document_title: Koeberg Nuclear Power Station

question_text: why the koeberg power plant was built in the western cape

root

text: Koeberg Nuclear Power Station

text: Design[edit]

text: Koeberg contains two pressurised water reactors based on a design by Framatome of France. Koeberg supplies power to the national grid so that over-capacity can be redistributed to the rest of the country on an as-needed basis. Fuel stock used within the reactor is enriched uranium dioxide pellets containing gadolinium, contained in fuel rods[1]. Koeberg is rated at 1,860 MW, its average annual production is 13,668 GWh and it has two large turbine generators (2 × 970 MW).[2][3]

tag: p

text: Each reactor delivers 970 MW (gross) and is capable of delivering 930 MW (net) to the grid.[4]

text: The power station was constructed near Cape Town to be the sole provider of power in the Western Cape after fossil-fuel power stations were deemed too small and too expensive to be viable. Nuclear power was considered because it was more economical than transporting coal to the existing fossil-fuel power stations, and construction of new fossil-fuel power-stations, which would have required 300 m tall chimneys to comply with clean-air legislation.[citation needed] Athlone Power Station in the city was too small to provide Cape Town's needs, and the Paarden Island power station (itself too small) has been demolished.

text: Koeberg was one of the first nuclear power stations designed to be specifically resistant to earthquakes. The reactors at the Koeberg nuclear power station are built upon an aseismic raft designed – on the basis of a mid-1970s hazard study - to withstand a magnitude 7 earthquake at a focal distance of about 10 km, 0.3g zero period ground acceleration (ZPGA). The largest recorded earthquake in the Cape Town area has been 6.5 magnitude at Jan Biesjes Kraal in 1809.[5][6][7]

text: The reactor at Koeberg is cooled by cold water from the Atlantic Ocean pumped through an isolated circuit at 80 tons a second.[8] Low and intermediate level waste from Koeberg is transported by road in steel and concrete containers to a rural disposal site at Vaalputs, 600 km away in the Kalahari Desert. The grounds of the nuclear station form a 22 km² nature reserve open to the public containing more than 150 species of birds and half a dozen small mammal species.

text: The power station was originally located outside the metropolitan area, whose growth has far exceeded expectations in the intervening 20 years, so that the power station is now close to suburban housing. The administration enforces maximum housing density regulations in case of evacuation, which precludes the construction of high rise buildings.

text: History[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

tag: table

text: Construction of the power station began in 1976, and Unit 1 was synchronized to the grid on 4 April 1984. Unit 2 followed on 25 July 1985.

text: On 19 December 1982,[9][10] Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the ANC attacked Koeberg while it was still under construction.[11] Damage was estimated at R 500 million and the commissioning of the power station was put back by 18 months.[12] In 2010, the bomber was identified as being Rodney Wilkinson.[13]

text: In August 2002 twelve Greenpeace activists obtained access to the station. Six of them scaled the wall to hang up an anti-nuclear protest banner. The twelve were arrested and fined.[14]

text: At the end of 2005, Koeberg started experiencing numerous technical difficulties. On 11 November 2005, a fault on a transmission busbar caused the reactor to go into safe mode, cutting supply to most of the Western Cape for about two hours. On 16 November a fire under a 400 kV transmission line caused the line to trip, causing severe voltage dips which resulted in Koeberg once again shutting down. Various parts of the Cape were left without electricity for hours at a time. On the evening of 23 November, a routine inspection of the backup safety system revealed a below-spec concentration of an important chemical, resulting in a controlled shutdown of the reactor. Due to the sufficiency of backup supply, major power cuts were not experienced until Friday 25 November, when the backup capacity began running out. At this point, rotational load shedding was employed, with customers being switched off in stages for most of the day. Koeberg was re-synchronised to the national grid on Saturday 26 November.

text: On Sunday 25 December 2005, the generator of Unit 1 was damaged. While the generator was being powered up after scheduled refuelling and maintenance, a loose bolt, which was left inside the generator caused severe damage, forcing it to be shut down. Subsequent to the unexpected unavailability of Unit 1, Unit 2 was also brought down for scheduled refuelling, resulting in a severe shortage of supply to the Western Cape. This resulted in widespread load shedding in order to maintain the stability of the network. A replacement rotor for Unit 1 was shipped in from France and the unit was brought back into operation in May 2006.

text: On 18 and 19 February 2006 large parts of the Western Cape again experienced blackouts due to a controlled shutdown of Koeberg. According to Eskom and the City of Cape Town, power cuts were to continue until 26 February 2006, however power supply problems continued beyond this date.

