Kung Fu Panda (film)
Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American animated martial arts comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The first installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise, it was directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne (in their feature directorial debuts), from a screenplay and story respectively written by the writing teams of Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, and Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris. The film stars the voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Randall Duk Kim, James Hong, Dan Fogler, Michael Clarke Duncan and Jackie Chan. The film, set in a version of ancient China populated by anthropomorphic animals, centers on a bumbling panda bear named Po (Black), a kung-fu enthusiast living in the Valley of Peace. When the savage snow leopard Tai Lung (McShane) is foretold to escape imprisonment and attack the Valley, Po is unwittingly named the "Dragon Warrior", a prophesied hero worthy of reading a scroll that has been intended to grant its reader limitless power.
The film's publicized work began in October 2004, and was conceived by Michael Lachance, a DreamWorks Animation executive, originally as a parody of martial arts films. However, director Stevenson decided to instead make an action-comedy wuxia film that incorporates the hero's journey narrative archetype for the lead character. The main characters' animation was more complex than anything DreamWorks had done before. The project was officially announced in September 2005. Like most DreamWorks Animation films, the score for Kung Fu Panda was composed by Hans Zimmer, this time collaborating with John Powell; the former visited China to absorb the culture, and used the China National Symphony Orchestra as part of the scoring process.
Kung Fu Panda premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival on May 15, 2008, and was theatrically released in the United States on June 6. It grossed $631.7 million on a budget of $130 million, making it the third highest-grossing film of 2008 and the highest-grossing animated film of the year worldwide, in addition to having the fourth-largest opening weekend for a DreamWorks film at the American and Canadian box office, behind the Shrek franchise.[4] It received positive reviews from critics, and was nominated for an Academy Award, as well as a Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Film, but lost both awards to WALL-E. The film's success spawned a multimedia franchise, which comprises the sequels Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) and Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024).
Plot[edit]
In the Valley of Peace, a land in Ancient China inhabited by anthropomorphic animals, a giant panda named Po helps his goose father Mr. Ping run their noodle restaurant, but dreams of fighting alongside the Furious Five – Tigress, Monkey, Crane, Viper and Mantis – a group of kung fu masters who live in the Jade Palace, where they are trained by Master Shifu, a cranky red panda. One day, the wise tortoise, Master Oogway, the founder of kung fu, and the Valley's spiritual leader, predicts that Shifu's former protégé, the snow-leopard Tai Lung, will escape from prison and attack the Valley to obtain the Dragon Scroll, a legendary artifact said to grant limitless power to its reader, which he had previously been denied. Panicked, Shifu sends his goose assistant, Zeng, to increase the security at Chorh-Gom Prison, where Tai Lung is held.
Shifu holds a tournament for the Five so that Oogway can identify the Dragon Warrior, the prophesied hero worthy of reading the Scroll, and Po arrives too late to enter the arena. Desperate to see his idols, he accidentally launches himself into the middle of the tournament off a chair propelled by fireworks. With the townsfolk believing Po descended from the sky in a fireball, Oogway proclaims Po the Dragon Warrior, much to Po's and the Masters' shock. Shifu believes Oogway's decision to be an accident, and the Five dismiss him, so Po considers quitting. However, after receiving encouragement from Oogway, he endures a frustrated Shifu's harsh training and gradually befriends the Five with his resilience, culinary skill and good humor. During this time, Tigress informs him that Shifu's distant behavior stems from his shame over Tai Lung's betrayal because of being denied the dragon scroll (as Oogway sensed darkness in his heart), having raised him from infancy.
At Chorh-Gom Prison, Zeng's arrival inadvertently triggers Oogway's prophecy; Tai Lung easily escapes and subdues his guards before sending Zeng back. Shifu informs Oogway, who makes Shifu promise to believe in Po as the Dragon Warrior, before naming Shifu as his successor as the Valley's leader and ascending into the Spirit Realm in a stream of peach blossoms. Shifu informs Po and the Five of Tai Lung's escape and Oogway's passing, and tells Po he is the only one who can stop him. Horrified by the bad news about Oogway's death, Po attempts to run away, but Shifu stops him. When Shifu asks Po why he chose to stay, Po tells him that he hated who he was, and he felt that despite Shifu's harsh treatment, he still believed Shifu could change him. Po then makes Shifu admit that he does not know how to train him to be the Dragon Warrior. Tigress overhears this and leads the Five in a secret attempt to stop Tai Lung.
