I'll admit it — I was a little skeptical when I ventured through the double doors into the red-carpeted cinema to watch the highly anticipated Kung Fu Panda 3. Any movie with a sequel or third movie potentially makes or breaks the rest of the series, but Kung Fu Panda lived up to its name. Not only did fans see their favorite characters again — Po, Monkey, Crane, Shifu, Tigress, Mantis and Mr. Ping — but new characters like Po's "real" dad, Li, added more fun into the mix.
The movie was very humorous for both kids and adults alike and even had twin pandas named "Dim" and "Sum" after the popular appetizer of the same name, further hinting at the pandas' food obsession.
Alebeit a kids' movie, I learned some very important lessons from Kung Fu Panda 3 that caused me to view common themes from an alternative perspective.
Kung Fu Panda 3 emphasizes how family is not necessarily defined by blood ties but rather through relationship. Po discovers he can still call Mr. Ping dad since he raised him. Even though his dad is actually a panda, he calls both Mr. Ping and Mr. Li "dad."
Po reminds us that people may label us and see us as one way, but it doesn't mean these terms have to form our actual identity. Po saw himself as a fat panda who couldn't truly fulfill his destiny to become the dragon warrior, even though Oogway saw potential in him.
By the end of the movie, Po realizes he couldn't become the Dragon Warrior because he didn't know who he actually was and defined himself by others' opinions. In addition, Po displays remarkable courage and inspires all stand up against their adversaries as he combats the beast named Kai.
Watching this lovable panda search for his true self struck a chord in me because I have dealt with the same feelings in the past year and know what it is like to realize you don't actually know much about yourself.
The valley experiences a time of peace soon interrupted by the formidable Kai, an enemy who originally worked alongside Oogway before turning evil. Po must defeat this creature but does not possess the necessary "chi" level to overcome him. He soon realizes the only way to defeat his enemy is to gain a higher level of chi and eagerly searches for it. Po later finds out pandas know how to gain more chi and travels with his "real" dad to live with his kind in a secret panda village in order to acquire this necessary skill.
The movie also demonstrates the power of team unity and individual talents. Po enlists the help of his panda friends because he knew Kai was too powerful to face on his own. However, he discovers each individual had their own skill set, so he does not force them all to learn kung fu in the same way Shifu taught him.
In addition, Po teaches viewers what it truly means to place others before yourself. He originally believed he could defeat Kai with the Wuxi Finger Hold. Po was unaware this skill only worked on mortals and had to develop an alternative action plan since Kai is an immortal creature.
The best part of Kung Fu Panda 3, however, was seeing Po's complete transformation from a lazy, gluttonous panda to a confident warrior. Almost any viewer thinks the same thought as the furious five in the beginning of the first movie — how can a fat panda save the valley?
Even Po himself didn't believe he was worthy to receive such a prestigious title. Nonetheless, he wholeheartedly dives into the task and rolls with the punches and devours every morsel of knowledge possible from master Shifu. The third installment became my favorite of the series after seeing the culmination of his incredible journey.
The story line had a couple slip-ups, such as when Tigress found the "secret" panda village. Even so, the film succeeded on the big screen, was very cute, and will surely entertain various audiences.
