"Get ready to feel the thundahhhh! Ski-doosh!"

Po is not your average panda bear. He dreams of being an ultimate martial arts master, traveling the land with his "mad skills" while keeping his people safe from harmful enemies. Sadly, it is just a dream, and he finds himself wielding a broom as he helps his father run a local Chinese restaurant. So begins Kung Fu Panda, the video game adaptation of the recently released Dreamworks computer-animated Kung Fu Panda film. It could’ve been just another quickie movie tie-in, like previous Activision efforts, but this one shows some effort.

Fear the panda, crocodile!

You begin the game by learning Po’s basic techniques, including slow attacks, fast attacks, jumping and blocking. As the game goes on, he builds a sufficient amount of energy that lets him unleash even more attacks, such as a Sonic the Hedgehog-esque rolling maneuver and a flapjack body slam that stuns all those around him. He can also occasionally obtain a weapon to dish out even more damage.

Along the way, you’ll also make use of other items and characters, working in allegiance with a group known as the Furious Five -- who prove to be as nimble (and smooth handling) as Po. All of the characters interact with quick minigames, where you’ll shoot at objects with a ballista, such as bags of confetti or floating lanterns, to clear a path. 

Po will need all these resources as he finds himself doing battle with an evil snow leopard named Tai Lung, who’s broken out of a high-security prison to punish those who put him there in the first place. Lung is anything but a wuss, and the same goes for his well-armed followers.

Overall, the game presents most of the same techniques present in other movie-licensed platformers over the past few years. Still, it won’t bore you, as you can mix up quick and strong attacks to put together a few devastating combos. You’ll also find a fair amount of energy-restoring food, coins (to spend on items in a virtual shop) and checkpoints. That way, if you die in a certain spot, you don’t have to begrudgingly go all the way back to the beginning of a level.

Luxoflux, the game’s developer, also put a significant amount of work into Kung Fu Panda’s presentation. The visuals are quite striking, faithfully bringing Po’s animated world to life. The animation is mostly spot-on, without very little sign of glitches or other "rush job" mishaps. The lighting is particularly beautiful, with fuzzy, lifelike shadows on the ground following the main characters wherever they go. The level design is acceptable, not going overboard to the point you’re getting lost but, at the same time, avoids being too simple.

Fans of the film will be happy to know that its main vocal star, while not Jack Black sounds pretty close, supplies the voice for Po in the game. He comes across as smarmy yet lovable; a goof who tries to show confidence but occasionally cracks under the pressures of reality. Sure, some of the voice samples are overused, but overall it’s great to have him on board. The other voicework is up to par as well, even though some of the film’s actors don’t fill their roles here. The music is effectively moody and the sound effects work as expected.

Along with the 13-level single-player game, Kung Fu Panda also offers competitive multiplayer for up to four local players. As you proceed through the game, you’ll unlock new characters and modes to try out with your friends, along with bonus outfits and clips from the film. There are also a few unlockable minigames, including Shanghai and Po Go (Go with Po...get it?). It would’ve been nice for Luxoflux to make most of these available right off the bat, offering a breezy alternative to all the kung-fu tomfoolery. Online play wouldn’t have been bad either.

If you’re more of a hardcore player, you might want to set Kung Fu Panda aside in favor of something meatier, such as Tecmo’s Ninja Gaiden II. However, this Panda fits the bill. The presentation is better than previous licensed Activision fare (especially with whoever did Black’s voice -- very awesome), the gameplay satisfies and the unlockable content will keep you busy. Ski-doosh!