Kung Fu Panda (franchise)
| Kung Fu Panda | |
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| Created by | DreamWorks Animation Ethan Reiff Cyrus Voris |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) |
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| Short film(s) | |
| Animated series | |
| Theatrical presentations | |
| Play(s) | |
| Games | |
| Video game(s) | |
| Audio | |
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The Kung Fu Panda franchise from DreamWorks Animation consists of three films: Kung Fu Panda (2008), Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) and Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016). The first two were distributed by Paramount Pictures, while the third film was distributed by 20th Century Fox. Three shorts, Secrets of the Furious Five (2008), Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special (2010) and Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters (2011), were also released. A television series for Nickelodeon television network, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, premiered in the fall of 2011.
The franchise, set in a fantasy wuxia genre version of ancient China populated by humanoid animals, features the adventures of Po Ping, an obese giant panda, who was improbably chosen as the prophesied Dragon Warrior. Although his status is initially doubted, Po proves himself worthy as he strives to fulfill his destiny and learn about his past with his new friends.
The film series has been highly acclaimed with both features being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature as well as numerous Annie Awards while the television series has won 11 Emmy Awards. Furthermore, this acclaim is particularly enthusiastic in China, where the series is hailed as not only an excellent contribution to the wuxia genre, but for its impressively knowledgeable understanding of Chinese culture and heritage for an American movie production. In addition, both films were the most successful animated feature film for their years[1] and the second is currently the biggest worldwide box office success for a movie directed solely by a woman (Jennifer Yuh Nelson).
Contents
Film series
Kung Fu Panda (2008)
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Po, a clumsy, overweight panda, is a kung fu fanatic who lives in the Valley of Peace and works in his goose father Mr. Ping's noodle shop, unable to realize his dream of learning kung fu. One day, a kung fu tournament is held for the elderly spiritual leader of the valley, Grand Master Oogway, to determine the identity of the Dragon Warrior, the one kung fu master capable of understanding the secret of the Dragon Scroll, which is said to contain the key to limitless power. Everyone in the valley expects the Dragon Warrior to be one of the Furious Five—Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Viper, and Crane—a quintet of kung fu masters trained by Master Shifu to protect the valley. To everyone's surprise, Oogway chooses Po, who had accidentally stumbled into the tournament arena after arriving late.
Refusing to believe that Po can be the Dragon Warrior, Shifu subjects Po to torturous training exercises in order to discourage him into quitting. Determined to change himself into someone he himself can respect, Po perseveres in his training and befriends the Furious Five, who had previously mocked Po for his lack of skill in kung fu. Po soon learns that he must fight Tai Lung, an evil kung fu warrior who has escaped from prison to take revenge for being denied the Dragon Scroll, and despairs he will be unable to defeat him. However, Shifu discovers that Po is capable of martial arts when motivated by food, and successfully trains him to learn kung fu. After his training is complete, Po is given the Dragon Scroll, which he discovers to be blank. However, Po realizes that the key to limitless power lies within himself, allowing him to defeat Tai Lung and restore peace to the valley.
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
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Po now lives his dream as a kung fu master and protects the Valley of Peace alongside the Furious Five. However, he is thrown into internal conflict when he begins having flashbacks of his mother and learns from Mr. Ping that he was adopted as an infant. Shortly after, Po and the Five are sent on a mission to stop the evil peacock Lord Shen from using a newly developed weapon, the cannon, to conquer all of China and destroy kung fu tradition. Po remains tormented by thoughts of being abandoned by his real parents until he is guided by a wise old soothsayer to embrace his past, and remembers that his parents risked their lives to save him from Shen, who had set out to exterminate all pandas after learning of a prophecy that he would be defeated by "a warrior of black-and-white". Po achieves inner peace, which allows him to destroy Shen's new weapon, defeat Shen, and accept Mr. Ping as his father. However, during the last scene of the movie it shows Po's biological father realizing his son is alive.
Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)
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Some time after the events of the second film, Shifu relinquishes his duties as master of the Jade Palace to Po, claiming that the next step of his own apprenticeship is to oversee the Furious Five's training. While struggling with this new responsibility, Po rejoices upon reuniting with his biological father, Li. However, news that the spirit warrior and collector Kai had returned to the mortal realm and is stealing the Chi of masters from all over China reach the Valley of Peace and Po and the others discover from a scroll left by Oogway that Kai can only be defeated by the power of Chi, a technique known only by the panda colonies, thus Po and Li set to the secret Panda Valley in order to have Po learn it. Po eventually discovers that Li had deceived him because the pandas had forgotten at all about how to manipulate the Chi and he just wanted to protect his son from Kai, much to Po's disappointment. Once making amends with his father, Po joins forces with the pandas to make a stand against Kai, mastering the power of Chi in the occasion and using its power to destroy him for good. After returning to the Valley of Peace, Po spends his days spreading the teachings of Chi.
Future
DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg has said that it is confirmed that the series will see 3 more sequels after Kung Fu Panda 3, bringing it to a six-film series.[2]
On January 13, 2016, Collider asked the filmmakers of Kung Fu Panda 3 about the possibility of a fourth film.[3] Co-director Jennifer Yuh Nelson said, "It’s one at a time. We want to make this a perfect jewel, and then we’ll see what happens after that."[3] Co-director Alessandro Carloni said, "With the sequels, we don’t want to try to have them feel open-ended. We want it to feel like a completed journey, and we feel this movie does. And then, if a fantastic story presents itself, great."[3]
Television series
Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness
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Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness is an animated television series based on the Kung Fu Panda film series, set between the first two films. The show was originally intended to first air in 2010, but it was delayed and officially premiered on Nickelodeon on November 7, 2011. Of the series's voice cast, only Lucy Liu, Randall Duk Kim, and James Hong reprise their roles from the films as Viper, Oogway, and Mr. Ping. The first season, consisting of 26 episodes, ended on April 5, 2012. The second season aired from April 6, 2012 to June 21, 2013 and also consisted of 26 episodes. A third season began airing June 24, 2013 and consists of 28 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired (US dates) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 26 | September 19, 2011 | April 5, 2012 | |
| 2 | 26 | April 6, 2012 | June 21, 2013 | |
| 3 | 28 | June 24, 2013 | present | |
Short films
Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five (2008)
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Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five is an animated short film that serves as a semi-sequel (or spin-off) to Kung Fu Panda and appears on a companion disc of the original film's deluxe DVD release. It was later broadcast on NBC on February 26, 2009, and is available as a separate DVD as of March 24, 2009. The film has a framing story of Po (in computer animation), telling the stories of his comrades in arms, the Furious Five, which are depicted in 2D cel animation.
Kung Fu Panda Holiday (2010)
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Kung Fu Panda Holiday (also known as Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special) is a 2010 television special that premiered on NBC on November 24, 2010. It tells a story of Po, who is assigned to host the annual Winter Feast by Master Shifu, despite his wishes to spend the holiday with Mr. Ping.
Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters (2011)
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Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters is an animated short film that was released on December 13, 2011 as a special feature attached to the Kung Fu Panda 2 DVD and Blu-ray. It tells the backgrounds of the masters of Gongmen City: Thundering Rhino, Storming Ox, and Croc.[4]
Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll (2016)
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Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll is an animated short film officially released as a bonus feature in the Kung Fu Panda: Ultimate Edition of Awesomeness Blu-ray pack in January 2016. [5] Secrets of the Scroll details the forming of the Furious Five, and their first fight togheter against a common enemy. Unlike previous Kung Fu Panda short films, Secrets of the Scroll has yet to be released on its own DVD or Blu-ray.
