'Po'-etically Speaking - Kung Fu with a Difference

Its quite the paradox but Black & White has never before appeared more colourful !!!

I am a big fan of animation films, especially those with a good story line. Within this genre, my favourites are The Jungle Book, The Lion King, The Sword in the Stone, Chicken Run, Surf's Up, Hercules, Alladin, and a few others. I will also add the recent 'Tangled' to the list which I liked. There are quite a few which I haven't seen and which I know have an excellent review rating, e.g. the Toy Story series, The Simpsons, Up, etc. I plan to catch up on these, hopefully soon.

But among all those mentioned above, I will put the Kung Fu Panda (KFP, not to be read as Kentucky Fried Panda) series right up there, not just for brilliant animation (which looks even better in 3D), but also for a wonderful story line and a most adorable protagonist.

The giant panda is a cute animal but Dreamworks has made it the cutest thing to hit the screen after possibly, the Pug, from the Vodafone ads. I am sure li'l kids would feel the urge to have a soft toy teddy after watching KFP2. I, obviously, am more in favour of the elder version, the big, fat panda, Po.

Po is effectively a role model for today's youth.

• He has a heart of gold, he does not think ill of even his worst enemy, Lord Shen (Peacock);


• He knows that his rotund stature makes him an object of ridicule but sheepishly accepts it and laughs it off; ultimately it is his fat which renders Tai Lung's (Snow Leopard) near-fatal nerve attacks completely ineffective;


• He is a friend indeed as he puts his own life at risk for comrades - by battling the formidable Tai Lung who proves more than a match for the Furious Five & Master Shifu, and by single-handedly taking on Lord Shen's entire armada of cannons and wolves;


• He is an obedient & dedicated student, and like Arjun, he seeks more than what his guru teaches. E.g. figuring out the Wushi Finger Hold, not taught by Master Shifu, and employing it with devastating effect against Tai Lung;


• Even after beng recognized as the best Kung Fu Master (Dragon Warrior) by his own teacher, he does not look upon the Furious Five as inferiors, in fact he respects them & seeks their advice and help at critical junctures;


• He has the ability to turn his greatest weakness (read food) & his greatest fears (confronting his rather tragic past) into his greatest strengths - mastering kung fu and finding inner peace.


• Most importantly, he realizes that things become special if people believe them to be. And even after realizing the truth about his actual parentage, he embraces his foster father, Mr. Ping (Goose), identifying himself as Ping's son.

Its no wonder then that with such qualities, he is accepted by the Furious Five (Tigress, Monkey, Viper, Mantis and Crane) as their leader. Even Master Shifu (Red Panda) humbly accepts that Po is superior to him by virtue of the giant panda having attained inner peace at a very young age.

Having said that, Master Shifu is also a prime example of a great tutor. He imparts all his kung fu skill to Tai Lung, whom he also raises as his own after finding him abandoned at his doorway. With such fatherly love in his pure heart, he can be forgiven for having unintentionally turned Tai Lung into an enfant terrible. Hence, he is a lot more mindful and stern with the Furious Five. Nevertheless, his teaching is so good that all five become Kung Fu Masters and protectors of the region.

However, with Po, its a different matter. Shifu realizes that he cannot teach Po in the same way as the Five, given Po's clumsy ways and awkward handling of kung fu equipment. But he is quick to notice that when inticed with food, Po turns far more active and is capable of stupendous physical feats. And it is this quality that a great teacher should possess, that is to not look at every student with the same magnifier, but to identify certain traits that set apart one from the other. The best examples in Bollywood are Aamir Khan in Taare Zameen Par and Naseeruddin Shah in Iqbal.

Lets return to Shifu. So after initially despising, ridiculing, and battering Po with his kung fu techniques, Shifu turns Po into a Master. And Po more than reciprocates by saving Shifu's life and defeating Tai Lung using his master's secret technique, the Wushi Finger Hold. This complex but endearing student-master relationship forms the backbone of this wonderful tale.

Bottom line, Kung Fu Panda is not just a children's film, it appeals to all ages. If you haven't watched it once, watch it twice, with your entire family.

Anthropomorphic animals have never looked better, never sounded better! China's rivers, valleys, mountains and greenery never looked as picturesque! Villains never seemed more megalomaniacal! But ... heroes never before looked so AWESOME!!!