Disney's panda movie touching down in China
Yesterday marked the worldwide premier of what's poised to be this year's feel good flick: Disney-produced panda movie 熊猫回家路 (Xiongmao huijia lu).
Filmed in live action at the famous Woolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve, the movie follows the adventures of a panda cub who is separated from his mother (presumably by poachers) and then befriends a lonely orphan boy. The boy then takes it upon himself to help the panda cub find his way home, and the two travel around the Sichuan countryside trying to stay a few steps ahead of those who would do harm upon panda-kind.
Right, we know. It's not the most original story line Disney has come up with. But it's got pandas in it, which - coupled with the general warm feelings of solidarity still left over from the Sichuan earthquake - will probably make it way more popular than the Mouse's last attempt at creating a children's movie here: 2007's Secret of the Magic Gourd (宝葫芦的秘密）， which grossed a paltry $2.7 million.
Besides, we're kind of loving one of its English-name translations. Touch of the Panda may be the most unintentionally hilarious name for a movie... if only because it reminds us of this guy:
熊猫回家路 opens around the country next week on May 8th. The video is the trailer for the movie