text: The estimated economic losses due to the power cuts was over R 500 M as at February 2007, and was estimated to rise to possibly as high as R 2 billion.

text: On 12 September 2010, 91 members of staff were contaminated with cobalt-58 dust in an incident that appears confined to the station.[15]

text: Post Fukushima Stress Tests[edit]

text: After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, seismic safety at Koeberg was reevaluated in conjunction with the IAEA. Although Koeberg was designed for 0.3g zero period ground acceleration (ZPGA), a magnitude 7 earthquake, stress tests evaluated Koeberg against a 0.5g ZPGA. Overall Koeberg found to be seismically robust and well designed, with some areas for attention and improvement that were highlighted.[6]

text: New Build[edit]

text: Duynefontein next door on the northern side of Koeberg is a proposed site for a new nuclear power station.[16]

text: Opposition to Koeberg[edit]

text: South Africa's nuclear industry has seen its fair share of opposition, chiefly from environmentalists concerned about safety issues such as radioactive waste, and anti-war activists concerned about nuclear proliferation and use of atomic weapons. Current campaigns against nuclear energy are being run by Earthlife Africa and Koeberg Alert. [17][18] [19]


document_title: Lemonade Mouth

question_text: in lemonade mouth why is olivia's dad in prison

question_tokens: in lemonade mouth why is olivia 's dad in prison

text: Lemonade Mouth

text: Plot[edit]

text: Five teenagers meet after all ending up in detention for different reasons. While in detention, they all play and sing along together with a jingle on the radio. They decide to form a band after discussing it. At first, they have trouble agreeing on music, but soon learn to work together and get along.

text: The group decides to play at the Halloween Bash, but many students who are fans of Mudslide Crush, another band at the school, do not want the group to do the Bash. Ray, a member of Mudslide Crush and the school bully, harasses Olivia because of her band. Mo, Charlie and Stella get involved to defend Olivia and Stella spits a mouthful of lemonade into Ray's face. Ray calls Stella "lemonade mouth" and thus, the group takes "Lemonade Mouth" as their band name. Before the Bash, the lemonade machine that inspired the band is taken away as part of an agreement with a sports drink company that is sponsoring the school's new gym. This angers the band, and they decide to fight the decision.

text: At the Bash, many of the students are surprised at Lemonade Mouth's music when they take the stage because the band uses instruments like trumpets and ukuleles. The bandmates develop friendships and bonds with each other when they arrive at Olivia's house to console her after her cat dies. They gradually open up to one another about their problems: Stella thinks she's stupid and has problems with her parents, Wen's father will be marrying his much-younger girlfriend, Mo, an immigrant from India, feels that she doesn't belong, and Charlie's twin brother died at birth. Olivia reveals that her mother and father had sex when they were in high school, and Olivia's mother, who never loved or wanted her, left Olivia's father, Ted, to raise his daughter by himself until he was convicted of armed robbery and manslaughter. In the meantime, Charlie falls in love with Mo.

text: With new trust and friendship, the band becomes successful, getting on the radio and performing at a restaurant. However, things go downhill when Stella's ukulele breaks, Wen injures his lip, Charlie burns his hand, Olivia loses her voice, and Mo gets sick. All of this happens just before an annual live battle of the bands. Though the band does not do well in the competition due to their recent problems, their fans support them nevertheless, singing along to their songs to lift their spirits.

text: Afterwards, Charlie and Mo share a kiss and the two begin dating. Stella makes amends with her parents and finds out she has a learning disability. Wen and Olivia become attracted to each other after Wen gifts Olivia a new kitten.

text: Characters[edit]

text: Band members/Main Characters[edit]

text: Olivia Whitehead[edit]

text: Olivia is the lead vocalist of the band. She also plays the accordion and writes songs for the band. Olivia is a bookworm, and often becomes nervous before band performances. Although considered shy, Olivia is sympathetic, considerate, and caring. She gets her love of books from her father, Ted. He always read to her and named her after a character from William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

text: Wendel "Wen" Gifford[edit]

text: Wen plays the trumpet for the band. He struggles with the fact his father will be marrying a much younger woman. He feels she wants to take the role of his mother, and is in lust with her. He later becomes attracted to Olivia. Wen seems to be the only one in the band that is able to calm Olivia down. He's usually the joker of the group and tries to laugh things off when the band gets into tough situations.

