Posted: Mon., Jun. 2, 2008, 6:44pm PT

Hollywood's Panda party

Jack Black and co. at the 'Kung Fu' premiere

By Bill Higgins

Jack Black at the 'Kung Fu Panda' preem in L.A.

Pic's Lucy Liu at Sunday's 'Kung Fu Panda' premiere.

DreamWorks Animation COO Ann Daly and marketing topper Anne Globe with Po the Panda.

'Panda's' Dustin Hoffman with Michael Clarke Duncan at the premiere.

Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman with wife Debbie.

All the classic elements of a kid-friendly premiere were on hand when DreamWorks Animation and Paramount launched "Kung Fu Panda" Sunday at the Chinese Theater.

A block of Hollywood Boulevard was roped off for the pre-screening street party, with nearly a thousand kids at face-painting booths; learning choreographed dance routines; getting removable tattoos; and having their picture taken with an enormous walk-around Po the Panda character ("He smells like beans and cheese," said one 8-year-old boy after his photo op.)

In the midst of these festivities, DreamWorks Animation topper Jeffrey Katzenberg praised star Jack Black for being "in the DNA of the character."

"I think the marriage of Jack and Po may rank with Eddie and the donkey and Robin and Aladdin," said Katzenberg.

"It's classic DreamWorks animation for core kids 5 to 12," said COO Ann Daly. "But with Jack Black, the humor and story tend to appeal to an older audience."