The message for children was the worse of all; don't worry about training hard for your abilities, if you want something all you need is to be the chosen one or else you are doomed, and that's all you need...
shareYou didn't see Po training in all those scenes with the dumplings? He looked like he was working hard to me.
But it's also a fine lesson that no matter how hard you work at something, your dream or ambitions may never be realized, or turn out exactly as you planned. Don't let it consume you like Tai Lung. Don't let it defeat you like Tigress. That's a valuable life lesson, in my book.
Oh- and life is unfair.
I'm holding everyone to a higher standard- a standard much higher than my own
yeah I saw the dumpling training, that was training in less than a day as Tai Lung was already in his way to where they where and that was not far away... And Tigress was not defeated... actually only adults need lessons about "dreams or ambitions may never be realized or turn out exactly as" "planned", children need to strive to be the best or else they will be losers...
shareI was under the impression the training was longer than one day's worth and Tai Lung was much further away (in the Himalayas?).
Tigress was defeated. She was defeated in that she was not chosen to be the Dragon Warrior and was a "poor sport" about it. She was defeated when she was unable to beat Tai Lung and felt like a loser and a disappointment.
And kids need lessons all the time about "dreams or ambitions may never be realized or turn out exactly as "planned"". And I agree that they should strive to be the best. It's important for kids to learn to keep going even after they've been beaten or when reality stomps on their imaginations. Of course you need to encourage greatness, but it's more important to encourage perseverance in the face of loss or adversity.
It's OK to not be the best. It's not OK to be defeated.
Po learned this and was able to emerge victorious.
I'm holding everyone to a higher standard- a standard much higher than my own
Did you also not realize how much balls it took Po to take on Tai Long? Yes he hadn't worked hard for as long as either of the Five, but it takes a damn lot of self belief to fight the guy who kicked even your master's ass. It was more about courage.
shareEspecially after walking up all those stairs. "Dude. Here's the scroll. Knock yourself out..."
I'm holding everyone to a higher standard- a standard much higher than my own
Tai Long defeated Po's master only because Po's master had a hard time being agressive with Tai Long... If Tai Long weren't loved by Shifu he would be defeated with Shifu's pinky hold trick
shareDid we watch the same movie?
The lesson was simply to be something special, you just have to be yourself.
"There is no secret ingredient."
Through the entire movie everyone thinks that this mystical dragon scroll will make them super Kung Foo kick ass masters that will be unbeatable. In the end, all it took was a dream and belief in oneself.
You can do anything that you dream, as long as your have the dedication to work towards it and believe in yourself.
How exactly is that a terrible lesson for children?
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Yes their was no secret ingredient but at the end of the day there was still the dragon warrior "chosen one" who was able to kick tons of ass simply because he was the chosen one. Its was his destiny, as Oogui points out and as they said many times. So he wasn't just some fat panda who trained really hard...some crazy mystical oriental force had already ordained him to be special. Thats not really an encouraging message for the rest of us who aren't the chosen one.
"Even my parents called me Mulder" -Fox Mulder
Thats not really an encouraging message for the rest of us who aren't the chosen one.
I was never "chosen" to win a 100-yd dash. I got over it fairly quickly.
Now that the "Furious Five" are aware none of them will be the Dragon Warrior, they can now focus on other pursuits and avenues of greatness instead of working their butts off for a stupid scroll and a glorious title.
Think of all those poor bastards who will never be a Sith Lord.
I'm holding everyone to a higher standard- a standard much higher than my own
"Think of all those poor bastards who will never be a Sith Lord."
I find your lack of faith distrurbing.
"Freedom and morality do not go hand in hand. In fact, they are usually devoid of one another."
averagejoeman2013 - release him/her.
SpiltPersonality
(pauses)...As you wish.
I apologize for my delay. I got called away on another wild goose chase. Now they want me to go to some wasted frozen planet called Hoth. This suit doesnt help prevent me getting my butt frozen off and its doubtful the rebels ar there. Fortunately I can use mind tricks on some of the Twilek gals for some added warmth and comfort.
"Mankind cannot solve the world's problems. Mankind is the problem."
There's no point in releasing him NOW! He's just a skeleton. His head fell off theough rot 6 weeks after I told you to release him... ah well, It's not like there aren't plenty of other candidates.
share
Well, we still have enough tissue samples to give to our associates on Kamino. We will rebuild him stronger, faster....and smarter. Next time, he will know better. Ah, to heck with that; it might be better to make a thousands of them just so I can have fun choking one of them each day :-)
"Mankind cannot solve the world's problems. Mankind is the problem."
You don't get it. Being the "chosen one" had nothing to do with beating Tai Long. The dragon scroll existed before Tai Long went mad with jealousy. Po became the chosen one only because Oogui knew he would be able to understand the message of the scroll, which is that the 'special something' that makes you great is what's already inside you. Po had to learn to use his strengths to overcome his weaknesses, even though his strengths were unconventional. Tai Long wasn't given the scroll because Oogui knew he was to arrogant to understand that message.
And it's pretty obvious that being the "chosen one" didn't do jack squat for Po until AFTER Shifu trained him and AFTER he learned to believe in himself. Before that stank. He stank hard core.
he trained too little to justify your train of thought
shareExactly how long did he train? The movie didn't really say.