text: Stella Penn[edit]

text: Stella was born in Arizona and dislikes the fact that she had to move to a small town halfway across the country because of her mother's new job. She is a vegetarian and is very self-confident. She is headstrong and leads the band when the other members are uncertain. Though rebellious, Stella is a hard worker, and caring to her friends. She's usually the toughest member of the band.

text: Mohini "Mo" Banerjee[edit]

text: Mo is a gentle-natured, intelligent girl who plays stand-up bass for the band. She finds herself socially inept and under the thumb of her strict father. She is from Calcutta, and is the only Indian girl at her school. Mo eventually has romantic feelings for the band's drummer, Charlie. She takes lessons just to make her parents happy, and assists at a local hospital. She speaks her mind and expresses her opinions. When Mo finally stands up to her parents, they accept her.

text: Charlie Hirsh[edit]

text: Charlie, who has a sweet and shy nature, plays the drums, congas, bongos and timbales for the band. Charlie struggles with the fact that he is alive instead of his stillborn twin brother Aaron. He is more than willing to stick up for himself and his friends. Charlie is misunderstood by his peers and is in love with Mo. Like Wen with Olivia, Charlie is able to calm Mo down whenever she is worried. At the end of the book, he starts dating Mo and finally lets go of Aaron.

text: Antagonists[edit]

text:
Ray Beech – Ray is a bully who hates Lemonade Mouth. He is part of the local popular rock band, Mudslide Crush. He mocks Stella, abuses Charlie, and bullies Olivia.
Patty Norris – A snobby Mudslide Crusher, Patty is Ray's girlfriend and involved with bullying Olivia. She is shallow and vain.
Patty Keane – Another snobby Mudslide Crusher, Patty Keane is much like Patty Norris.
Scott Pickett – The drummer for Mudslide Crush, Scott used to date Mo, but they wound up ending the relationship because Mo caught him kissing his ex-girlfriend.
Mr. Brenigan – A strict vice principal who believes that their high school should be all about sports. He moves all extracurricular activities to the high school basement. He even removes the vending machine for Mel's Organic Frozen Lemonade, part of the inspiration for the band's name, from the school.

tag: ul

text: Major themes[edit]

text: Major themes of the story include bullying, standing up for one's beliefs, and honesty. Empowerment, overcoming adversity and self-expression are all plot points in the story, brought out in the characters. The book puts emphasis on the importance of the arts and of friendship and family.

text: Reception[edit]

text: The book received a positive review from Publishers Weekly, who called it "a rock-n-roll The Breakfast Club for the literary set", and "an enjoyable romp that touches on wide-ranging themes".[5] The "Bookyurt" website graded the book with an "A-", stating, "Hughes gives us high school in all its awkward glory, and it makes for a highly entertaining read.".[6] The March 2007 issue of Kirkus Reviews published a positive review of the novel, commending Peter Hughes for writing with "soul" and "charm".[7]

text: Film adaptation[edit]

text: In 2011, the book was adapted into a Disney Channel Original Movie, starring Bridgit Mendler as Olivia, Naomi Scott as Mo, Blake Michael as Charlie, Adam Hicks as Wen, and Hayley Kiyoko as Stella. Chris Brochu portrayed the sadistic bully Ray.

text: There were considerable differences between the novel and the movie; in the movie, Mo and Charlie do not date, instead remaining good friends as Mo patches up with her boyfriend, Scott, and weight is not an issue for Olivia. In the novel, Olivia's mother abandoned her, while in the film her mother is dead, and while in the film her father is still in prison, it does not specify what he did. Many of the main characters' last names are changed in the movie to go with the actors playing them. The band does not use instruments such as trumpets or ukuleles in the movie; they are a pop band and use contemporary instruments such as the electric guitar and keyboard.

text: A sequel for the movie was planned after the success of Lemonade Mouth but Disney Channel later canceled it after being unable to come up with a new plot, feeling that the first movie had already completed its story.


document_title: Kung Fu Panda

question_text: who voices the crane in kung fu panda

question_tokens: who voices the crane in kung fu panda

text: Kung Fu Panda

text: Plot[edit]

text: In the Valley of Peace, a land in ancient China inhabited by anthropomorphic animals, Po, a giant panda, is a Kung Fu fanatic who idolizes the Furious Five (Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Viper, and Crane), a quintet of Kung Fu students trained by the red panda Master Shifu at the Jade Palace. However, as he helps his adoptive goose father Mr. Ping in his noodle restaurant, Po is unable to pursue his dream of becoming a Kung Fu master himself.

