#kung fu panda trilogy

[miicycle]

The Kung Fu Panda Movies have always had Mr. Ping give the moral of the story, and I think about that a lot. Yes, Po is usually out fighting bad guys when realizing where he should be mentally and skillfully, on his own when he gets the point of teachings. Ping is such an important person in Po's life, just as much as Shifu is needed to help Po learn Kung Fu.

Way more under the cut!!!

Kung Fu Panda 1: "You are almost ready to be entrusted with the secret ingredient of my secret ingredient soup. And then you will fulfill your destiny and take over the restaurant [...]" - Ping

"Secret Ingredient of my secret ingredient soup" being an allegory for Dragon scroll and "destiny" being Po becoming the Dragon warrior and "take over the restaurant" as being Oogway's successor.

Then it turns out the scroll is blank. And Ping feels its a good place to tell Po about the secret ingredient. NOTHING. For something to be special, you just have to BELIEVE it's special.

So Po, not needing any secret scroll or any cool powerup, wins against Tai Lung by believeing in himself.

Ping made him believe in himself. And when Po fulfills his destiny of defeating Tai Lung, he's PROUD!

Kung Fu Panda 2: "Po, your life may not have such a happy beginning, but look at how it turned out! You got me, you got kung fu! And you got noodles!" - Ping (and almsot identical quote said by Soothsayer)

And

Po: "I gotta go. I'm the Dragon Warrior, it's kinda my job to save Kung Fu. And if I don't, what am I?"

Ping: "You're my son! ... Right?"

The message is pretty clearcut, but it's repeated very heavily in the movie. Mr Ping may not be his father, but he is his dad. No matter where he came from, Po is Mr Pings son through and through and he very much loves him.

The scene where Po has been knocked into a river and saved by the Soothsayer, she says the same thing that Ping does. He didn't have a happy beginning, but what matters is who he is, and what he chooses to do now.

And the montage plays everything hes done up until now, but also empathizes the moments between Ping and Po. The last thing he sees in his mind is Ping being a dad, because he is Po's dad! Whatever happened before doesn't have bearing for who Po chooses to be. So when he chooses to be the son of a goose and the Dragon Warrior, nothing he finds out can change that.

Because Dragon Warrior or not, Po is Ping's son! Right?

Kung Fu Panda 3: "He's hurt. He's confused. And he still has to save the World! He needs both his dads." - Ping

"I realized that having you in his life doesn't mean less for me. It means more for Po." - Ping

And

"I'm not trying to turn you into me. I'm trying to turn you into you!" - Shifu

(Love how often Shifu and Ping mirror each other's roles btw they're both so important)

So these are a little less on the nose, but again super important. No matter what Po is going through, he still has to fulfill his destiny, and giving him support while he does so is the best they can do. Ping was initially worried of Li Shan stealing Po away, but realizes that bonding with his biological father doesn't take him away from Ping, just more love and support for Po.

But also, Po learning that he doesn't have to change drastically to reach his true potential. When Ping and Li Shan stand on the small platform and tell Po that they can help, along with all other pandas, Po has the realization that he can't turn them into him, just as Shifu can't turn him into Shifu, or Li Shan can't turn him into a typical panda.

Ping doesn't say a direct quote to mirror Shifu's, but he did initiate talking to Li Shan after Po and Li Shan had the liar reveal. Li never had the experience of having an arguement with his child, but Ping obviously does. So he takes it upon himself to keep being the rock that Po can lean on by talking to Li Shan and helping him realize that they have to be there for Po, no matter what happens.

Because again. Po is hurt. Po is confused. But he still has to save the world. He needs both his dads.

I love Ping so much for being a good dad in this way. He really plays well as a support character and is such a good parent. Yeah, Po may not fit the mold the way Ping expected (taking over the noodle shop etc) but hes still so proud!!!

[astridhoff03]

A Look back at KFP4

Thinking back of this movie, it’s not a bad movie my any means (when you prefer comedy and weird jokes that aren’t belong in a KFP Movie). I don’t hate it. It’s like T9R just sad how it turned out. I really don’t want to know how KFP5 will turn out. Nothing has developed in the fourth movie. Still lowkey happy that the third movie looks a lot better now, it really deserves it. But if you stay true to the original trilogy you can perfectly ignore it in the big picture like I do. For me KFP ended after the third film.