Meanwhile, Shifu discovers that Po is capable of impressive physical feats when motivated by food, and successfully trains Po by incorporating these feats into an innovative style of Kung Fu. The Furious Five fight Tai Lung, but he ultimately defeats them with his nerve-strike technique, leaving only Crane who carries the rest back to the valley, as a warning. On returning, Shifu decides that Po is ready to receive the Dragon Scroll. When Po opens it, he discovers that the scroll is nothing but a blank reflective surface. Believing the Scroll to have no power, Shifu has Po and the Five evacuate the inhabitants of the Valley while he faces Tai Lung alone to help everyone else escape. Trying to console a distraught Po, Mr. Ping reveals that his "secret ingredient soup" has no secret ingredient at all, explaining that things can become special with belief. Realizing that this is the message of the Dragon Scroll, Po rushes back to help Shifu.
At the Jade Palace, Tai Lung brutally defeats Shifu, but he discovers that the Scroll is missing. Po arrives with the Scroll, saving Shifu's life and prompting them to fight. Po proves to be a formidable opponent, frustrating Tai Lung with his confusing fighting techniques. Tai Lung eventually obtains the Scroll, but does not comprehend its blank surface. Tai Lung tries to take his frustrations out on Po with his nerve-strike technique. However, Tai Lung discovers that Po is immune to this. Po overpowers Tai Lung and sends him to the Spirit Realm using the legendary Wuxi Finger Hold technique, which he taught himself. Po is honored by the Valley, earns the respect of the Five, and relaxes with a recovered Shifu.
Kyle Gass and JR Reed voice KG Shaw and JR Shaw, respectively, two pigs who come across Po before the Dragon Warrior tournament.[6] Other actors with minor voice roles include Wayne Knight, Laura Kightlinger and Kent Osborne.[6] The film's directors, John Stevenson and Mark Osborne, also have small voice roles.[6]
Release[edit]
Theatrical[edit]
The film held its world premiere at the 61st Cannes Film Festival May 15, 2008,[25] where it received massive and sustained applause at the end of the film's screening.[26] Kung Fu Panda later had national premieres in IMAX in the US June 1, 2008, at AMC and Regal Cinemas in Hollywood, California,[27] and in the UK June 26, 2008, at Leicester Square in London.[28]
Home media[edit]
Kung Fu Panda was released on DVD and Blu-ray November 9, 2008,[29] and on 3D Blu-ray December 6, 2011, as a Best Buy exclusive.[30] The DVD double-disc release of Kung Fu Panda also includes the short animated film, Secrets of the Furious Five.[29] The film was released on 4K UHD March 12, 2024, and included the short film Secrets of the Scroll.[31]
With 7,486,642 DVD units sold in 2008, Kung Fu Panda was the fourth highest-selling film and the highest-selling animated film of 2008, above WALL-E, which sold 7,413,548 units.[32] As of February 2010, 17.4 million home entertainment units were sold worldwide.[33]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
The film topped the box office in its opening weekend, grossing $60.2 million for a $14,642 average from 4,114 theaters,[34] and performing much better than analysts had been expecting.[35] It was also the highest-grossing opening for a non-sequel DreamWorks Animation film at the time.[35] In its second weekend, the film retreated 44% to second place behind The Incredible Hulk, grossing $33.6 million, for a $8,127 average, from expanding to 4,136 theaters.[36] It closed October 9, 2008, after 125 days of release, grossing $215.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $416.3 million overseas, for a worldwide total of $631.7 million.[3] Kung Fu Panda was the highest-grossing non-Shrek film from DreamWorks Animation in the United States and Canada before it was surpassed by How to Train Your Dragon in 2010.[37]
Critical response[edit]
Rotten Tomatoes reports that 87% of 190 reviewers gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 7.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "Kung Fu Panda has a familiar message, but the pleasing mix of humor, swift martial arts action, and colorful animation makes for winning summer entertainment."[38] At Metacritic, the film has an average score of 74 out of 100, based on 36 reviews.[39] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on a scale of A+ to F.[40]
Richard Corliss of Time magazine gave Kung Fu Panda a positive review, stating the picture "provides a master course in cunning visual art and ultra-satisfying entertainment".[41]
The New York Times said, "At once fuzzy-wuzzy and industrial strength, the tacky-sounding Kung Fu Panda is high concept with a heart," and the review called the film "consistently diverting" and "visually arresting".[19]
Chris Barsanti of Filmcritic.com commented, "Blazing across the screen with eye-popping, sublime artwork, Kung Fu Panda sets itself apart from the modern domestic animation trend with its sheer beauty ... the film enters instant classic status as some of the most gorgeous animation Hollywood has produced since the golden age of Disney."[42]
Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune called the film "one of the few comedies of 2008 in any style or genre that knows what it's doing".[43]
However, Tom Charity of CNN criticized the action for tending "to blur into a whirlwind of slapstick chaos", and considered the character of Po too similar to others played by Black.[44]
Peter Howell of The Toronto Star awarded the film two and a half stars, considering it to have a "lack of story" that "frequently manages to amuse, if not entirely to delight".[45]
Kung Fu Panda was also well received in China.[46] It made nearly 110 million yuan by July 2, 2008, becoming the first animated film to earn more than 100 million yuan in China.[47][48] The Chinese director Lu Chuan commented, "From a production standpoint, the movie is nearly perfect. Its American creators showed a very sincere attitude about Chinese culture."[49][50] The film's critical and commercial success in China led to some local introspection about why no film like Kung Fu Panda had been produced in China, with commentators attributing the problem variously to lower film budgets in China, too much government oversight, a dearth of national imagination, and an overly reverent attitude to China's history and cultural icons.[51][52][53]
The Slovenian philosopher, cultural theorist and public intellectual, Slavoj Žižek, offered an admiration of Kung Fu Panda when he was invited to the talk show, Charlie Rose.[54]
Accolades[edit]
Kung Fu Panda was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature[55] and the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film.[56] Jack Black joked about the film's underdog status at the 81st Academy Awards, saying, "Each year, I do one DreamWorks project, then I take all the money to the Oscars and bet it on Pixar."[57]
By contrast, Kung Fu Panda won ten Annie Awards (including Best Animated Feature) out of sixteen nominations, which sparked controversy, with some accusing DreamWorks head Jeffrey Katzenberg of rigging the vote by buying ASIFA-Hollywood memberships (with voting power) for everyone at DreamWorks Animation.[58]
Spin-offs[edit]
Manga[edit]
A manga based on the film was released in Japan in Kerokero Ace magazine's September 2008 issue.[76] It was written by Hanten Okuma and illustrated by Takafumi Adachi.[77]
Television series[edit]
A television series titled Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness aired on Nickelodeon, with its premiere September 19, 2011.[78] From the cast of Kung Fu Panda, only Lucy Liu and James Hong reprised their roles of Master Viper and Mr. Ping, respectively.[79] In the series, Po continues to defend the Valley of Peace from all kinds of villains while making mistakes, learning about the history of kung fu, and meeting other kung fu masters. In the United States, the series ended its run June 29, 2016, with a total of three seasons and 80 episodes. However, prior to premiering in the U.S., the final few episodes premiered in Germany from December 30, 2014, to January 7, 2015.
Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny is an animated web-television series produced by DreamWorks Animation, released for Amazon Prime November 16, 2018. It is the second TV series in the Kung Fu Panda franchise, following Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Mick Wingert reprised his role as Po from Legends of Awesomeness.[80]
A third series, also set after Kung Fu Panda 3, titled Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, premiered on Netflix in July 2022, with Jack Black reprising his role as Po.[81]
Holiday special[edit]
The television holiday special, titled Kung Fu Panda Holiday, aired on NBC Wednesday, November 24, 2010.[82]
Lawsuits[edit]
DreamWorks Animation was sued in 2011 by a writer, Terence Dunn, for allegedly stealing the idea for Kung Fu Panda from him.[93] Dunn alleged that DreamWorks Animation had stolen his pitch for a "spiritual kung-fu fighting panda bear" that he sent to a DreamWorks executive in 2001.[93] DreamWorks Animation denied any wrongdoing, and after a two-week trial, the jurors found in favor of DreamWorks.[93]
In 2011, another lawsuit was brought against the studio by an illustrator named Jayme Gordon. Gordon had supposedly created characters under the name "Kung Fu Panda Power" and registered them with the U.S. Copyright Office in 2000.[94] He had allegedly pitched this concept to Disney while Jeffrey Katzenberg, who left Disney and formed DreamWorks Animation in 1994, was working there. Gordon withdrew his claim just before the trial was due to take place.[95] On December 20, 2015, federal prosecutors charged Gordon with four counts of wire fraud and three counts of perjury for allegedly fabricating and backdating drawings to support the claims in his lawsuit, and for allegedly tracing some of his drawings from a coloring book featuring characters from Disney's The Lion King franchise.[96] On November 18, 2016, Gordon was convicted for wire fraud and perjury, facing a sentence of up to 25 years in prison.[97] In May 2017, he was sentenced to two years in federal prison and ordered to pay $3 million in restitution.[98]