'Kung Fu Panda' (PG)(out of four)

Part of what makes "Kung Fu Panda" more fun than a barrel of monkeys is that the chubby bear at the center of the animated action is voiced by Jack Black. Excuse the pun, but as Po, a Chinese panda bear with big dreams, Black has kick.

And for anyone who wants to go deeper and credit DreamWorks with making more than a movie for the playground set, there's a true martial arts film behind the computer-generated action.

When the movie opens, the giant panda is quick on his feet and in the midst of a huge kung fu battle. Can this chubby panda really be a true kung fu warrior? Turns out it was all a dream and Po's real lot in life is revealed. His father, a goose (which is never really explained, by the way), owns a noodle shop and hopes that Po will one day want to learn the secret ingredient to his creations and take over the family business.

But Po has bigger dreams and idolizes the Furious Five. Reminiscent of a Trekkie, Po can recite every battle, history, even the shoe size of the band of superhero types that protect the town from another warrior, an evil leopard gone bad, named Tai Lung (voiced by Ian McShane).

The thick of the plot begins when wise old turtle , the martial arts master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) announces that Tai Lung has targeted the valley for destruction. The valley's only hope against him is to appoint a kung fu warrior to defeat him. The Dragon Warrior will obtain an ancient scroll that will deliver limitless power. Of course, Tai Lung is after the scroll, too. It is expected that one of the fabulous Furious Five will be the ultimate kung fu warrior, but in cartoon fashion, Po accidentally drops in the lap of Oogway and he is appointed Dragon Warrior.

There's plenty of typical Looney Tunes mayhem with Po being pummeled down stairs, whacked in the head more times than anyone can count, and one tearfully painful jab in the "tenders." Yet the film has plenty of more serious eye-popping, elaborate action scenes. Particularly memorable is a battle between Po and Master Shifu (voiced skillfully by Dustin Hoffman) in a sequence where the martial arts teacher uses food to turn the panda into a lean, mean fighting machine. The elaborate and choreographed battle using chopsticks, bowls and dumplings as the weapons is unbelievably clever and a standout in animation.

The A-list actors who lend their voices to the film, including Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, and, of course, Jackie Chan (what would a martial arts film be with no Jackie Chan?) gives the characters true acting chops.

At 88 minutes, the film flies by, and there's plenty to keep the whole family entertained. "Kung Fu Panda" is pure fun even though it doesn't break any new ground with its message of acceptance, good versus evil, and dreams do come true. But the best part about "Panda" is that the animated fur ball fest stays true to its kung fu roots.

Fortune cookie advice? See the movie in IMAX 3-D for maximum effect.