The DreamWorks filmKung Fu Pandacame out in 2008 and was an instant hit, giving rise toan entire franchise of movies and TV shows, includinga new show on Netflix. It was praised by critics at the time for being especially colorful and fun, with great fight scenes and an engaging plot. And the movie was a recipe of success, with a hilarious and clever script fromKing of the Hillwriters Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, and an all-star cast including Jack Black as the clumsy panda Po, James Hong as his goose father Mr. Ping, Dustin Hoffman as the teacher Shifu, and the Furious Five - a martial arts group that included the Crane (David Cross), Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Viper (Lucy Liu), Mantis (Seth Rogen), and Monkey (Jackie Chan). Hans Zimmer wrote the score, traveling to China and becoming familiar with the Chinese National Symphony so that he could get an authentic feeling to the music.A review from Time magazine described the film as"a master course in cunning visual art and ultra-satisfying entertainment."
Kung Fu Pandawas well liked by audiences too, becoming the highest grossing non-Shrek movie for DreamWorks ever, at the time. It was nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature, as well. The plot follows Po, a pudgy underdog who dreams of “legends full of legendary warriors whose exploits are the stuff of legends.” He longs to be a skillful warrior, leading an adventurous life, rather than his current life working in his father’s noodle restaurant. He stumbles into a situation where he becomes proclaimed as the prophesied Dragon Warrior, who is destined to save their village from the return of the villainous snow leopard Tai Lung (Ian McShane), and the movie moves through his struggles to learn martial arts, overcome his self-doubt, and become his best self, ultimately defeating Tai Lung.
This movie has a lot of heart. It is about believing in yourself, and believing that things will work out. But underneath the obvious message of this movie is an underlying current of thought that is inspired by Zen Buddhism. Zen was first developed in ancient China, and was originally called Chan, and the movie has a few different references to it. There is a scene where Po interrupts Crane, for instance, who was working on calligraphy of the word “Chan”. And that isn’t the only reference to Chinese philosophy and practice scattered throughout the movie.
Kung Fu Pandais noteworthy in part because of its martial arts, which were highly praised at the movie’s release, anddemonstrate the greatest strengths of animation. The fight scenes are incredibly well done, with animated choreography that is impressive and stylish. Whether it’s Tai Lung fighting the Furious Five, or Po and his teacher Shifu dueling with chopsticks over a dumpling, the fight scenes are memorable and invoke the kind of fantastical and fun martial arts that makes kung fu movies so enjoyable. Each of the Furious Five members are inspired by a different kung fu discipline - Tigress uses Tiger Claw Kung Fu; Crane uses Fujian White Crane Kung Fu; Monkey uses Monkey Kung Fu; Viper uses Snake Kung Fu; and Mantis uses Northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu. Even the villain Tai Lung uses Leopard Kung Fu. The freedom of the animation allows for these martial arts styles to be exaggerated to fit the animals using them too, such as Tigress growling or using her claws as she moves through the real-life form of Tiger Claw Kung Fu.
This is, in part, an ode to ’70s martial arts movies, which the screenwriters Aibel and Berger likely grew up watching. The plot even somewhat mirrors Jackie Chan’s 1978 movieDrunken Master(akaDrunken Monkey in the Tiger’s Eye), about a lazy man who goes through intense training to become a great fighter. And many ofJackie Chan’s other moviesare references to the martial arts styles that inspired the concept of the Furious Five, such asSnake and Crane Arts of ShaolinandLittle Tiger of Canton. But the Furious Five might be direct descendants of Chang Cheh’s movieFive Deadly Venoms;the movie’s five martial artists; Lizard, Centipede, Snake, Scorpion, and Toad, all practice a different style of kung fu.
What many people might not know is that Zen is highly influenced by martial arts. The founder of Zen, a legendary man by the name of Bodhidharma, is also the founder of kung fu. According to Shaolin tradition, Bodhidharma visited the monks at the famous Shaolin temple and was critical of their weak physical shape. So he taught them physical discipline in the form of kung fu, and mental discipline in meditation. That isn’t the only wild and fantastical story about Bodhidharma, who may not have existed at all. But the legend persists and is closely tied to Zen Buddhism.
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Master Oogway
Master Oogway, the wise old turtle (voiced by Randall Duk Kim) who believes in Po from the beginning, is the best vehicle for wisdom in the movie. Much of what he says may sound cliché, but often has ancient roots in Zen teachings, as well as other Chinese philosophy. For instance, Master Shifu comes running up to him bearing bad news. “Ah Shifu,” Oogway replies, “there is just news. There is no good or bad.” (Though after hearing the news, Oogway comically remarks, “Thatisbad news!")
