Angelina Jolie at the Kung Fu Panda DVD release

Angelina Jolie made a promotional appearance at the DVD release for her animated film Kung Fu Panda in Hollywood yesterday. Jolie was unable to make it to the LA premiere of the film in early June because she was laid up in a hospital on the French Riviera awaiting the birth of her twins, Knox and Vivienne. Jolie looked casual chic at last night DVD launch in a short long sleeve black dress and beige pumps. Her legs looked great, and it looks like all that pilates video game she’s rumored to be doing on Maddox’s Nintendo DS is doing the trick.

Angelina talked to reporters about her twins’ personalities, calling them “smiley,” and was vague on her thoughts about the election, saying only that it was nice that people were so excited at the outcome. Her partner, Brad Pitt, attended Barack Obama’s acceptance speech in Grant Park in Chicago and even took the tram down to the event:

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s twins may be only four months old, but they’re already characters of their own.

“They’re great. They’re still so little, but they do [have their own personalities],” Jolie told reporters at the DVD launch for Kung Fu Panda and the premiere of its companion adventure story, Secrets of the Furious Five in Hollywood on Sunday.

Knox and Vivienne are “starting to get very smiley,” their proud mom said. “They’re at that [stage] where their personality really starts to shine.”

As for the rest of the brood, they share a love of their mom’s work. “I think it’s a great film, and it’s brought a lot of joy to children – and to my children, absolutely,” Jolie told PEOPLE at the event. “My kids love it. They’re very very proud, they’ve got mom [Tigress] dolls.”

While Jolie – looking slim in a long-sleeved black dress and beige pumps with spiked heels – didn’t let on whether she’d be attending any of President-elect Barack Obama’s inaugural balls in January, she did say she was happy with the election last Tuesday.

“I was pleased to see how excited so many people were,” she told PEOPLE.

At the premiere, held at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, furry Panda characters wandered around and danced while costars Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman chatted with fans and press. Jolie and the rest of the cast were on hand also as DreamWorks’ Jeffrey Katzenberg presented a check for $1 million to the Conservation International in support of their efforts for the preservation of pandas in their natural habitat.

[From People.com]

Kids’ films are usually huge hits and the DVD release probably doesn’t need Angelina showing up to ensure that it’s a best seller.

Madagascar 2: Escape To Africa was top of the US box office this weekend with an estimated gross of $63.5 million. Angelina’s film, Changeling, was fourth with just $7 million, and after four weeks 17 days in limited release has only grossed around $20 million. The film seems to have suffered from the poor economic climate in which movie-goers are seeking out escapist films instead of serious drama. It may earn her an Oscar nomination despite mixed reviews, however.

(Thanks Lois for the correction on Changeling’s release date.)

Photo credit: Fame Pictures