Although I have a calculus exam and other forgotten academic responsibilities, I decided to embrace the ignorant bliss of procrastination and see "Kung-Fu Panda 3." Probably will not give me happiness in the long run, but for the moment, my decision has made me content.
The crazy humor and shenanigans of Po still remain the same, if not a bit funnier. The movie is not saturated with pointless overdrawn action, but seasons the plot with some unique action sequences. And as always, there is an archetypically wise lesson learned at the end. Although the movie is not quite as good as the original, it is still excellent and worth seeing.
What I like most about "Kung-Fu Panda 3" is that it tries to discuss such important concepts like family and individuality. Granted, these ideas are rather cliche topics, but they did a good job presenting them for children. I thought that the way the movie treated the idea of family was done very well and in an unorthodox way. I do not wish to spoil the movie since that is a heinous crime, but yes, Po finally meets his biological father, Li Shan, and reunites with the rest of the pandas.
Po’s adoptive father, Ping, is jealous since he is afraid that he will no longer be in Po’s life. Thankfully, one hour into the movie, Ping warms up to Shan and says one of the most brilliant quotes in the movie: “Having you in his life doesn't mean less for me. It means more for him.”
My mouth dropped in awe because it’s been forever since I last heard such wisdom and kindness from a duck who ran a noodle shop. It was beautiful because that was the most selfless act Ping has ever done. Later on, seeing how Ping and Shan worked well together in order to support Po was very touching. I’m happy because children could use more positive examples of how a family should be. Also, this is a family with two dads (stopping stigma with positive portrayal *cough cough*).
Although not as original as Po’s two dads, the movie does deal with the idea of identity and individuality as well. It’s not a new topic, and it’s bound to be a bit stale. Po had used the cliche of turning the pandas’ idiosyncrasies and daily habits into fighting skills, and it was a bit uninteresting. However, I very much appreciated the notion that being capable doesn’t involve undergoing drastic change. To be truly strong is to be true to one’s self, and I feel like this lesson can’t be stressed enough to children. Children will think that being a hero means being a perfect badass, but Po kicks that stereotype to the floor thankfully.
Overall "Kung-Fu Panda 3" is fantastic. I laughed through the whole movie (because I will always a kid at heart), and the actions were well-animated as always. And the most important part is that the movie never stopped feeling genuine.
