Kung Fu Panda Series

Everybody loves Kung Fu fighting! I watched the martial arts action dramedy animated family Kung Fu Panda movies. Kung Fu Panda was released on June 6, 2008, was directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne, and starred Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, and Ian McShane. Kung Fu Panda 2 was released on May 26, 2011, was directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson, and starred Jack Black, Gary Oldman, and Angelina Jolie. Kung Fu Panda 3 was released on January 29, 2016, was directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni, and starred Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, and J.K. Simmons. They all take place in ancient China and are rated PG.

While DreamWorks Animation has had many classics, including the Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon movies, I personally think the Kung Fu Panda trilogy is their best work. For those that aren’t familiar with them, they are some of the most amazing animated and kids’ movies ever made. Focusing on a world of anthropomorphic animals and the journey of the panda Po to becoming a Kung Fu master who stops bad guys, this really is an adult action movie franchise for kids. Since I love each one of these movies just as much, with them in a 3 way tie for my favorite, I couldn’t talk about just one. So I decided to talk about all 3. I’ll go over them one by one, diving into how each movie achieves its own goal spectacularly.

I will start with the first of these movies, Kung Fu Panda. The Kung Fu masters known as the Furious Five spend their days protecting the Valley of Peace. Made up of Tigress, Mantis, Viper, Crane, and Monkey, they follow the lead of their master, a red panda named Shifu. Today is the big day that Shifu’s master, a wise old tortoise named Oogway, will choose the Dragon Warrior, who is said to be the ultimate Kung Fu protector. To everyone’s shock, rather than picking from the Furious Five, he picks a panda named Po. Po is only a Kung Fu fanboy, as well as being rather goofy, clumsy, and lacking in any Kung Fu skills. It seems questionable how Oogway could even pick him. Po tries to learn Kung Fu while facing disrespect from Shifu and the Furious Five. When a snow leopard named Tai Lung, who Shifu has history with, returns to seek power, Po must become all he can be. Can Po defeat Tai Lung?

This is a movie that sounds like a weird idea, but turns out to be something great. Po’s journey is a message about believing in yourself. The movie furthers this by using commentary on the issue of toxic martial arts instructors. For all the martial arts instructors who want to help people, there are those people who only care about the fighting and being the best. The way Po is treated reflects this, as they look down on this newcomer for seemingly being a mockery to kung fu, forgetting that everyone has to start somewhere. They bring attention to how martial arts is really more about helping you to improve as a person. Oogway reflects a more kind instructor by not only how wise he is, but also how he sees the potential in Po when no one else does. The movie is all about the martial arts philosophy of self loving. Something that could be easy to forget is martial arts was never about pride. It was about helping people. Po is an overweight panda and there are body jokes in the movie. But I feel it’s not as problematic as other examples. It does still show how he’s being judged. Additionally, it’s only meant to be funny when the scenarios, like Po’s natural state, are light. When they’re not, they do come across as the mean comments they’re meant to be. Otherwise, both in this movie and especially the sequels, they’re more so jokes about who he is. Even the usage of the characters as animals doesn’t just feel like a fun gimmick for kids as much as paying homage to how kung fu moves are modeled after animals.

The characters manage to stand out too. Po, voiced by Jack Black, is goofy, but also vulnerable with how he wants to be something great. Shifu, voiced by Dustin Hoffman, is a super strict teacher that starts out too mean, but he does still care. Tigress, voiced by Angelina Jolie, similarly starts out mean due to her discipline, but she also cares. Mantis, voiced by Seth Rogen, intentionally lives his life using humor. Viper, voiced by Lucy Liu, is the kindest member of the Furious Five, being the only one not to disrespect Po. Crane, voiced by David Cross, is always cautious. Monkey, voiced by Jackie Chan, is the weakest part of these movies. They don’t give him much personality or lines, which is especially disappointing given he’s voiced by Jackie Chan. Oogway, voiced by Randall Duk Kim, is the beloved kind mentor character. Tai Lung, voiced by Ian McShane, is a fantastic villain. This guy is intimidating, a cool fighter, and has a good backstory that explains why he is the way he is. Mr. Ping, voiced by James Hong, is Po’s adoptive goose father who runs a noodle shop, being a likable father character even if he doesn’t share Po’s passions. I do also give credit that for a movie released in 2008, they have a decent number of Chinese voice actors to represent the Chinese culture, with Lucy Liu, Jackie Chan, Randall Duk Kim, and James Hong. In addition to all of that, this movie also has awesome action, funny comedy, beautiful animation, and pleasant background music that really gives the vibes of ancient China. In fact, this movie did such an effective job at portraying Chinese culture that China loved it. The franchise is still popular there to this day, with it leaving people who live in China wondering why they couldn’t make a movie like this. This is nothing short of a masterpiece that would have been excellent if it was just a standalone movie. But there is more…

