Why I Love Kung Fu Panda 2 So Much
Ever since the first time I watched Kung Fu Panda 2, it became my absolute favorite, no questions asked. I couldn’t figure out why. It took me a while but I’ve finally figured it out. The animation, scenery, and choreography are absolutely beautiful, the characters are loveable, and the jokes are funny, but none of those come anywhere close to the message they’re trying to send across. You really have to hand it to Dreamworks. Their movies are usually hit and miss but they try to avoid the cliche themes and stories that Disney and other studios normally use. The reason why I love Kung Fu Panda 2 so much, is because it presents two extremely difficult topics to the viewer that are very common: trauma and adoption, and they did it in the most gentle way possible.
Many children are exposed to trauma at some point and it’s not something that you can explain in a way that they can easily understand. This movie explains it perfectly. It let’s them know that whatever has happened to you in the past doesn’t matter because it is only the future that is important. Your past shouldn’t control your future. If you dwell on the bad things in life, you will never be happy. The hardships you go through can make you stronger as long as you keep fighting against those thoughts that tell you otherwise. That life will get better. At the same time, they also tell you that you shouldn’t force yourself to forget your past because it is part of who you are, but you shouldn’t let it control you. They let you know that you can be strong, you can still follow and reach your dreams, and you are still the same person you were before the the trauma happened. Instead of letting the memories turn you cold and bitter, let them make you a better person. Forgive, love, and help others. Those are the most important things in life. Po’s mother and village were killed right in front of his eyes when he was just a baby, yet he still had the balls to go face to face with their murderer and forgive him and tell him he still has a chance to change and become a better person. And despite what he went through, he is the leader of one of the most poweful groups in China, has a loving family/friends, and used the awful experience to make himself a better person. That is a very powerful message.
Now, I have no personal experience with adoption, besides having a friend who was adopted, but it’s not very common to see children’s movies dealing with having adoptive parents. They acknowledge that many adopted children at some point go through an identity crisis. Did their parents not love them? Why didn’t they love them? Are they dead? Do they even care about how they’re doing and their successes? Are their adoptive parents still their parents even if they’re not related by blood? Those are really difficult questions for anyone. Just living with the pain that your own flesh and blood might’ve not wanted you and abandoned you. The movie let’s you know that it doesn’t matter. Your family is the people who love you and care for you. The people who care for your life and want you to be happy, not the people who carry the same blood as you.
So anyone who has gone through any sort of trauma, especially those suffering from PTSD, as well as those who have been adopted, I really suggest this movie. I can’t count how many times I’ve watched it yet I get sucked in every single time. Whenever I have a really bad day, or I’m depressed, I just put in the DVD and watch it. Never fails to cheer me up, even if it’s just a little. To those who think it’s just some stupid kid’s movie about animals fighting, I shake my head at you. It’s sad that cartoons have become more meaningful and life-changing than most of the crap on TV and in theatres nowadays. Here I am, someone who rarely ever cries at movies or music or stories, choking up while analyzing a cartoon. I don’t care if you are 13 or 30. Watch it. You won’t regret it.
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