements,' he said. Kratzmann said the filmmakers had decided early on that Black, who has established a strong reputation for playing offbeat comic characters, was the only choice for the role of Po. 'It was always Jack,' said Kratzmann. 'There was no one else.' Indeed, Black insisted it was an easy role for him to play. 'I didn't feel like I was playing a character,' Black told the Cannes press conference. 'There was very little acting involved.' 'I am a bear,' he said explaining that sometimes he was soft and other times 'fierce and crazy'. 'I am Po,' he said.

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Zyskandar A JaimotMay 15th, 2008 - 16:47:17

Must be very nice to be able to choose + ponder where to give birth eh ANGELINA??? Say why don't you go to DARFUR or the SUDAN - squat down and have those babies in some sand-dune like the natives there??? REALLY MAKE A POLITICAL STATEMENT - AFTER ALL YOU HAVE BEEN 'NAMED' A UNITED NATIONS AMBASADOR FOR ALL THE POLITICAL SCHTICK YOU DO???!!!

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georginaMay 15th, 2008 - 18:27:58

What does Jolie have against the United States that she adopts from foreigh countries when there are so many children here who need parents? And she doesn't even want to give birth in the United States. What's her problem. Thank goodness she isn't in my family. She is just too weird. I can't see the beauty some say she has. She is like a skeleton with stick legs and arms. What's the appeal there? Pitt has to be weird too to choose here over his ex wife.

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I created PANDA...May 15th, 2008 - 21:52:06

the KUNG- FU warrior years ago. My idea was laughed at and it sat in a drawer.
Until now....guess what? Someone has a very large lawsuit on their hands.
Laugh at my ideas huh? Steal them and make big budget movies...I only wanted to make a cartoon series.
Oh well...I'm still going to make money off my idea in the end.

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