text: Grand Master Oogway, a sage old tortoise and Shifu's mentor, has a vision that Shifu's former student, the evil snow leopard Tai Lung, will escape from prison and return to the Valley of Peace to exact his revenge. Panicked, Shifu sends his messenger, Zeng the goose, with a request for the prison to tighten the security in order to prevent Tai Lung's escape. He then holds a tournament for the Furious Five so that Oogway can identify the Dragon Warrior, the one Kung Fu master worthy of the Dragon Scroll, which is said to hold the secret to the boundless power and be capable of defeating Tai Lung. Po fails to arrive at the arena before the doors are closed. Desperate to see the Dragon Warrior, Po straps himself to a set of fireworks, rockets into the sky and crashes into the arena. He opens his eyes to see Oogway pointing his finger at him. Much to the shock of everyone there (including Po), Oogway proclaims Po as the Dragon Warrior.

text: Unwilling to accept Oogway's decision, Shifu tries to dispose of Po with an excruciatingly harsh training regime bordering on torture coupled with constant belittlement of his physique and personality. Following in Shifu's footsteps, the Furious Five similarly berate and mock Po as simply an enthusiast with no potential in the martial art. Po considers resigning, but after receiving encouragement from Oogway, he endures his training and slowly begins to befriend the Five with his culinary skill, resilience, and good humor, though Tigress remains reluctant to accept him as the Dragon Warrior.

text: Tigress tells Po the story of Shifu and Tai Lung. Long ago, Shifu found the infant Tai Lung on the steps of the palace. He brought up Tai Lung as his son and taught him Kung Fu. Although Tai Lung was a proficient Kung Fu practitioner, Oogway refused to give him the Dragon Scroll. Tai Lung attacked the valley and tried to take the scroll by force, but Oogway successfully stopped him. Shifu, filled with guilt and sorrow over his son's betrayal, became cold and distant to his later students. Meanwhile, Tai Lung escapes from prison as foreseen by Oogway, ironically picking his locks with one of Zeng's fallen feathers. Shifu learns of Tai Lung's escape from Zeng and informs Oogway, who extracts a promise from Shifu to believe in Po, and then passes on to the heavens in a stream of peach blossoms. Still unable to grasp the basics of Kung Fu, Po despairingly admits that he has no chance of defeating Tai Lung. However, Shifu discovers that Po is capable of impressive physical feats when motivated by food, and takes advantage of this in order to successfully train Po by incorporating these feats into an effective Kung Fu style.

text: Meanwhile, the Furious Five set out to stop Tai Lung themselves, only to be defeated by his nerve strikes. Following their return, Shifu decides that Po is ready to receive the Dragon Scroll, but the scroll reveals nothing but a blank reflective surface. Unable to understand the message of the scroll, Shifu orders Po and the Five to evacuate the valley while he faces Tai Lung, knowing that he will most likely forfeit his life. As Tai Lung arrives and fights Shifu, a distraught Po finds Mr. Ping. In an attempt to console his son, Mr. Ping reveals that the secret ingredient to his famous "secret ingredient soup" is "nothing" (explaining that "to make something special, you just have to believe it is"). Po realizes that this is the message of the Dragon Scroll and goes back to confront Tai Lung.

text: Po becomes a formidable challenge for Tai Lung, frustrating him with confusing fighting techniques on top of a physique that renders him immune to Tai Lung's nerve strikes. Tai Lung momentarily bests Po and retrieves the scroll, but he is unable to understand it. When Po explains to Tai Lung that the true secret to becoming the Dragon Warrior is to just believe in yourself, he refuses to accept it and continues attacking Po. Eventually, Po defeats Tai Lung in combat before using the mysterious Wuxi Finger Hold to vanquish him. Po is praised by the Valley of Peace and earns the respect of the Furious Five, who fully acknowledge him as a true Kung Fu master. Po then finds Shifu, who finally attains inner peace, now that the valley is safe once more.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Jack Black as Po, an energetic, yet accident-prone, giant panda and die-hard fan of kung fu, who finds himself chosen as the legendary Dragon Warrior by Master Oogway, much to everyone's (and his own) surprise.
Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu, the elderly and stern red panda kung fu master to the Furious Five and (unwillingly) to Po, who is troubled over mistakes in the past. He is Tai Lung's and Tigress' adoptive father and master.
Randall Duk Kim as Grand Master Oogway, Shifu's mentor and the wise leader of the Jade Palace. He is an ancient Galápagos tortoise.
Ian McShane as Tai Lung, a muscular snow leopard who, after rampaging through the Valley of Peace for being denied the Dragon Scroll by Oogway, was sent to Chorh-Gom Prison for twenty years, after which he escaped and returned for revenge. He is Shifu's adoptive son and former student.
Angelina Jolie as Master Tigress, the South China tiger leader of the Furious Five, who is the most hostile to Po when he's chosen as the Dragon Warrior, but eventually accepts him when he defeats Tai Lung. She is Shifu's adoptive daughter and ill-tempered student.
Lucy Liu as Master Viper, a green tree viper and member of the Furious Five; she is kind and the most good-natured to Po when he is chosen as the Dragon Warrior.
Jackie Chan as Master Monkey, a golden snub-nosed monkey and member of the Furious Five; he has an easygoing attitude and is adept with a staff.
Seth Rogen as Master Mantis, a Chinese mantis and member of the Furious Five; he is extremely strong for his size and is also experienced in acupuncture.
David Cross as Master Crane, a red-crowned crane and another member of the Furious Five; he is pragmatic and has a dry sense of humor.
James Hong as Mr. Ping, Po's adoptive father, a happy-go-lucky Chinese goose who runs a noodle restaurant along with Po, who is unwilling to follow in his footsteps.
Dan Fogler as Zeng, a Chinese goose who is Shifu's nervous messenger.
Michael Clarke Duncan as Commander Vachir, a Javan rhinoceros who is the boastful warden of Chorh-Gom Prison, where Tai Lung is imprisoned.

