Charlie Garner – Opinion Editor

avg6206@psu.edu

With the fourth installment of the “Kung Fu Panda” series being out in theaters right now, it made me want to write a review of the original trilogy. “Kung Fu Panda” may seem like a silly concept on the surface, but each movie offers up a deep and emotional theme that really connects with audiences each time. There are also great and memorable characters, menacing villains that provide genuine threats, a considerable balance between the humorous and the serious, super engaging action sequences, beautiful animation, incredible voice acting, and so many other factors that make the trilogy so amazing. 

Kung Fu Panda

In the first film, Po starts off as just an ordinary panda who works at his father’s noodle restaurant and is expected to work as a noodle cook for the rest of his life. But, his life unexpectedly changes when Master Oogway chooses Po as the new Dragon Warrior. Po needs to leave his father’s business and start living in Jade Palace with Master Shifu and the Furious Five. At first, nobody has any faith in him and Shifu and the Five believe that he is going to give up. Po perseveres, however, and actually starts trying, to the surprise of everyone. Soon, Shifu learns that Po cannot be trained the same way as the Furious Five and he must find a new way of teaching that is effective to Po. There are really great teaching moments with both Po and Shifu. One of the best parts of the movie are certainly the scenes with the villain, Tai Lung. Tai Lung was the adoptive son and former student of Shifu. Shifu raised him under the expectation that he would become the Dragon Warrior but, ultimately, Oogway did not think he was a good fit. He caused a rampage in the Valley upon learning this information and he was banished from the land and placed in prison. Eventually, though, he breaks out in a wickedly cool fight scene to defeat the Dragon Warrior. Po successfully uses his training to defeat Tai Lung and learns that the only way to make something special is for you to believe that it is. The main theme of this movie is something that so many people can relate to… and that is imposter syndrome. Po constantly believes that he does not belong at the Jade Palace and he does not deserve to have the title of the Dragon Warrior. But, he eventually learns that Master Oogway chose him for a reason and that there are no accidents. Po overcoming doubts and obstacles is very admirable and really shows that you can only be successful when you believe that you can be. 

Kung Fu Panda 2

The sequel displays much darker themes and introduces a much more evil villain. The movie delves into Po’s childhood and we see him having flashbacks to his traumatic past he is only just realizing he has. When he was a child, he survived a massacre caused by Lord Shen. Honestly, Lord Shen is one of the most evil villains in an animated movie and is certainly the most threatening villain in the series. He literally committed a mass genocide against pandas. And he is the only villain in the series who has a direct connection to Po, with Tai Lung having connections to Shifu and Kai having connections to Oogway. So it is very difficult for Po to defeat Shen, due to the trauma he has caused him. But, he gets to learn inner peace and be able to move on from his past and learn that it does not define him. Po learning inner peace to be able to fight this battle with Shen and within himself is one of the most emotional points in the entire series and it is so powerful to watch. And he, ultimately, discovers who really is outside of the Dragon Warrior title and the kung fu. He has a sweet scene with his father, Mr. Ping, about how he identifies himself as his son and it is just so wholesome and emotional. And it shows that Po still sees him as his father, even though he knows he was adopted, which ties in nicely to the plot of the third movie. “Kung Fu Panda 2” is a very solid sequel that develops the characters nicely and is a great contributor to the overall story arc the series presents. 

Kung Fu Panda 3

“Kung Fu Panda 3” reveals that Po’s biological father is still alive and he comes to find Po at Mr. Ping’s restaurant. Po learns that he is not the only panda left in China and that there is actually an entire village of pandas that his father, Li, lives with. Wholesome storyline aside, Po learns that there is a new villain who has a history with Master Oogway who is trying to conquer all of the kung fu masters in history by stealing their chi. Although it sort of dips in serious tone, the humor is still there in full form and the emotional beats still hit just as effectively. It is very endearing to see Po trying to form a relationship with Li and his panda family and it balances well with Po trying to defeat Kai. This movie has a very strong message about family and how family does not have to just be through blood. And, with the help of his new family and Master Oogway in the spirit realm, Po truly sees his potential as a kung fu master. 

The Trilogy as a Whole

The “Kung Fu Panda” series is highly regarded as one of the best animated movie series in recent years. It has been very successful and it has been popular with many audiences since the first movie came out in 2008. Many people, though, take these movies at face value, but all of them have much deeper meanings than they lead on and there is a lot to enjoy about each of them. Po’s development as a character throughout the series is so satisfying to watch and you really support him on his journey. And his friendship with the Furious Five is always a joy, especially his friendship with Tigress. I could say a million things about this series but, all in all, “Kung Fu Panda” is such an amazing viewing experience and it is truly a timeless series.