Secrets of the Furious Five. Out yesterday. (*******7/10)
Paramount Home Entertainment is releasing an extra disc of bonus features that goes along with Kung-Fu Panda, released yesterday. It’s called The Secrets of the Furious Five, and it’s a worthwhile disc. For once. Usually these companion DVDs are for the most part totally useless, and add nothing to the original film. They feature four-hour “making of” documentaries and two theatrical trailers. Rob Zombie, I’m looking at you. But then, this is a kids’ movie. And this DVD is made entirely for kids. And kung-fu fanatics.
As I said about Kung-Fu Panda, it is more of a kung-fu movie than it is a kids’ movie. And that is reflected in this bonus disc, one that contains more information about the history of kung-fu than I have seen on a DVD extra on any adult-themed kung-fu movie. This information is presented simply, in interesting ways, and as a kung-fu movie fan, I was as genuinely interested as I’m sure the kids will be. There are silly little features, like the one where you answer a series of questions and the DVD tells you what kung-fu fighting style you would be. (I’m apparently a tiger, my girlfriend is a panda.) There is a totally useless and irritating “how to do the panda dance” video. I don’t even remember a “panda dance” from the movie.
But then there are short bits describing the various kung-fu styles, the inspiration for those styles, and demonstrations for the kids to show them how to strike, say, the “mantis” stance. There is a feature that allows you to explore your zodiac sign a little bit. In the end, kids will learn a lot about oriental culture and maybe even become more interested in such things. I mean, even I was.
The centre-piece of the Secrets of the Furious Five DVD is actually the…Secrets of the Furious Five. It’s a short, 24-minute follow-up film to Kung-Fu Panda where Po teaches a group of delightfully cute rabbits the one thing that makes each of the Furious Five so great. Patience, courage, confidence, and so forth. Each description gives a little back story on each of the Five, which really works in terms of kung-fu history. For example. The monkey as a zodiac sign, and as an inspiration for kung-fu, is fluid and flexible and fast, yet has problems with a tendency to be more concerned with causing mischief than with being a good person. And Monkey, in this short, overcomes his mean-spirited prankster nature to become one of the great kung-fu masters, perfecting his quick, flexible, fluid style.
Rarely would I recommend picking up a second disc when a movie hits stores, but in this case it is very much worthwhile. In fact, I thought it was SO worthwhile that I felt this second disc merited a second review. Pick it up. Your kids will love it.