[crescentbea02]

KFP silly idea- Tigress villain arc and her being Po's greatest challenge

So, my theory is that in the next trilogy of KFP we will see Tigress having a villain arc. And tho at the same time it wouldn't make any sense due to her character development I think it would be pretty fucking cool.

So my headcanon is that Tigress's family was a cult that controlled and used the power of the Chi to do evil that were eventually banned, and its through them that Kai learns how to use Chi the way he does in the third movie (Im not going to go with the Tigress royal family trope because I think that would be too clishe). There are no Tigers in China, there could still be tigers and them not be necessairly from Tigress family. Its also kinda foreshadowed when in the orphanage everyone was terrified of Tigress.

We know that why the Pandas were haunted and led into their hiding, but I dont think they will just recycle that storyline. I think that Tigress's family was actually evil and Oogway was sent to stop them and banish/kill them. Which would actually be a pretty cool constract to the symbolism of the tigers in China.

Now, how did Tigress end up in that orpanage. Well, just like Po's mother left him in a box, maybe Tigress's parents also left her in a box somewhere. Just it wasn't to save her, but to get rid of her, and instead of being taken in by a sweet goose, she was found and then taken to the orphanage. Years later, Oogway hears rumors about a tiger in an orphanage, whom everyone was afraid. He could sense her power, so he sent Shifu to teach her and then to adopt her. Oogway thought that she would end the cycle, just like he thought Po would bring the cycle back.

When Tigress finds this, she doesn't know how to process it. Not only Po took away her destiny to become the Dragon Warrior, the power of the Chi and kung fu had also taken away from her only family and he had everything she had ever dreamed of. Unlike Po, who had been adopted by a loving father, who became the dragon warrior despite not knowing a thing of kung fu, who had become a legend by fate. She was always the one left behind.

That leads Tigress into having a villain arc, on her way to fulfil her parents' legacy and to get her own destiny, her outfit including dark and dull colors, in opposite to Po's golden robe and aura. It would also come in hand with Tai Lung redemption arc.

Po has a challenge physically (Tigress was the only one who never got defeated by Po), spiritualyl (Tigress knows how to manipulate Chi in ways that he doesn't know about) and mentally (because of their bond and friendship). It will be his greatest challenge of all the trilogies, because Tigress might not be necessairly the most powerful of them all, but she is an equal to Po and Po genuinly cannot fight her because he cares so much for her.

And lastly them both would actually represent the yin and yang. With Tigress symbolizing the darkness of the chi and Po symbolizing the light.

Well thats it its just a silly idea for a possible plot the next trilogy will have lol. That wouldn't happen in KFP4 right ahead, it would most likely happen in the last two movies.

[fluffykitteninabox]

my dad said he won't watch kung fu panda with me because he thinks it's too childish. How do I explain to him that he is stupid?

[yarart4ever]

Listen I know people have mixed feelings of the 4th movie and they're all valid

BUT THERE IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY OF THERE BEING A MASTERS TRILOGY AS STATED BY MIKE MITCHEL-

AND UH-

I HEARD SOMEONE SAY "DON'T EVER LET MIKE MITCHELL COOK AGAIN" BUT LIKE

HMMM!!!

LET HIM COOK!!!

PLEASE 😭

[that-one-egomaniac]

So much lore in the Panda movies :,)

[laurzzz]

I just finished watching the latest Kung Fu Panda movie woah :00

Man I love how the humour and the amount of secondhand embarrassment still stays the same in this movie while the animation quality and storytelling gets better and better since the KFP 2

Fucking golden MMMM

[cyanide-sippy-cup]

So I went down a rabbit hole. I noticed the Blades of Chaos/Blades of Athena/etc looked very similar to Kai's jade blades, so I was wondering if it was any kind of specific blade, so I searched it up. And from what I found, no. So I propose this question: did Kung Fu Panda 3 ripoff the Blades of Chaos?

