2008 Directed by Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
When the Valley of Peace is threatened, lazy Po the panda discovers his destiny as the "chosen one" and trains to become a kung fu hero, but transforming the unsleek slacker into a brave warrior won't be easy. It's up to Master Shifu and the Furious Five -- Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey -- to give it a try.
Jack Black Dustin Hoffman Angelina Jolie Jackie Chan Lucy Liu Seth Rogen David Cross Ian McShane Randall Duk Kim James Hong Dan Fogler Michael Clarke Duncan Wayne Knight Kyle Gass JR Reed Laura Kightlinger Tanya Haden Stephen Kearin Mark Osborne John Stevenson Jeremy Shipp Melissa Cobb Kent Osborne Emily Burns Stephanie Harvey Riley Osborne
Wtf why this movie so damn good? It's absolutely stunning from an animation perspective and delivers a story with a surprising amount of emotional heft. Incredible fight scenes, great characters, striking colors, the works. One of the best DreamWorks movies by far
So many great quotes in this movie.
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."
"There are no accidents"
"Your mind is like this water, my friend. When it is agitated, it becomes difficult to see. But if you allow it to settle, the answer becomes clear."
"Anything is possible when you have inner peace."
Perhaps it isn't that there are no accidents, rather that by sticking to the convictions of a demented old turtle against all logic and reason Po was able to persevere and take his place as leader of masters exponentially more worthy than himself, an overgrown child who is only here because he selfishly ruined a once-in-a-lifetime ceremony just to see some heroes he idolizes to a profoundly unhealthy degree. Believing in yourself is the greatest tool on the road to success. The power of a positive attitude.
So many people jokingly wonder how a movie whose primary protagonist is a literal fat joke can be so good, and to me it seems clear that the movie doesn't work despite its amateurish characterization, but because of it. Obviously, the movie's lesson is that accepting yourself as you are is its own superpower – but this isn't a superhero movie, it's Kung Fu, and importantly it isn't just a spoof of the Kung Fu genre, it is itself a great Kung Fu film. The way Kung Fu works is that one uses their innate strengths and personality to define their style. Each character isn't just a random animal, their being is a celebrated part of their identity, and their…
"We often meet our destiny on the road we take to avoid it."
My favorite Dreamworks film. Intelligent message about secret ingredients and dragon scrolls and their relation to the misleading psychoanalytics of identity and desire.
whenever I don't want to deal with a problem from now on I'm just going to go "my time has come" and ascend to the spirit realm
My revelation on this rewatch is that it is equally possible that randomness picked Po as much as destiny, that against Oogway's teachings there actually may be accidents. Self-fulfilling prophecies seem to inarguably to be the main theme here, even long before the main reveal of the secret ingredient. From Po being chosen because he quite literally fell in front of the pointing finger, to Shifu's reaction to Tai Lung's eventual return being the reason he goes free, this central theme is established early on. Fate as an objective controlling force may not actually exist, but the belief in it actively validates and attests to it, enabling a paradox of faith: the film firmly refuses to confirm either potential truth,…
One of the finest films to come out of DreamWorks Animation's canon and certainly their funniest film to date, Kung Fu Panda is an energetic blend of kinetic direction, smart writing, sparkling wit, vibrant camerawork, tight editing, first-rate animation & exuberant score that not only works as a downright hilarious comedy but also as a thrilling action extravaganza & a fascinating coming-of-age story.
Set in ancient China, which is populated by anthropomorphic talking animals, the story of Kung Fu Panda follows a cheeky, clumsy & squishy giant panda named Po who aspires of becoming a kung fu master. His wish is granted when he's unexpectedly proclaimed as Dragon Warrior who will fulfil an ancient prophecy but finds himself to be the subject of…
Over the course of 90 minutes, we see a big huggable panda go from someone who is clumsy, sloppy and uncertain with a lot of hope to a quickly moving and intelligent man while possessing endless confidence. However, it isn’t a story in which the character has a total transformation as his qualities never abruptly shift but rather improve upon themselves and develop. Through expeditious fight sequences, training montages and, of course, noodles, there’s a tale of progression revolving a group of uniquely separate animals cherishing the same objective; becoming Kung Fu masters. With each character feeling distinct in their sense of energy and tone, a compelling dynamic is formed to further push the implications of the plot. On the outside, the idea’s silly, on the inside, it’s remarkably deep and intricately composed.
the dumpling battle > any scene from citizen kane
if you disagree please don’t hesitate to unfollow me!
can't believe no one had the decency to tell me that Jack Black's first name is actually Thomas