I will continue with the second of these movies, Kung Fu Panda 2. A peacock named Lord Shen takes over Gongmen City, wielding a weapon to destroy Kung Fu. Po and the Furious Five obviously go there to defeat him. Po is conflicted as he keeps having vague memories of his past as a baby. Po wants to know where he came from, while also struggling to achieve inner peace. Can Po develop peace of mind?

With what an amazing hit the first movie was, I guess a sequel was inevitable. They really worked hard to make it an exceptional sequel. I like that they actually do things differently from the first movie. They go in a darker direction, tackling things like Po and Shen’s pasts. Taking the next logical step, they add onto why Po has an adoptive goose father. The problems are all new. This time, the martial arts philosophy is inner peace. How you could be dealing with horrible things, but coming to terms with it can grant you peace. It is also refreshing to see the new relationships Po has with Shifu and the Furious Five that are more healthy, especially a close friendship with Tigress. The new characters and voice actors are just as good as the first movie. Lord Shen, voiced by Gary Oldman, is an equal villain to Tai Lung. Being just as intimidating, awesome, and deep. I do like that his backstory is different from his to make him a fresh villain, even if a little similar. The Soothsayer, voiced by Michelle Yeoh, is a goat who is wise, similar to Oogway, but in a different way. She is no Kung Fu master, instead being at peace herself, trying to help Shen be good even if he keeps ignoring her. Wolf Boss, voiced by Danny McBride, is a wolf who is the one who serves Shen the most. He has some distinct personality, being ruthless in how he carries out the orders, yet somewhat comically pathetic. Master Storming Ox, Master Croc, and Master Thundering Rhino, voiced by Dennis Haysbert, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Victor Garber, are awesome defenders of Gongmen City, who carry a lot of respect, yet also vulnerability when Shen invades. Anything else done well is carried over from the first movie. They really knew how to continue this story effectively. Just like they would the next time.

I will conclude with the third of these movies, Kung Fu Panda 3. A yak named General Kai, who has some history with Oogway, escapes from the Spirit Realm. He has the power to steal the chi of any Kung Fu master. He goes on, stealing many chi, turning said masters into his jade zombies. Po has to learn how to master chi himself if he is to stop Kai. Po’s long lost biological father Li Shan finds Po and they start bonding. It turns out the pandas were the masters of chi. So, Li Shan takes Po to the Panda Village so he can learn. Mr. Ping comes along, jealous and fearful of the new “competition”. Can Po master chi?

While the first two movies were movies from my childhood, I admit I didn’t see this movie until recently. However, the wait was worth it. This movie does have a reputation of still being good, but not equaling up to the first two. While people are obviously entitled to their own opinions, I strongly disagree. Starting on why I disagree, I found out all three of these movies tackle a different aspect of martial arts philosophy. The first movie was body, the second movie was mind, and this one was spirit.

