the buzz log

Okay, so, like, in a fight, who would win: a panda or a commando-trained hair stylist? The Buzz Multiplex turns into the Octagon this weekend, with a cuddly ailuropoda melanoleuca on one side, and Adam Sandler on the other. Meanwhile, as the blockbusters battle for box office dominance, a Mongol warrior quietly rises among the limited releases.

1. "Kung Fu Panda" (PG). Better than "Shrek"? That's the murmuring from critics, who sound almost surprised about how much they like the latest from Dreamworks. Searchers, though, have been spoiling for a good panda fight since October of 2007. Both males and females are interested and its no wonder -- the family movie of the week stars Jack Black, as well as Dustin Hoffman, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu and Angelina Jolie. Among the cooing reviews, Time critic Richard Corliss traces the movies' critters and insider references to their Hong Kong '70s film inspirations—a few of which starred Jackie Chan, the voice of Monkey. The film's fidelity to martial arts may explain the surge in "kung fu" searches.  

2. " You Don't Mess with the Zohan" (PG-13). Adam Sandler trims down and buffs up as a Mossad Israeli soldier who resurfaces in his dream gig as a New York hairstylist. The comedy has become a Rohrshach humor test: Rolling Stones pines for a Groucho Marxist satirical twist and the New York Times raves about it being the "finest post-Zionist action-hairdressing sex comedy." With a cast that includes John Turturro, Mariah Carey and, well, Rob Schneider, "Zohan" lands among the top 7,500 searches thanks to males (65%). One man probably not in the pro-Zohan group: Mel Gibson. Fox News reports that Sandler is doling comic payback to Mr. Gibson for his drunken outburst two years back. Hair stylists never forget.

3. "Mongol" (R, limited release). Not since John Wayne... well, let's forget about that biopic. The life of Genghis Khan gets another big-screen retelling, this time from a Russian director. NYT calls this first in a trilogy a "big, ponderous epic"—but in a good way. Searches have risen 93%, but overall interest is mild.