Panda Paws (2016)
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Several people including film critic "Rendy's Clubhouse" mentioned watching a new Kung Fu Panda short film during a screening of Dreamworks' Home. [6] The short film was described as a prelude to Kung Fu Panda 3, and involves the character Mei Mei (voiced by Rebel Wilson as Panda Paws was completed before Kate Hudson replaced her) competing with a panda child to perform for Po at the "Spring Festival." Panda Paws will be released with the Blu-Ray of Kung Fu Panda 3.[7]
Releases
Box office performance
The films series grossed over $1.8 billion making the Kung Fu Panda franchise the sixth highest-grossing animated franchise (behind Shrek, Ice Age, Toy Story, Madagascar, and Despicable Me) and the third highest-grossing DreamWorks Animation's franchise behind Shrek and Madagascar.
| Film | Release date | Box office | Rank | Budget | Ref(s) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening weekend North America |
North America | Other territories | Worldwide | All time North America |
All time worldwide |
||||
| Kung Fu Panda | June 6, 2008 | $60,239,130 | $215,434,591 | $416,309,969 | $631,744,560 | #143 | #99 | $130 million | [8] |
| Kung Fu Panda 2 | May 26, 2011 | $47,656,302 | $165,249,063 | $500,443,218 | $665,692,281 | #253 | #92 | $150 million | [9] |
| Kung Fu Panda 3 | January 29, 2016 | $41,282,042 | $142,755,060 | $374,057,430 | $516,812,490 | #329 | #149 | $145 million | [10] |
| Total | $149,177,474 | $523,438,714 | $1,290,810,617 | $1,814,249,331 | $425 million | [11][12] | |||
Critical and public reception
Each Kung Fu Panda film has received highly positive reviews, with critics often praising the animation, voice acting, and character development.
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kung Fu Panda | 87% (178 reviews)[13] | 73 (33 reviews)[14] | A-[15] |
| Kung Fu Panda 2 | 81% (167 reviews)[16] | 67 (31 reviews)[17] | A[15] |
| Kung Fu Panda 3 | 86% (144 reviews)[18] | 66 (34 reviews)[19] | A[15] |
Cast and characters
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| Characters | Theatrical films | Short films | Special | TV series | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kung Fu Panda | Kung Fu Panda 2 | Kung Fu Panda 3 | Secrets of the Furious Five | Secrets of the Masters | Kung Fu Panda Holiday |
Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness |
|
| Po | Jack Black | Mick Wingert | |||||
| Master Shifu | Dustin Hoffman | Fred Tatasciore | |||||
| Tigress | Angelina Jolie | Tara Strong (y) | Angelina Jolie | Kari Wahlgren | |||
| Mantis | Seth Rogen | Max Koch | Seth Rogen | Max Koch | |||
| Monkey | Jackie Chan | Jaycee Chan (y) | Jackie Chan | James Sie | |||
| Viper | Lucy Liu | Jessica DiCicco (y) | Lucy Liu | ||||
| Crane | David Cross | David Cross | Amir Talai | ||||
| Mr. Ping | James Hong | James Hong | |||||
| Oogway | Randall Duk Kim | Cameo in DreamWorks logo | Randall Duk Kim | Randall Duk Kim | |||
| Tai Lung | Ian McShane | Flashback | Ian McShane (c) | André Sogliuzzo (c) | |||
| Zeng | Dan Fogler | Dan Fogler | Mick Wingert | ||||
| Vachir | Michael Clarke Duncan | ||||||
| Shen | Gary Oldman | Flashback | Mentioned only | ||||
| Soothsayer | Michelle Yeoh | ||||||
| Wolf Boss | Danny McBride | ||||||
| Storming Ox | Dennis Haysbert | Dennis Haysbert | |||||
| Croc | Jean-Claude Van Damme | Tony Leondis | |||||
| Thundering Rhino | Victor Garber | Paul Scheer | |||||
| Li Shan | Fred Tatasciore | Bryan Cranston | |||||
| Kai | J.K. Simmons | ||||||
| Mei Mei | Kate Hudson | ||||||
| Bao | Steele Gangon | ||||||
| Lei Lei | Liam Knight | ||||||
| Grandma Panda | Barbara Dirickson | ||||||
| Sum | Al Roker | ||||||
| Dim | Willie Geist | ||||||
| Great Master Viper | James Sie | ||||||
| Mei Ling | Stephanie Lemelin | ||||||
| Su Wu | Sumalee Montano | ||||||
| Wing Wu | Sumalee Montano | ||||||
| Wan Wu | Sumalee Montano | ||||||
| Wo Hop | Jack McBrayer | ||||||
| Master Rhino | Jonathan Groff | ||||||
| Fung | John DiMaggio | ||||||
| Hundun | Diedrich Bader | ||||||
| Temutai | Kevin Michael Richardson | ||||||
| Jong Sung Jai Kai Chow | Wayne Knight | ||||||
| Tong Fo | Jeff Bennett | ||||||
| Taotie | Wallace Shawn | ||||||
| Bian Zao | Simon Helberg | ||||||
| Chao | James Sie | ||||||
| Yao | Paul Rugg | ||||||
| Scorpion | Lynn Milgrim | ||||||
