Well, that’s what I get for trying to save some time and write the next day’s front page blurb early! I was going to tease the inclusion of Secrets Of The Furious Five, the new DreamWorks’ animated film that is being bundled in copies of their upcoming Kung Fu Panda DVD, but now the full details on the release have been announced, my original comments are now mute!

We knew about the Secrets Of The Furious Five bonus disc being offered with the film, but industry sources had started dressing it up as much more than what it is. Being touted as a direct to video “companion film”, the two-disc package will hit stores on Sunday November 9, instead of the traditional Tuesday release day. What got the industry press in a spin was that, while producing DTV sequels isn’t anything new, it’s being claimed putting out such an extra is a first – it isn’t, in fact: DreamWorks themsleves offered up a second Ron Burgundy movie with Anchorman based on outtake material filmed for the theatrical feature.

However, until now, it was the vague description of the added title that’s most intriguing: “the Kung Fu Panda story continues”, before providing a synopsis for what can only be a prequel, delving into the backstories of the characters with “all-new animation” and original cast Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman reprising their roles as Po and Master Shifu, respectively. So was Secrets Of The Furious Five a groundbreaking move? Or just the usual added animated short that most new movies are accompanied by these days? With the specs now out, the answer lies somewhere in the middle: it’s a short, but a long short, coming in at a (suspiciously) comfortable commercial half-hour of 22 minutes.

Catching up with Po after the events of the first film, he now has to teach Kung Fu to a group of eager bunnies from the Valley of Peace. Although the Panda can hold his own with the best of them, he’s completely out of his element in the classroom. So, he leans on his Kung Fu fan-boy knowledge and tells the kids how each of the Furious Five discovered the strengths which put them on the road to being the Kung Fu masters they are today. By the lesson’s end, Po finds he has taught the bunnies much more than he ever could have through Kung Fu exercises.

Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman reprise their roles from the movie, which points to this being a narrated adventure rather than a true continuation, and is probably more of a way for the Studio to promote the bunnies, who may well play more of a role in one of the several apparent upcoming sequels.

Disc One’s feature presentation will offer up all the DreamWorks goodness the Studio always packs onto their discs, including Filmmakers’ Commentary, featurettes on the Cast, Pushing The Boundaries and Sound Design, Kung Fu Fighting music video by Cee-Lo, and other activities including Mr. Ping’s Noodle House, How To Use Chopsticks, Conservation International: Help Save Wild Pandas, a Dragon Warrior Training Academy, printables, weblinks and the old DreamWorks Animation Video Jukebox. A single disc edition will include all of that, but grabbing the Pandamonium Double Pack bundles in the Secrets Of The Furious Five disc and the usual selection of DreamWorks Kids’ features: Po’s Power Play will teach us all how to draw Crane, Monkey, Viper, Po, Mantis and Tigress, there’s something called the Dumpling Shuffle, a Pandamonium Activity Kit (featuring a Sound Machine, Hewlett-Packard printables, custom printables, and two ROM extras: the Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Activision game demos); Land Of The Panda offers the steps to Learn The Panda Dance, Do You Kung Fu?, Inside The Chinese Zodiac, Animals Of Kung Fu Panda, and the What Fighting Style Are You? game.

Of course a Kung Fu Panda Blu-ray disc is also available, but viewers may well feel more than a little cheated: there’s no Secrets Of The Furious Five included, going by the specs. Presented in 1080p hi-def and English 5.1 Dolby True HD, the bonus features include Inside Kung Fu Panda with the Commentary, an Animators’ Corner, Trivia Track and the Meet The Cast, Pushing The Boundaries and Conservation International: Help Save Wild Pandas featurettes all in HD. Po’s Power Play adds the Dragon Warrior Training Academy, Dumpling Shuffle and, in HD, Learn To Draw, while The Sounds And Moves Of Kung Fu Panda carries over the Sound Design, Kung Fu Fighting video, Learn The Panda Dance and Do You Kung Fu?, all in hi-def. Land Of The Panda bundles in Mr. Ping’s Noodle House, How To Use Chopsticks, Inside The Chinese Zodiac (the last two both in HD), Animals Of Kung Fu Panda, What Fighting Style Are You?, the Video Jukebox and Trailers. The disc’s BD-Live features are A Day In The Life: A Shaolin Monk In Training (available for a limited time only), and Po Around The World. Quite an odd choice to include all the Kids’ features but leave out the drawing power of the new short…!?

Will Secrets Of The Furious Five hold up to the standards of the hugely entertaining main feature? We shall, young grasshopper, have to wait and see. The Kung Fu Panda Pandamonium Double Pack will retail for less than $25, while the single disc of the theatrical feature will be available for under $20, on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Just remember that date: November 9, and all will be revealed…

Stay tooned! – Ben.