Perhaps this could be the role James needs.
Kevin James was well known to TV fans for his role in ‘King of Queens’ but he's yet to have a big screen hit. It's also been a while since we've seen the Austin Powers actor in a big screen role.
He may need some help getting into character physically, but based on his previous on screen transformations we think he could manage it. He said the sale of the script was aided by Ford’s recent scandal.įellow Canadian Mike Myers could certainly bring a lot of laughs to the role. However what might throw a spanner in the works is the fact that Rogen has recently sold a script about a drug taking politician, something he had in the works for years.
With news that the rights to a movie based on the life of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has been sold, the question is who’s going to play the infamous Mayor? While there’s no word yet, we have a few ideas of who could fill the Mayor’s big shoes.Ī likely and an unlikely choice, we’ve seen Rogen play his fair share of stoners before, plus he’s also one of the only celebrities who’s not shy about his own drug use. And more textured acting is provided in small roles by Ryan, Jillian Bell (as Gale's airhead sister) and Ken Marino (as a lovelorn colleague). Minette and Rush are fine as the usual bland youthful heroes with a cute hint of romance between them. Black provides Slappy's gleefully sinister voice while hamming it up on-screen as Stein. But the cartoonish sheen is undercut intriguingly by some genuinely tense moments, mainly because Slappy is properly menacing. These are rendered in rather obvious digital animation, including a gang of militarised garden gnomes, a slimy blob, zombies, werewolves and a gigantic praying mantis. Screenwriter Darren Lemke and director Rob Letterman have a great time bringing the maximum level of pandemonium to this small town, with a range of outrageous creatures that are both comical and scary. But Zach has an idea that may stop the mayhem. He sets about releasing all of Stein's fictional monsters into the real world, unleashing chaos on a massive scale. And the next literary escapee, the sadistic ventriloquist's dummy Slappy, is even worse. Out pops an abominable snowman, who proceeds to wreak havoc in the town. Despite Stein's warnings, Zach and his new school friend Champ (Ryan Lee) sneak into the house to find out more, opening one of the novelist's manuscripts in the process. Then single mother Gale (Amy Ryan) moves in next door with her teen son Zach (Dylan Minette), who is immediately intrigued by Hannah. And Hudson's riotously flirtatious ribbon-dancing panda easily steals her scenes.īlack plays Stein himself, a reclusive author and over-protective father who lives in a small town with his daughter Hannah (Odeya Rush). Most of the side roles are spread very thinly, but both Cranston and Simmons register strongly, while Jolie and Hoffman get some solid scenes all their own. His interaction with all of the surrounding characters bristles with humour and insight, with sharply funny one-liners peppering every scene. In voicing Po, Black finds the perfect balance between goofiness and honest emotion that often eludes him in live-action roles. These themes emerge naturally through the snappy, sometimes exhilarating story and characters. It's a complex exploration of how our backgrounds and communities contribute to who we are, and why each of us has a distinct role to play. This is far more than the usual story about discovering your place in life.
So it's rather urgent that Po discovers his own chi before Kai finds him. Simmons) has broken through from the spirit realm, determined to collect the chi of every master in the mortal world. Meanwhile, the power-mad warlord Kai (J.K. Then he meets his long-lost father Li (Bryan Cranston), who tells him of a secret homeland for pandas, where Po might be able to find himself.
He'd rather be out fighting battles with his five warrior pals Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Viper and Crane (Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu and David Cross).
As the Dragon Warrior, the panda Po (voiced by Jack Black) is struggling to rise to the challenge to become a teacher, coaxed by his master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman).