Lionsgate’s ‘Kung Fu Panda’ Knockoff Looks Even Worse Than It Sounds
Lionsgate will release The Adventures of Panda Warrior on DVD, Digital HD, and on-demand August 2. The Kung Fu Panda cash-in is actually a 2012 Chinese film called The Adventures of Jinbao, which is (by some accounts) a continuation of the Jackie Chan feature Little Big Soldier. A Chan caricature appeared in the original film, though he is not promoted in the newly released American trailer:
In the Americanized version Rob Schneider voices Patrick, the panda lead. (Schneider was also the voice of the titular character in Lionsgate’s Norm of the North, released theatrically last January.) Other voices including Haylie Duff, Norm MacDonald, Lauren Elizabeth, and Spongebob’s voice Tom Kenny. Here’s the synopsis:
When Patrick (Schneider), a peaceful soldier from ancient China, is magically transported to Merryland and turned into a Panda, he must join forces with Peggy the flying pig (Elizabeth), GoGo the daring goat (Duff), and King Leo the courageous lion (MacDonald) in order to free the once-peaceful world from the tyranny of the evil nine-headed snake that has enslaved them.