Giant Panda Hu Hu and Jackie Chan accidentally stumble into a mysterious primitive tribe, beginning an unprecedented and hilarious adventure.
Watching a legend such as Jackie Chan get caught up in the mind-boggling, soulless “Panda Plan: The Magic Tribe” is just a little depressing. Pitched as a fun, family-oriented fantasy adventure, the story focuses upon a motley crew of pandas (alongside their human counterparts) who must rally together in the fight to save the magic land they live in from an evil no one is quite sure of. This apolitical message about community, sharing love, and being together is as sugary as a bowl of honey, and it has a certain innocence to the overwhelming sense of over-the-top idiocy it carries. Sadly, that really is about all it has going for it.
From the moment it starts, this film just drags. The plot is unfocused, burdened by a script that can’t decide whether it wants to be a farcical comedy, a fantasy blockbuster or a Saturday morning cartoon. The scenes are far too long, and any pacing is obliterated by the film’s absurd diversions and dragged-out gags. Jackie Chan, who can charge a scene with electrifying fight choreography and unrelenting enthusiasm, is given next to nothing to do. The fight scenes are flat, the choreography awkward, and much of the action replaced by CGI effects and overblown cartoon violence. No wit, no inventiveness, no physical magic.
“Panda Plan” was definitely designed for very young children — the jokes are broad, and the visuals are as garish as a toy commercial. Kids over six will be glancing at their watch, and fans of Jackie Chan will be left asking, “How in the world did this happen?” The director made absolutely no attempt to aim his movie at anyone outside of a very specific age group, and all of us older folks are left with a headache and a feeling of squandered opportunity.
Ultimately, “Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe” is a disappointment – a sluggish, convoluted, and strangely unfunny film that smothers the talented Jackie Chan in a mountain of banter and stupidity. The message may be heartwarming, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that this is one of Jackie Chan’s lowest points on screen.
Available on Blu-ray™ and DVD August 11th
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