I'm holding everyone to a higher standard- a standard much higher than my own
the time it took the villian to reach them, a single day at most...
shareHow do you know that it took him a day?
I don't think you understand the concept of a montage. In fact if you watch the montage you'll see that there are a couple scenes set at sunset and at least one that appears to be set at night. They were training for more than a day.
I didnt' saw that double sunset but I did saw how quickly the five reached Tai Long, but that adds one or two days most
shareI didnt' saw that double sunset but I did saw how quickly the five reached Tai Long, but that adds one or two days most
You did? The only thing I saw was Tigress leaving at night and at some point in the future they meet up with Tai Lung at the bridge. I couldn't tell how long that journey took them- nor do I know exactly how long it took that bird to fly them all back.
Yes, I can make leaps of assumptions, but there's no telling for sure.
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If Po had been training for at least 3 months his training would have been meaningful, there is no way the events in the film occured through a lapse of 3 months...
shareIf Po had been training for at least 3 months his training would have been meaningful, there is no way the events in the film occured through a lapse of 3 months...
I can't say for sure, as it's simply unknown to the audience.
But I'm definitely inclined to agree with you on that one.
But I also felt it took less time than that for Neo to stop bullets in "The Matrix". When one becomes "The One" it is usually an issue of prodigiousness with training becoming secondary, I suppose.
I refuse to change my position just because you use logic
Matrix also had the wrong concept with the "chosen one" but Matrix was not meant for kids and was not meant to be educative and could not be pejorative to education with it lessons on scepticism
shareWait- are you actually implying that "Kung Fu Panda" was meant to be an educational play? I just thought it was entertainment like "The Incredibles" and "Cars". I never considered it to be implying it had something really important/instructional to say (at least no more or less than any other product on the silver screen)
I refuse to change my position just because you use logic
Good point, nowadays movies do not need to be educational even if they are for kids, sad thing, modern kids are doomed to greater folly than their ancestors...
shareYeah, I think the demise started in the 80's when we put corporations in charge of public service announcements. It just went downhill from there.
It's hard to accept "violence is not the answer" from a cartoon superhero who kicks butt, while the dolls are marketed on commercials by slamming the villain doll all over the TV screen.
I refuse to change my position just because you use logic
I grew up in the late eighties and early nineties, and educational was all around, it was before the age of Spongebob Squarepants, Billy & Mandy and such garbage
share"and educational was all around,"
too bad none of it seems to have worked.
Are people seriously listening to the OP it's a children's film get over it, you think any child will come out the cinema with a new look on life? No they will come out thinking pandas and tigers are cool!
share"Tigress was defeated. "
No, she wasn't.
She defeated herself, but learned a lesson eventually, and kept going. In the end, she emerged victorious, because she found and accepted her place and limitations.
Well, yeah. If you don't have an ability, any training is going to be an exercise in futility.
Ahem, comma splices.
Po started out with loving the idea of Kung Fu but being overweight and clumsy. This made it difficult for him to train the way the others trained. Master Shifu noticed that Po was able to use his size and shape to his advantage when he really wanted something. Master Shifu adapted Kung Fu training to play on his strengths and teach Po how to use his large body to the fullest advantage. Po also had a lot of heart and wanted to become better than he was.
Add to the fact that the reason everyone else had such a hard time with Tai Long is that their fighting style was matched and countered by his. Po's ability to take a hit because of his size and not being affected by the nerve attacks he was able to defeat Tai long.
Po also had a lot of heart. Think of the Rocky movies where Rocky is going up against fighters better than him. The reason he wins is because of that heart.
The message for kids is that just because you may be not be able to do the same things other people can doesn't mean you should give up on yourself. You should try to be the best you can for you.
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I think the message is more about the peach tree stuff - you shouldn't try to change a peach tree into some other tree, because it's always going to be a peach tree. However, you can CULTIVATE the peach tree to its full potential, and by letting it, the peach tree might surprise you.
shareHmm, never really thought of it like that. Agreed--not the best message, probably.
You'd feel cocky too if you were full of myself.
Does everything have to have a message? can't it just be a good story? as Brendan Behan remarked when someone asked him what the message of his latest play was: "what am I, a bloody postman?"
shareNaah, the message is:
A training montage always solves everything.
Remember this kids!
Agree with OP, Terrible message for adults to I think.
I immediately noticed the similarities between Kung Fu Panda and the Cirle of Iron/Silent Flute. (never did figure out why it was called the Circle of Iron.)
But honestly, isn't the corniest and maybe untruest moment in both movies the mirror moment - where looking into the mirror tells you that you are all you need. What if our panda friend had opened the scroll before all of his vaunted training?
If he had thought he was okay just the way his was before he started training he would have ended up kung pow panda.
That's not the message.
The message is that just because your natural self doesn't fit in with the 'expected norm', doesn't mean that it isn't amazing if someone is willing to train you within your OWN parameters, instead of trying to make you fit into others'.
The message is that you might have a special quality that makes something impossible for others, possible for you. The Panda couldn't be acupuncture-controlled due to his fur (? I mean, it couldn't be the fat, because that's not how anything works), so it was an advantage the 'Dragon Warrior' needed in the fight against Tai Lung.
Also, you might have hidden talents that would go to waste unless they are seen and utilized to train you to reach your full potential.
Do you REALLY think that kids will pick up your distorted version of the actual message from this movie full of more wisdom than 100 other movies combined?