[blue-cypress]

Like two weekends ago I watched all three Kung Fu Panda movies and gonna be honest. I don't think I ever saw the second one until last-last Saturday. And it's the best one too?? Like the villain is amazing, the animation is amazing, (at least) two characters fucking die barely off screen. Also I only watched the third one once and that was when it was in theaters. I was so fucking shocked hearing JK Simmons voice. And Kais theme was I'm So Sorry by Imagine Dragons???

[maskedhatter]

Kylo Ren is just bootleg Tai Lung and no, you can't change my mind.

[firethekitty]

worst shit in film is when an amazing trilogy that ends perfectly is forced to have a fourth movie added for literally no reason and they ALWAYS suck

[astridhoff03]

Second Favorite Trilogy After Httyd 😊

The Second KFP will always be my all time Favorite in the Series and also Not the fourth one is the best its definitly the Second One. That's not even up for debate.

And Man I‘m happy KFP is my second Favorite Trilogy because all my fears about the fourth Movie were true. Idk if I should still Go to the Movies and watch it, just for the hell of it, like I have done it with the Meg2. But I Will do it because I‘m curious how the end product turned out and what my opinions are on this.

[un-pearable]

bro convinced me to play kakarot… he is. so small

[niyana-the-ambiguous-mobian]

Well, I guess this is happening now.

[oflgtfol]

hello, kung fu panda mutual

did you hear about kung fu panda 4?

so glad i'm the kung fu panda mutual <3 hello hello

i've heard about kung fu panda 4, yes, however i have not heard of any recent developments. however however, this has prompted me to google just to make sure in case i happened to miss anything, and it seems i have

not gonna lie i'm not very optimistic. like just my initial thoughts are: where the fuck are the furious five? the new canine girlie looks promising but like she'd be a fun addition TO the furious five, as opposed to whatever this is, where the furious five is just like, not gonna be here in any major role whatsoever, and this new girlie is the new companion to po? like, okay, but what about my most beloved po&tigress best friendship. where is tigress

basically: the replacement of the furious five with a random new character feels more in line with the janky spinoff TV shows, rather than an actual full movie that is supposed to be directly in conversation with the first three

and my previous concerns from the very first murmurings of kfp4 are still holding strong, namely this post from 2022:

LIKE. the trilogy was a perfect structure. the first movie focused on a physical adversary, the second one a mental/emotional adversary, and the third one a spiritual adversary. each movie was another step in completing po’s journey to becoming the most well rounded warrior AND person, which culminates in the third movie ending with him literally making contact with oogway again and finally achieving his status as oogway’s successor. it was the perfect ending. what else, pray tell, is there for us to see with po’s story. it’s done. it’s complete. he has no more major character development to undergo. he’s grown and changed and gone through three separate arcs. there’s nothing else to see

and i've affectionately ribbed on kfp3 for this before, but now i hate to say it with a straight face but i must. kung fu panda 3 was a noticeable decline in quality from the first two movies. it was still a good movie on its own, but in comparison to 1 and 2, it was a step down. and one of the decisions that contributed to this was the treatment of kai as a comedy act, rather than a proper fucking villain in the same threshold as tai lung and shen.

so now i'm also worried that this new villain will not be able to stand on her own. super exciting to see tai lung's face again, like hello my bestie my beloathed, but like -- this new villain is literally wearing tai lung's face? will she be able to establish her own strong presence without relying on the prior villains ?!?!?!

if kfp3 being noticeably worse was because kai wasn't as strong of a villain as the first two, then what does that say for 4, if the villain will be even weaker of a villain than kai was, AND all my other concerns are present?

[breadharmskoi]

couple of thoughts on the kung fu panda 4 trailer:

- THEY BROUGHT MY BOY TAI LUNG BACK FOR TWO SECONDS AND THEN SENT HIM AWAY AGAIN T-T

- okay viola davis as evil chameleon fucks tho

- u know what also fucks? seven nation army in the kfp4 trailer

- WHERE IS MY FURIOUS FIVE. WHERE ARE THEYYYY