text: Production[edit]

text:
"...we love martial arts movies. I wasn't interested in making fun of them, because I really think martial arts movies can be great films, they can be as good as any genre movie when they're done properly […]
Let's try to make it a real martial arts movie albeit one with a comic character and let's take our action seriously. Let's not give anything up to the big summer movies. Let's really make sure that our kung fu is as cool as any kung fu ever done, so that we can take our place in that canon and make sure it's a beautiful movie, because great martial arts movies are really beautiful-looking movies and then let's see if we can imbue it with real heart and emotion."
—co-director John Stevenson on the comedic approach to the martial arts film.[4]

tag: div

text: Publicized work on the film began in October 2004.[5] In September 2005, DreamWorks Animation announced the film alongside Jack Black, who was selected to be the main voice star.[6]

text: In November 2005, DreamWorks Animation announced that Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu and Ian McShane would join Jack Black in the cast.[7] This is also the second DreamWorks Animation film in which Black and Angelina Jolie have co-starred together, the first being 2004's Shark Tale.[8]

text: The idea for the film was conceived by Michael Lachance, a DreamWorks Animation executive.[9] Initially, the idea was to make it a spoof, but co-director John Stevenson was not particularly keen on it and instead chose the direction of a character-based  wuxia comedy.[4]

text: Reportedly inspired by Stephen Chow's 2004 martial arts action comedy, Kung Fu Hustle,[10] the co-directors wanted to make sure the film also had an authentic Chinese and kung fu feel to it.  Production designer Raymond Zibach and art director Tang Heng spent years researching Chinese painting, sculpture, architecture and kung fu films to help create the look of the film.[11] Zibach said some of the biggest influences for him are the more artful martial arts films such as Hero, House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.[11] Stevenson's aim for the film, which took four years to make, was to make "the best looking film DreamWorks has ever made".

text:
"We've had some productions that were stressful, but this one ran very smoothly and DreamWorks is [sic] this production as a template on how they would like future productions to run. We lucked out, and there really was a sense of harmony on the animation. Even the production people. We all seemed like we were on the same page, believing in the film. That doesn't happen very often. I tell animators, you will be working on dumpers for most of your career, but every once in a while you get a gem. Kung Fu Panda was a gem."
—Dan Wagner, Head of Character Animation.[12]

text: The hand-drawn animation sequence at the beginning of the film was made to resemble Chinese shadow puppetry.[13] The opening, which was directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and produced by James Baxter, was praised by The New York Times reviewer Manohla Dargis as "striking" and "visually different from most mainstream American animations".[14]

text: Other reviewers have compared the opening to the evocative style of Genndy Tartakovsky's Samurai Jack.[15][16] The rest of the film is modern computer animation, which uses bright, offbeat colors to evoke the natural landscape of China.[13] The end credit sequence also features hand-drawn characters and still paintings in the background.[13]

text: The computer animation used throughout the film was more complex than anything DreamWorks had done before. When the head of production handed the script to VFX Supervisor Markus Manninen, she reportedly laughed and wished him "good luck". "When we started talking," said Manninen, "the movie was still a high concept. But for everyone that looked at it, it screamed complexity. We launched off saying, how can you make this movie tangible? How can you find smart ways to bring this world to life in a way that makes it a great movie and not feel like the complexity becomes the driver of the story, but the story and the emotion being the driver?"[17] In preparation, the animators took a six-hour kung fu class.[18]

