FilmSkool — a free film school
Kung Fu Panda
Chosen by prophecy but doubted by all, Po is an unlikely choice for the mystical title of the Dragon Warrior—a clumsy panda thrust into the world of kung fu as a deadly enemy threatens the Valley of Peace. Under reluctant guidance by Master Shifu and the Furious Five, Po must embrace who he is to unlock the power that no scroll can teach.
2008 · Directed by Mark Osborne · 90 min · Action · Animation · Comedy · Family · Screenplay in the scene database · 14 frames
Tagline
Prepare for awesomeness.
Plot
In the Valley of Peace province of Ancient China, the red panda Master Shifu learns from his mentor, the tortoise Master Oogway, that the snow leopard Tai Lung will escape from imprisonment and attempt to acquire the Dragon Scroll, an artifact said to grant limitless power. In response, Shifu sends warning to the guards at Tai Lung's prison to strengthen security and announces a tournament to dub one of his five students, collectively known as the "Furious Five", Tigress, Monkey, Crane, Viper, and Mantis, as the "Dragon Warrior", the prophesied hero worthy of reading the scroll. The announcement reaches Po, a giant panda and kung fu enthusiast who dreams of becoming a kung fu master himself, despite wishes from his goose father Mr. Ping for him to run their noodle restaurant and learn the secret ingredient of his "secret ingredient soup". Eager to see the Five, Po attempts to enter the tournament arena after arriving late and is eventually successful, but unintentionally lands in front of them during the awarding ceremony, causing Oogway to unexpectedly declare him as the Dragon Warrior.
Shifu believes Oogway's choice to be an accident, leading him and the Five to dismiss and deride Po after a rough first day of training, leaving Po dejected and considering quitting. However, Oogway encourages him to persevere, and Po gradually befriends the Five with his resilience and humor. Tigress reveals to Po that Tai Lung was once Shifu's student and adopted son, having raised him as an infant, and how Tai Lung's betrayal and subsequent rampage was a result of Oogway rejecting him as the Dragon Warrior after sensing malice within him. Tai Lung manages to break out of prison and begins his journey back to the Valley; when Shifu learns this and tells Oogway about it, Oogway makes him promise to believe in Po and names Shifu his successor before ascending to the Spirit Realm. Shifu then informs Po and the Five about Tai Lung's escape, stating Po is the only one who can stop him. Terrified, Po attempts to leave but is confronted by Shifu, who confesses that he does not know how he can turn him into the Dragon Warrior. Meanwhile, the Five depart to attempt to stop Tai Lung themselves, but are unsuccessful when he uses his paralysing nerve-strike technique on them.
Shifu learns that Po can reach his full potential for physical feats when motivated by food, and so trains him in a unique kung fu style. When the wounded Five return, Shifu decides that Po is ready to read the Dragon Scroll, but upon opening it, Po discovers that it is blank. Thinking the scroll is powerless, Shifu sends Po and the Five to evacuate the Valley while he faces Tai Lung alone. A saddened Po reunites with Mr. Ping, who, in an attempt to lift his spirits up, reveals that the secret ingredient soup does not actually have a secret ingredient, stating that belief is what makes things special. Realizing that this is the Dragon Scroll's message, Po rushes back to help Shifu.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: Glenn Berger, Jonathan Aibel
- Cinematography: Yong Duk Jhun
- Edited by: C.K. Horness
- Music: Hans Zimmer, John Powell
- Production design: Raymond Zibach
- Produced by: Melissa Cobb
Cast
- Jack Black as Po (voice)
- Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu (voice)
- Angelina Jolie as Tigress (voice)
- Ian McShane as Tai Lung (voice)
- Seth Rogen as Mantis (voice)
- Lucy Liu as Viper (voice)
- David Cross as Crane (voice)
- Randall Duk Kim as Master Oogway (voice)
- James Hong as Mr. Ping (voice)
- Dan Fogler as Zeng (voice)
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: English
- Studios: DreamWorks Animation
- Budget: $130,000,000
- Box office: $632,091,832
- Themes: martial arts, kung fu, strong woman, china, tiger, bravery, restaurant, villain, chosen one, shop
Own the film
FilmSkool earns a small commission from qualifying Amazon purchases, at no cost to you.
More by Mark Osborne
On this film
This is the plain index, shown because JavaScript is off. Every lesson here is a free video published by the channel credited on it and plays through that channel's own embed — FilmSkool hosts nothing.