WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Deep in the Valley of Peace, somewhere in long ago China, a giant panda named Po (voiced by Jack Black) lives a docile life as the adopted son of a noodle chef (voiced by James Hong), a kindly goose with hopes Po will continue the family business. Po, like most in the valley, are in awe of the Furious Five, an elite fighting team comprised of Tigress (voiced by Angelina Jolie), Monkey (voiced by Jackie Chan), Viper (voiced by Lucy Lui), Mantis (voiced by Seth Rogen), and Crane (voiced by David Cross) who defend the valley, all under the instruction of Master Shifu (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) and Grand Master Oogway (voiced by Randall Duk Kim). However, Oogway’s vision that the evil snow leopard Tai Lung (voiced by Ian McShane) is soon to escape his prison urges he and Shifu that it’s time to choose the Dragon Warrior, one who will be granted unlimited power. Guess who gets it.
QUICKIE REVIEW: Tons of movies feature a ‘chosen one’ to lead good over evil, and nearly all center on a poor shlub who seems hopelessly unqualified to be so, soon to discover greatness has always been within. Kung Fu Panda sticks pretty close to the formula in that sense, but does give it plenty of splash with some truly dazzling animation and a host of fun and colorful characters that make getting to the inevitable ending a good time. Led by a charismatic performance from Black who uses his Jack Black-iness to great effect, there’s some surprising heart to it all that makes sticking to the chubby panda’s destiny well worth a watch.
THAT DUMPLING MOMENT: Kung Fun Panda is one of those films that has you wondering if it could have worked with any other actor as Po. The rotund bear is clearly modelled after Black and the animators took great pains it seems to put as many of his famous mannerisms into the hero as possible, which is wholeheartedly why so much of the movie works. We don’t really identify with Po as such as understand him, our life quests certainly not so dramatic but what make Po so endearing is his enviable optimism. The guy never quits. And it’s this unwavering commitment to his purpose that really steers the movie. And this moment.
From the beginning, it’s understood that Po has a more than healthy relationship with food. We see throughout the early stages of the story that it distracts him, leaving him in often uncompromising situations. At one point he is eating peaches from a peach tree he really ought not to be. At another, he’s hoarding snacks in hiding. Either way, it’s a characteristic that has Shifu the most concerned. Well, maybe not the most, but enough to be on the list. And so it is that it Shifu recognizes its power over the panda, not so much the bear’s need to eat but the reasons why.
Without too many spoilers, events unspool that leave Shifu having to train Po, despite his many reservations. In classic fashion, we are witness to the old standards where Po is at first nothing short of a catastrophe, causing mayhem and damage, barely able to stand still without tumbling over before things slowly turn around, leading to the iconic montage where he blossoms into a master of the martial art. And it is here where we arrive at the moment.
In an open meadow under a flourishing tree, Shifu seems to attest that Po has finished his training, offering him a chance to rest and enjoy a bowl full of dumplings, that he is ‘free to eat.’ But is he? Po suspects there is one final test, and indeed there is. Getting his chopsticks into these delicious dumplings proves the last challenge as Shifu goes to great acrobatic lengths to make eating them difficult. In fact, he flips and twists and tosses them into the air eating them on his own, one-by-one and leaving Po all the more hungry. Po does all he can, matching his master move for move but unable to get a bite until there is but one dumpling left.
The last contested dumpling between them has the pair heading off into a wild array of fighting machinations, leaping and rolling, spinning and flying that constantly keeps the dumpling just out of reach of the other until finally … Po goes one step ahead and lands the morsel for himself. Shifu nods approval that Po has earned the right, and it seems the big panda is about to consume not only his treasure but be consumed himself by his own weakness. And it is right here where he understands that as well, at last realizing that he does have control of himself, and in Shifu’s eyes, his destiny. He rejects the dumpling and in the process, becomes – truly – the Dragon Master.
Amid all the dazzling choreography and exciting animation, this simple message can easily be lost in the flurry of action and funny dialogue, but it’s an important little piece of the puzzle that makes Po’s journey so special. I like how this moment is so personal for Po and how the filmmakers get is it just right in how the apprentice finally gets what it’s all about. Reminds me of this great moment in The Karate Kid. While the movie might not have the greater emotional impact it could, it nonetheless sure is entertaining and does what it intends, kicking off a fun franchise that never loses sight of where it began or what this moment means.