text: Producer Melissa Cobb said that originally Po was "more of a jerk," but that the character changed after they heard Jack Black.[18] According to Jack Black, he mostly worked "in isolation", although he and Dustin Hoffman did spend a day together, which Cobb said helped with the scene where their characters face off.[18] Lucy Liu said that the film "was quite different because it was such a long process."[19] Liu said that when she was presented with the project they already had artwork of her character as well as a "short computerized video version of what she would look like when she moved."[19]

text: Release[edit]

text: The film held its worldwide premiere at the 61st Cannes Film Festival on May 15, 2008,[20] where it received massive and sustained applause at the end of the film's screening.[21] Kung Fu Panda later had national premieres in the US on June 1, 2008 at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California,[22] and on June 26, 2008 at Leicester Square in London, for the UK.[23]

text: Home media[edit]

text: Kung Fu Panda was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 9, 2008,[24] and on 3D Blu-ray on December 6, 2011 as a Best Buy exclusive.[25] The DVD double pack release of Kung Fu Panda also includes a short animated film Secrets of the Furious Five.[24] With 7,486,642 DVD units sold in 2008, Kung Fu Panda was the fourth highest-selling film and the first highest-selling animated film of 2008, right before WALL-E, which sold 7,413,548 units.[26]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: Rotten Tomatoes reported that 87% of 183 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Kung Fu Panda has a familiar message, but the pleasing mix of humor, swift martial arts action, and colorful animation makes for winning summer entertainment."[27] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 73 out of 100, based on 33 reviews.[28] Audience gave the film an average A- grade on CinemaScore.

text: Richard Corliss of Time Magazine gave Kung Fu Panda a positive review, stating the picture "provides a master course in cunning visual art and ultra-satisfying entertainment".[29] The New York Times said, "At once fuzzy-wuzzy and industrial strength, the tacky-sounding Kung Fu Panda is high concept with a heart," and the review called the film "consistently diverting" and "visually arresting".[14] Chris Barsanti of Filmcritic.com commented, "Blazing across the screen with eye-popping, sublime artwork, Kung Fu Panda sets itself apart from the modern domestic animation trend with its sheer beauty [...] the film enters instant classic status as some of the most gorgeous animation Hollywood has produced since the golden age of Disney."[30] Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune called the film "one of the few comedies of 2008 in any style or genre that knows what it's doing".[31] However, Tom Charity of CNN criticized the action for tending "to blur into a whirlwind of slapstick chaos" and considered the character of Po too similar to others played by Black.[32] Peter Howell of The Toronto Star awarded the film two and a half stars, considering it to have a "lack of story" that "frequently manages to amuse, if not entirely to delight".[33]

text: Box office[edit]

text: The film topped the box office in its opening weekend, grossing $60.2 million for a $14,642 average from 4,114 theaters[34] and performing much better than analysts had been expecting.[35] It also was the highest-grossing opening for a non-sequel DreamWorks Animation film at the time.[35] In its second weekend, the film retreated 44% to second place behind The Incredible Hulk grossing $33.6 million for a $8,127 average from expanding to 4,136 theaters.[36] It closed on October 9, 2008 after 125 days of release, grossing $215.4 million in the United States and Canada and $416.3 million overseas for a worldwide total of $631.7 million.[37] Kung Fu Panda was the highest-grossing non-Shrek film from DreamWorks Animation in the United States and Canada, before being surpassed by How to Train Your Dragon in 2010.[38]

text: Kung Fu Panda was also well received in China.[39] It made nearly 110 million Yuan by July 2, 2008, becoming the first animated film to earn more than 100 million Yuan in China.[40][41]  The Chinese director Lu Chuan commented, "From a production standpoint, the movie is nearly perfect. Its American creators showed a very sincere attitude about Chinese culture."[42][43] The film's critical and commercial success in China led to some local introspection about why no film like Kung Fu Panda had been produced in China, with commentators attributing the problem variously to lower film budgets in China, too much government oversight, a dearth of national imagination, and an overly reverent attitude to China's history and cultural icons.[44][45][46]

text: Accolades[edit]

text: Kung Fu Panda was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature[47] and the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film,[48] but both awards were won by Pixar's WALL-E. Jack Black joked about his film's underdog status at the 81st Academy Awards, saying "Each year, I do one DreamWorks project, then I take all the money to the Oscars and bet it on Pixar."[49]

text: By contrast, Kung Fu Panda won 10 Annie Awards (including Best Picture) out of 16 nominations, although this created controversy, with some accusing DreamWorks head Jeffrey Katzenberg of rigging the vote by buying ASIFA-Hollywood memberships (with voting power) for everyone at DreamWorks Animation.[50]

text:
Awards

Award

Category

Name

Outcome

Academy Awards[47]

