Mostly when I think of kung fu I imagine a sweaty-abbed Jackie Chan slo-mo destroying a bad guy with his flying feet. But when Variety reported on DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming flick, Kung Fu Panda, yesterday, the image got a little softer, more amusing––and slightly edifying. Jack Black's voice will star as Po, the most slacker panda in the Valley of Peace, who must get off his bamboo patch and become a kung fu fighter to save his town. Dustin Hoffman will be his Mr. Miyagi (paw on, paw off); Chan himself will voice Master Monkey, a kick-ass warrior; and Lucy Liu may be Master Viper, a Ms. Miyagi figure.

What's interesting is that it sounds like the filmmakers did their homework. Kung fu is the umbrella name for all Chinese-born martial arts, and means, roughly, “achievement through great effort.” Like Japanese martial arts (karate, judo, etc.), it's a mind-body effort, but its three main principles are very specific: motivation, self-discipline, and time. Making it the perfect approach for reforming a slacker panda––and maybe evenslacker people too. There's plenty of time for you and Po, though; the movie will be released in May 2008.