This is similar to an old Chinese tale usually called “The Story of the Chinese Farmer.” It is about a farmer who loses a horse one day, and all the villagers remark upon how unfortunate that is. He only replies, “Maybe.” The next day the horse comes back, bringing two other wild horses with it. The villagers proclaim the good luck, but the farmer still only responds, “Maybe.” The following day his son breaks a leg trying to train one of the horses. And the day after that, his son is exempt from being drafted for war, because of the broken leg. The farmer never sways from his “Maybe” through each event. There is no good or bad news; there is only news - for who knows what may happen in the future?
Oogway also advises Shifu to let go of the illusion of control - which is similar to both Zen and Taoist teachings. Shifu tries to argue that there are things youcancontrol, but Oogway points out that, a peach seed will always grow into a peach tree, and never anything else. He also tells Shifu earlier in the movie, “Your mind is like this water, my friend. When it is agitated, it becomes difficult to see. But if you allow it to settle, the answer becomes clear.” The phrasing of this echoes Bruce Lee’s famous quote “Be like water, my friend.” And it is also very similar to the practice of Buddhist meditation. In some types of meditation, the aim is to reach a point of stillness in the mind, where there are no ripples of thought, judgment, or worry about the past or future. There is only here and now, as Oogway points out, in another scene. Shifu looks into the still water, but instead of focusing on the wisdom and reflecting upon himself, he sees the dragon scroll reflected in the water and believes that is the answer. But the scroll turns out to be empty - and this is the most Zen message of the entire movie.
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The Secret Ingredient Is… Nothing!
Throughout the movie, Po’s father, Mr. Ping talks about an old family soup recipe with a secret ingredient - it’s even called “secret ingredient soup”. He hints at Po being ready to one day learn what that secret is - until he finally tells him that it’s nothing. “Wait, wait,” says Po, “it’s just plain old noodle soup? You don’t add some kind of special sauce or something?” “Don’t have to,” Mr. Ping replies. “To make something special you just have to believe it’s special.”
This message comes up again with the Dragon Scroll, which Tai Lung broke out of prison to steal so that he could become the ultimate martial arts master. Shifu gives the scroll to Po, telling him that after Po reads it, “Legend says you’ll be able to hear a butterfly’s wing beat.” Po’s excitement and anticipation increases. “And see light in the deepest cave,” Shifu continues. “You will feel the universe in motion around you.” The Dragon Scroll is said to contain the ultimate secret to being the best martial arts warrior ever - and when Po opens it, he finds it empty. No words. He only sees a faint image of his own reflection.
This is a very common Zen trick. Not only to play upon expectations and then subvert them, but to reveal the secret behind the secret ingredient soup - that there never was any trick to begin with. There is no shortcut to enlightenment. And in fact, it is only the belief that enlightenment is special, which makes it so. Ancient Chan (Zen) monks used this teaching like a magician’s trick, sometimes, sending students off chasing their tails in search of a secret that didn’t exist. But many of them also pulled the curtain back, revealing that there was no secret to begin with.
The most famous example of this in Zen Buddhism comes from Bodhidharma. In the very first koan of the Zen bookThe Blue Cliff Record, Bodhidharma visits Chinese Emperor Wu. The emperor asked him, “What is the highest meaning of the holy truths?” Bodhidharma famously replied, “Vast emptiness - nothing holy.” Another famous teaching of Bodhidharma’s (that may not have actually been written by him) is:
A special transmission outside the scriptures
Not founded upon words and letters;
By pointing directly to [one’s] mind
It lets one see into [one’s own true] nature and [thus] attain Buddhahood.
And those aren’t the only examples. Famous Chan Master Zhaozhou (aka Joshu) was once asked if a dog has Buddha nature. He replied with the word “Mu”, which is a kind of negation that doesn’t mean “No”, so much as it means “Not this” or nothingness. “Mu” has since become a famous koan and mental practice for Zen students to this day. There is also Chan Master Dongshan, who, about to depart from his teacher Yunyan, said, “Later on, if I am asked to describe your teachings, what should I tell people?” Yunyan replied: “Just this is it.” It is plain, simple, and right in front of us, reflected back to us like the Dragon Scroll reflects Po’s face back upon himself. There is nothing holy, nothing special, and the thing we are seeking is just this - we already have it.
Shifu is dismayed by the emptiness of the scroll, and orders the students to evacuate. He then faces Tai Lung alone, and is eventually beaten. But then Po appears, and taunts Tai Lung with the coveted scroll. They fight for a while, until Tai Lung defeats Po and takes the scroll - opening it to find the same emptiness. “It’s nothing!” he shouts furiously. “I didn’t get it at first either,” Po replies, getting to his feet. “There is no secret ingredient. It’s just you.”
As the Time magazine review said, “The movie’s message - that strength and discipline can’t be taught, but must be discovered within - has a wise heart that matches the movie’s art. That’s the secret ingredient for an animated feature. That and some sublime kung-furious panda-monium.”
