The Chinese animated film, The Kung Fu Kid, found its way into the digital realm, ready to be bought or rented on digital platforms as of August 18th, courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment. Mark your calendars, folks, because it’s set to hit Blu-ray™ and DVD, exclusively on Amazon, on September 15. Initially released in China in 2024 under the title I Am What I Am 2, this flick is a sequel to Sun Haipeng's I Am What I Am (2021). It features an English voice cast crafted for American ears.

I had zero inkling that The Kung Fu Kid was part of an existing saga; to me, it felt like a standalone film or perhaps the beginnings of a new franchise. So, you can imagine my surprise when I unearthed its origins and the existence of the original film just before writing this review. It’s not too shocking, though, considering how Chinese films often undergo a makeover to align with American sensibilities.

The story pivots around a village boy named Juan (or is it Gyun?), whose desperation to save his ailing father drives him to seek fortune and pay off insurmountable medical debts. His journey leads him to the bustling streets of Shanghai, where he’s scooped up by the Qiu Zhen Kung Fu Gym to partake in a grueling tournament known as Shanghai Fight Night. The gym’s soul has faded away with its owner’s death, leaving his daughter, Xiaoyu, to navigate the stormy seas of business to keep the doors from closing. Both she and Juan are chasing the same elusive prize money; one for survival, the other for love. With training from the former champion Zhang Wate, who now grapples with blindness, Juan is thrust into a world where elite fighters of diverse techniques clash. It’s a haunting theme of tradition, sacrifice, and the relentless pursuit of victory, wrapped in the essence of martial arts.

Since Charles Schulz first introduced that lovable bald kid in the iconic yellow zigzag shirt, fans of all ages have rallied around the Peanuts gang like a blanket on a chilly Halloween night. This year marks a delightful milestone—the 75th anniversary of our beloved friends from the neighborhood. To celebrate this momentous occasion, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is unveiling an enticing treasure trove: a DVD Collection ^[*] (retailing for $64.98) and a Blu-ray set ^[*] (for a slightly higher price of $76.99), both featuring a whopping 40 TV specials. From the unforgettable 1965 classic A Charlie Brown Christmas to Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown (2011), this collection is a heartfelt homage to the charm and humor that have turned Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and their gang into eternal cultural icons.

The collection, aptly named "The Ultimate TV Specials Collection," is an assemblage of classics meticulously divided across five discs. A little "Guide" booklet accompanies the set, neatly laying out each episode and its original air date, with delightful artwork gracing the pages. However, don’t expect any glittering special features or extras—it’s a bare-bones release that doesn’t attempt to glamorize nostalgia; it simply invites you to relive it.

Computers can be a useful tool; heck, I’m typing this very post on one right now. They’ve undeniably reshaped the animation landscape, both for better and worse. Classic hand-drawn 2D animation feels like a relic, a sparkling gem mostly lost to the age of CGI and rapid digital production. But here comes a refreshing breeze: the new Christian animated film, The Light of the World, hitting theaters today, September 5th, is boldly stepping back into the 2D animation realm. As noted on the film’s website, lightoftheworld.com, “Hand-drawn animation is a timeless medium that retains its beauty over many decades. It contains all the subtle flaws we’ve come to call 'human.'” What a beautiful sentiment! It’s a fitting tribute to Jesus—the only flawless figure to ever tread this Earth.

Directed by the talented John Schafer, known for producing the beloved program Superbook (which, I must confess, I had not heard of until now), and alongside animator Tom Bancroft, who has a rich history with Disney, having worked on masterpieces like The Lion King, Mulan, and Beauty and the Beast, this film is the inaugural offering from the Salvation Poem Project—a ministry dedicated to spreading the message of Christ to the world.