To master chi, Po needs to learn his identity. Despite everything he’s done, he still doesn’t know who he really is. I feel this is something many people can relate to. Rediscovering his father and his roots ties into this, as while Po learned more about his past in the previous movie, this is where Po learns what it means to be a panda. There was criticism that this film backtracked on the darker tone of the previous movie, being more lighthearted and comical. I feel like this still works, because the franchise has always had goofy comedy and they are still kids’ movies. Plus, I think this film can still get dark, dealing with a villain who keeps stealing souls. Another criticism was that most of the Furious Five were barely in this movie. Again, I don’t think it’s a big deal, as the focus needs to be on Po bonding with his father. Plus, the threat of Kai explains why they stayed behind. I will praise that when the movie dealt with this one specific cliche that I usually find annoying, they did it in an effective way that helped the story rather than hindered. Mr. Ping gets the most screen time in this movie and he has a good plotline. Obviously worried he’ll lose Po to Li Shan, but he also genuinely cares too.

I will once again talk about the new characters and voice actors. Li Shan, voiced by Bryan Cranston, is a lovable father character. He breathes the happiness of life that Po bonds with him on, while still having genuine emotional moments. General Kai, voiced by J.K. Simmons, is yet another cool intimidating villain in this series. There was some criticism that he wasn’t as deep as the previous two villains, but I feel that’s not a requirement. He works as a good pure evil villain, still being given a backstory that we get to see in flashback. Otherwise, the new characters consist of several pandas from the panda village. Some are minor, but they are given distinct personality traits to make them memorable characters, usually comic relief. Kate Hudson voices Mei Mei, Steele Gagnon voices Bao, Liam Knight voices Lei Lei, Barbara Dirikson voices Grandma Panda, Willie Geist voices Sum, Al Roker voices Dim, and Wayne Knight voices Big Fun and Hom-Lee. I also do like that with the song Everybody Loves Kung Fu Fighting, attributed with this franchise after it was in the first movie’s credits, they had a rewritten and redone version in this movie’s credits. This movie was written to be the finale for the series and it feels like a good send off. This is truly an ending not to miss.

Overall, this trilogy is amazing. As much as I liked the first two movies as a kid, they’re even better as an adult. I think they might now be my favorite animated and kids’ movies. Every animation studio has benefits, with DreamWorks Animation’s benefits being how mature their stories can be. While there are many great elements to the trilogy, a lot of it comes down to how deep they are. Like I said, using the body, mind, and spirit philosophies and tying it into what way Po needs to better himself in each movie. Not only does this show why martial arts are so effective, but also just what are good things in general to work towards as a person. The trilogy does feel like the movie equivalent of Avatar: The Last Airbender. I will say that they did make Kung Fu Panda 4 in 2024. People thought it was an unnecessary sequel due to the third movie’s ending, which I agreed with. The movie is okay, but falls short of what the trilogy provided. Regardless, this is a trilogy that I recommend you check out if you haven’t already. It may just help you in your own life.

I mentioned how the first movie tackled the issue of toxic martial arts instructors. While I have not taken a martial arts class in my life, I have already been considering changing that at some point. I also know a lot about them. It’s not just about learning to defend yourself, although that is certainly a benefit. There’s also good physical health benefits. The main benefit is becoming the best version of yourself you can. How the training helps you overcome your flaws and learn to love yourself. Applying philosophies like the three used in the movies. Obviously, the awesome fighting and the benefits are a big reason why there are so many martial arts movies and shows. Many of them are classics. Unfortunately, like most establishments, it got corrupted over the years. There are many martial arts instructors who are not qualified to lead at all. They make it all about power and being the best. They will be overly harsh, willing to let their students get hurt, act more like a cult leader, and in general make it clear that respecting you is conditional. Imagine how many people who had the potential for greatness get brought down by a bad teacher. Even if you leave, the mental scars can still remain. Plus, someone who doesn’t care about helping someone better themselves, could end up teaching dangerous fighting to a person who’s likely to harm others with it. Whereas a good instructor does everything to prevent that. However, it doesn’t have to be like this. Starting out, do some research to make sure your dojo is a good one. Maybe seeing how it operates in person could work. If you are in a bad dojo, leave so the healing can start, taking more steps to recover. Use social media to bring up this issue more, so more people who want to learn a form of martial arts can be prepared. Report toxic instructors so people know to stay clear of them. Over time, the more this is done will add up. I also recommend taking martial arts if you feel like you want to, just do research to make sure you avoid a toxic instructor. We can help make this life changing establishment be less toxic if we take these little steps.