Academy Award for Best Animated Feature

John StevensonMark Osborne

Nominated

Annie Awards[51][52]

Annie Award for Best Animated Effects in an Animated Production

Li-Ming 'Lawrence' Lee

Won

Annie Award for Best Animated Feature

Won

Annie Award for Best Character Animation in a Feature Production

James Baxter

Won

Philippe Le Brun

Nominated

Dan Wagner

Nominated

Annie Award for Best Character Design in an Animated Feature Production

Nico Marlet

Won

Annie Award for Best Directing in an Animated Feature Production

John StevensonMark Osborne

Won

Annie Award for Best Music in an Animated Feature Production

Hans ZimmerJohn Powell

Won

Annie Award for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production

Tang Kheng Heng

Won

Raymond Zibach

Nominated

Annie Award for Best Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production

Jennifer Yuh Nelson

Won

Alessandro Carloni

Nominated

Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production

Dustin Hoffman

Won

James Hong

Nominated

Ian McShane

Nominated

Annie Award for Best Writing in an Animated Feature Production

Jonathan AibelGlenn Berger

Won

ASCAP Award

Top Box Office Films

Hans Zimmer and John Powell

Won

Critics' Choice Awards[53]

Best Animated Feature

Nominated

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards[54]

Best Animated Feature

Nominated

Golden Globe Awards[48]

Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film

Nominated

Golden Tomato Awards 2008[55]

Best Animated Feature

Kung Fu Panda

2nd Place

Wide Release

5th Place

Golden Reel Awards[56][57]

Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR Animation in a Feature Film

Ethan Van Der RynErik AadahlMike HopkinsJonathan KleinAdam Milo SmalleyPeter Oso SnellWayne LemmerPaul PirolaP.K. HookerDan O'ConnellJohn Cucci

Nominated

Golden Trailer Awards

Best Animation/Family

Nominated

Huabiao Awards

Outstanding Translated Film

Won

National Movie Awards[58]

Best Family Film

Nominated

Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards[59][60]

Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie

Jack Black

Won

Favorite Animated Movie

Nominated

Online Film Critics Society[61]

Best Animated Film

Nominated

Producers Guild of America[62]

Animated Motion Picture

Melissa Cobb

Nominated

People's Choice Awards[63]

Favorite Family Movie

Nominated

Teen Choice Awards[64]

Choice Summer Movie: Comedy

Nominated

Visual Effects Society[65]

Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture

Jack BlackDan WagnerNico MarletPeter Farson

Nominated

Outstanding Animation in an Animated Motion Picture

Markus ManninenDan WagnerAlex ParkinsonRaymond Zibach

Nominated

Outstanding Effects Animation in an Animated Motion Picture

Markus ManninenAlex ParkinsonAmaury AubelLi-Ming 'Lawrence' Lee

Nominated

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text:
Kung Fu PandaSoundtrack album by Hans Zimmer and John PowellReleased
June 3, 2008Recorded
2008Genre
SoundtrackLength
60:16Label
InterscopePDI/DreamWorks RecordsColumbia RecordsSony Music SoundtraxProducer
Hans ZimmerJohn PowellThe Underdogs (track 17)

text: As with most DreamWorks animated movies, composer Hans Zimmer scored Kung Fu Panda. Zimmer visited China to absorb the culture and got to know the Chinese National Symphony as part of his preparation; in addition, Timbaland also contributed to the soundtrack.[66] The soundtrack also includes a partially rewritten version of the classic song, "Kung Fu Fighting", performed by Cee-Lo Green and Jack Black for the end credits. Furthermore, in some versions, the ending credit was sung by Rain. Although Zimmer was originally announced as the main composer of the film, during a test screening, CEO of DreamWorks Animation SKG Jeffrey Katzenberg announced that composer John Powell would also be contributing to the score. This marked the first collaboration in eight years for the two, who had previously worked together on DreamWorks' The Road to El Dorado and the action thriller Chill Factor. A soundtrack album was released by Interscope Records on June 3, 2008.[67]

text: Track listing[edit]