| Gah-ri | Fred Tatasciore | ||||||
| Lidong | Jim Cummings | ||||||
| Fenghuang | Wendie Malick | ||||||
| Junjie | Stephen Root | ||||||
| Kim | Graham McTavish | ||||||
| Bao | Fred Tatasciore | ||||||
| Su | Amy Hill | ||||||
| Wu Kong | James Sie | ||||||
| Tsi | R. Lee Ermey | ||||||
| Ke-Pa | Alfred Molina | ||||||
| Peng | Danny Cooksey | ||||||
| Song | Lauren Tom | ||||||
| Hu | Neil Ross | ||||||
- A dark gray cell indicates the character does not appear in the film, special, or TV series.
- *(y) indicates the actor portrayed the role in a flashback scene when the character was younger.
- *(c) indicates a cameo appearance.
Crew
| Film | Director(s) | Producer | Writer(s) | Composer(s) | Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kung Fu Panda | John Stevenson and Mark Osborne | Melissa Cobb | Screenplay By: Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger Story By: Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris |
Hans Zimmer and John Powell | Clare Knight |
| Kung Fu Panda 2 | Jennifer Yuh Nelson | Screenplay By: Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger and Charlie Kaufman Story By: Jennifer Yuh Nelson |
|||
| Kung Fu Panda 3 | Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni | Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger | Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe |
Video games
- Kung Fu Panda is a video game loosely based on the first film, released by Activision in June 2008 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360.
- Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors is a sequel to the video game Kung Fu Panda. It was published by Activision on November 5 and December 5, 2008 for the Nintendo DS and Wii, respectively.
- Kung Fu Panda World is a virtual world online game released on April 12, 2010.
- Kung Fu Panda 2 is a video game that takes place after the events of the second film. It was developed and published by THQ on May 23, 2011, for Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360.
- Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends is a Fighting game developed by Vicious Cycle Software and published by Little Orbit. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo 3DS and Wii U in December 1, 2015.[20]
Arena show
Directed by international entertainment director, Franco Dragone, best known for Le Rêve and House of Dancing Waters, Kung Fu Panda: Arena Spectacular is an in-progress live arena show, featuring characters from the Kung Fu Panda. Combining circus and Chinese acrobatics as well as arena show effects, the production was supposed to be released around the same time of Kung Fu Panda 2.[21] After a multi city casting tour in 2010,[22] the production went behind closed doors until late 2011 when a new set of audition dates were announced for the following year.[23] However, shortly before the announced January 2012 auditions, it was announced that both Franco Dragone and DreamWorks had decided to postpone the live show's opening date, canceling all auditions.[24]
Themed land
A themed area Po's Kung Fu Garden was opened in 2012 at DreamWorks Experience, one of the themed lands at the Australian theme park Dreamworld. As of 2012 Po's Kung Fu Garden consists only of a small area featuring a Po photo opportunity. In late 2012, additional rides and attractions were added to the area.
Chronology
In order of the Kung Fu Panda franchise history:
- Kung Fu Panda (2008)
- Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five (2008)
- Kung Fu Panda Holiday (2010)
- Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
- Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (2011–2015)
- Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters (2011)
- Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll (2016)
- Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)
References
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- ↑ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017VOHQSG/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687622&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00168OINK&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0RG1M3PBT3RTAAJJ4PXF
- ↑ http://rsomerendy.tumblr.com/post/113068203531/yesterday-i-went-to-a-screening-of-dreamworks
- ↑ http://www.amazon.com/Kung-Fu-Panda-Blu-ray-Digital/dp/B01AYMA95Y
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