Who expected "Kung Fu Panda" to be as charming as it was? Dreamworks had a shaky history of 3-D films that were big on star power and small on substance, but one barely noticed all the celebrity voices in between the tightly polished jokes and immaculate animation. Especially fun was how the movie paid righteous tribute to kung fu tradition, from the deftly choreographed fight scenes to the standard character types like the wise guru, the hot-headed proteges and of course, poor clueless Po.

Po whipped himself into fighting shape by film's end, and the upcoming sequel will see where he's gone since. But how would he stack up against characters from kung fu lore? Fighting films used to be huge in American pop culture, but faded out as guns and gratuitous violence went en vogue. Here's where we think he'd end up in a battle royale against some of history's greatest kung fu fighters, reality aside (because, um, talking panda bears don't exist).

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How to Train Your DragonAre you a fan of "Kung Fu Panda" and "How To Train Your Dragon"? We sure hope so, because you're about to get a whole lot more from both franchises!

DreamWorks Animation chief Jeffrey Katzenberg spoke with Empire about the developing sequels to some of the studio's most important properties. During the interview, Katzenberg revealed that there are five more "Kung Fu Panda" movies on the way — the forthcoming "Kaboom of Doom" included, presumably — as well as at least two more installments of "How To Train Your Dragon."

"'Kung Fu Panda' actually has 6 chapters to it, and we’ve mapped that out over the years," he said. "'How To Train Your Dragon' is at least three: maybe more, but we know there are a least three chapters to that story." Read More...

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MegamindWhen you think of the meanest, cruelest, most downright despicable villains of all time, Will Ferrell is probably not at the top of your list. He's hoping he can change your mind with "Megamind," his new supervillain-centric animated film gracing the big screen this weekend -- but even then, you may just find that Ferrell's latest character is less of the evil genius variety and more of a comedic powerhouse.

That's not to say that the animated world isn't without its fair share of villainy, of course. Feel-good though they may be, the vast majority of family-oriented animated flicks are populated by nefarious nemeses intended to off-balance the comedy with a healthy heaping of terror.

After the jump, check out our selection of five of the greatest animated villains of all time! Read More...

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Considering that this year's Jaden Smith-starring return to "The Karate Kid" actually dealt with the martial art of kung fu, today's news about the coming sequel is sort of fitting. Cyrus Voris and Ethan Reiff, the writing duo who penned the fairly excellent 2008 CG-animated flick "Kung Fu Panda," have been hired to pen a "Kid" sequel, The Hollywood Reporter reveals.

The June release went from a $40 million-budgeted perceived longshot into a global hit. "The Karate Kid" has grossed more than $300 million to date; the rapid success resulted in a sequel being put into development almost immediately. Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment, which produced the movie, will take on similar duties for the sequel. Columbia did not reveal anything about the story or the location; today's writers announcement is in fact the first real news to emerge about the sequel since it was confirmed several months ago.

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- A big hand for Shia LaBeouf, who reportedly returned to work today on “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” (Film School Rejects)

- Edgar Ramirez hops on board the Joe Carnahan express, will portray Pablo Escobar in director’s film about the infamous drug lord. (CHUD)

- Jeffrey Katzenberg plans for a third “Madagascar,” a second “Kung-Fu Panda,” my head exploding. (Coming Soon)

- The flight of the “Valkyrie” continues. Tom Cruise Nazi movie will now open the day after Christmas. (Hollywood Elsewhere)

- Toronto International Film Festival announces its special presentation lineup. (/film)

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