text: No.TitleLength1."Hero"4:442."Let The Tournament Begin"1:593."The Dragon Warrior Is Among Us"2:574."Tai Lung Escapes"7:065."Peach Tree Of Wisdom"1:536."Accu-flashback"4:057."Impersonating Shifu"2:188."The Sacred Pool Of Tears"9:519."Training Po"1:2810."The Bridge"3:2311."Shifu Faces Tai Lung"4:4712."The Dragon Scroll"2:3113."Po vs. Tai Lung"2:4114."Dragon Warrior Rises"3:2215."Panda Po"2:3916."Oogway Ascends"2:0417."Kung Fu Fighting" (Performed by Cee-Lo Green and Jack Black)2:30Total length:60:16

text: Sequels[edit]

text: A sequel, Kung Fu Panda 2, was released on Thursday, May 26, 2011,[68] to good reviews (Rotten Tomatoes rating of 81%). It was released in 3-D and was directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson (who directed the 2-D opening sequence of the first film) with the original cast returning. The story features a new villain with a mysterious weapon so powerful it threatens the existence of kung fu, and Po must additionally confront his past.

text: A second sequel, Kung Fu Panda 3 was announced as a co-production between DreamWorks Animation and Shanghai-based Oriental DreamWorks.[69] Kung Fu Panda 3 was released on January 29, 2016.[70] DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg has said that perhaps the series could see 3 more sequels after Kung Fu Panda 3, bringing it to a six-film series.[71]

text: Spin-offs[edit]

text: Manga[edit]

text: A manga based on the film was released in Japan in Kerokero Ace magazine's September 2008 issue.[72] It is written by Hanten Okuma and illustrated by Takafumi Adachi.[73]

text: Television series[edit]

text: A television series titled Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness aired on Nickelodeon with its premiere on September 19, 2011.[74] From the cast of Kung Fu Panda, only Lucy Liu and James Hong reprised their roles, of Master Viper and Mr. Ping respectively.[75] In the series, Po continues to defend the Valley of Peace from all kinds of villains, while making mistakes, learning about the history of kung fu, and meeting other kung fu masters. In the United States, the series ended its run on June 29, 2016, with a total of three seasons and 80 episodes. However, prior to premiering in the U.S., the final few episodes first premiered in Germany from December 30, 2014 to January 7, 2015.

text: Holiday special[edit]

text: The Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special was aired on NBC Wednesday, November 24, 2010.[76]

text: Video game[edit]

text: A video game adaptation of the film was published by Activision on June 3, 2008.[77] The game was released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS and PC platforms. The plot follows the same basic plot as the film, but with Tai Lung portrayed as the leader of various gangs that surround the Valley of Peace, which Po, who possesses some basic martial art skills which can be upgraded as the game progresses, must defeat. The game was released on Microsoft Windows, as well as multiple consoles. However the Windows version has been discontinued. The game received mostly positive reviews; it scored a Metacritic rating of 76% from critics[78] and a 7.5 out of 10 from IGN.[79] In 2009, it won the International Animated Film Society's Annie Award for Best Animated Video Game, "in recognition of creative excellence in the art of animation."[80]

text: Lawsuits[edit]

text: DreamWorks Animation was sued in 2011 by a writer, Terence Dunn, for allegedly stealing the idea for Kung Fu Panda from him.[81] Dunn alleged that DreamWorks Animation had stolen his pitch for a "spiritual kung-fu fighting panda bear" which he sent to a DreamWorks executive in 2001.[81] DreamWorks Animation denied any wrongdoing and after a two-week trial the jurors found in favor of DreamWorks.[81]

text: In 2011, another lawsuit was brought against the studio by an illustrator named Jayme Gordon. Gordon had created characters under the name "Kung Fu Panda Power" and registered them with the U.S. Copyright Office in 2000.[82] He had pitched this concept work to Disney while Jeffrey Katzenberg, who later left Disney and formed DreamWorks Animation in 1994, was working there. Gordon withdrew his claim just before the trial was due to take place.[83] On December 20, 2015, federal prosecutors charged Gordon with four counts of wire fraud and three counts of perjury for allegedly fabricating and backdating drawings to support the claims in his lawsuit, and for allegedly tracing some of his drawings from a Disney Lion King coloring book.[84] On November 18, 2016, Gordon was convicted for wire fraud and perjury, facing a sentence of up to 25 years in prison.[85]

text: Notes[edit]

text: ^  In July 2014, the film's distribution rights were purchased by DreamWorks Animation from Paramount Pictures[86] and transferred to 20th Century Fox before reverting to Universal Studios in 2018.

tag: ol