Why Kung Fu Panda 2 is a Worthy Sequel
Vložit
- čas přidán 30. 04. 2024
- Head to squarespace.com/schaffrillas to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Thanks to Squarespace for sponsoring this video!
Schaff watches the epic funny Jack Black Panda movie that makes me cri
Editor's Channels:
@GoopVideos
@onetuffpuff
@OfficialPSASD
@VillagerWolf527
@2manymovies
Patreon: / schaffrillas
Twitter: / schaffrillas
Esteemed $5+ Patrons:
aheaney15
Aiden Mcgillicuddy
Alpha Red
Amaru Dejesus
Andre Gutierrez
Andrew Young
Ashley Forrest
BATMAN
Caliyopo
Charlotte M
Clarissa Wee
Cole Jackson
Daniel Goldhorn
Danmccould
Dreydan Hanshaw
Emily Allen
Evagorgen
Fantastic Mr. Foxclaw
Faucet_of_Drip
Flan
Gabi Christie
Gabriel Vega Barreto
Gameplayer1500
Gavin Trout
Gty200
Hankshark
Jackson Merrill
Jacob Baum
Jake Albert
Jake G
Jonah Who
Jonathan Kermanian
Joseph
Joseph Maltby
Josh Girmay
Justin Zboyovski
Kiarkat_Kitsune
Keshav Batra
Leif Bradshaw
Madison Mabie
Margaret Neuwirth
Matt Fernandes
Michael David Rose
Michael Thomas
Milosz Kluski
Night Man52
Oceanechoes
Olivia Mendel
Pierre Desbrieres
PinkiePotPie
Quetzal the Snek
Rebel Friend
Red Mustached Alien
Rocco Damiano
Ryan Santa Cruz
Ryland Tews
Sassy
Seth Howell
Silas Hurd
Soloco
Sublime Sky
SuperJimmy978
Tailored Muffin
The GAG Reflex
The TARDIS Pig/TC
Toxic shock
Tyler Rumbold
Uncultured Swine
Volianer
Waifu Patrol
Xaiddyd
YINSED
Zeynep Zingir - Zábava
I want to point out that Shen is not just crushed by a ship mast, but the destroyed remains of his great cannon. He’s literally killed by his own tool of death and subjugation. It’s also worth noting that Shem himself could be considered “a warrior of black and white” since his color scheme is primarily white with some black accents. Everything Shen did, from weaponizing gunpowder, killing the pandas, and trying to conquer China led him inexorably to his own death. It’s almost a Greek tragedy in that he is his own undoing. Po is the primary opposing force to Shen, but only because of the consequences of Shen’s actions.
My thoughts exactly
His mindset was also very black and white. I could expand on this, but I don't really have enough energy to do so lol
@@cruixmee I get what you mean. He doesn't want to understand the nuances a person can have. Nor the complexity of the world or life for the matter. I don't know if he was "born" evil or had bad influence. But it was never really showcased that anyone influenced him to be this way. Either way, he refuses to understand that his parents only wanted the best for him and for their family's legacy to be used for good such as entertainment or inspiration. He also thinks that having everything in the world is the answer to his empty heart. There were some people who had unfortunate circumstances in life that lead to them being unable to develop their social skills which leads to being unable to function in society. Doesn't mean they automatically become serial killers but a combination of these factors are the reason for this outcome.
That’s actually so smart, wtf
Don't forget the fact that his reckless, furious swings at Po were what cut the ropes holding up what was left of the cannon. His poor choices being his downfall is really just brought up to zero subtlety there.
Its funny how peacocks are always the biggest dreamworks villains
Both Lord Shen and the streaming service that released the megamind sequel
nice
Facts 😂
Lmao
this is way funnier than it has a right to be
That is just TOO good
Just rewatched this movie and realised that Mr Ping has changed his restraunt is now "noodle AND TOFU", a fantastic call back to the first scene with them in the first movie when Mr Ping talks about how when he was young, he wanted to run away and learn to make tofu. A beautiful detail that's easy to miss, it's only a small line of dialog that shows how Po has inspired him, but such attention to detail in this movie
I never noticed that, good stuff
I forgot about it and tbh I’m glad he followed that dream, I assume bc of Po that influenced him
That's so sweet omg
First time reaching 1k on a CZcams comment! Thank you so much everyone!
Impressive how they remembered that, kfp4 should take notes in doing proper callbacks.
Kung Fu Panda 1: Don't let others define you
Kung Fu Panda 2: Don't let trauma define you
Kung Fu Panda 3: Let yourself define you
How was that the theme of the 3rd film? It felt flat so much and was so dissapointing that You can't see any of let yourself define you
@HawkknightHelp others find their way.
@@memecliparchives2254he did that in three that was the whole point, I’m pretty sure let yourself define you will be 4 I hope so
Spoiler?
Kung Fu Panda 4 : Define others from yourself.
@WoWJedilet definitions define you
You forgot to add a win where in Kung fu Panda, Po asked his dad if he had any other dream apart from making noodles. His dad answered that he wanted to run away and make tofu but then later changed his mind because it was a stupid dream. Meanwhile in Kung fu Panda 2, the goose dad names his store "Dragon Warrior Noodles and Tofu" or something. Could it be because Po made his dream to be a kung fu warrior come true that made his father realize that perhaps making tofu isn't so much of a stupid dream after all?
5 and 6 aren’t confirmed yet
Oh wow nice catch!
Never would have caught that! Man, I love these movies!
@@jeffreyquinde6707 yes they are
i have always loved this detail
I also liked how the film didn't reset Po's training and make him a joke. He is still a Kung Fu master, just with bigger responsibilities now
Which is what I was hoping for 3 and now 4, but I am disappointed when Po said that he couldn't teach/lead the Five in training in the third film.
He was literally combining techniques with them in the Musician's village in the second movie.
What happened and who wrote that? What happened to the balance between comedy, drama, and good action?
And now 4 is still presenting Po as a numbskull, who just so happens to know Kung Fu and master Chi.
@@RavenclawDaisy95 quit yo bitching. In the third movie Po had never learned or had been trained to teach others, so of course he was skeptical about teaching people, especially when they happened to be trained Kung Fu masters who have more experience than him, that’s understandable. Not to mention the third movie was written to be more lighthearted because some adults complained that the second movie was a bit too serious and dark for their kids. And the fourth movie ain’t even came out yet so you rlly can’t judge too much until it releases
@@RavenclawDaisy95Not all good learners are good teachers, I know a lot on history, but I doubt I could teach you enough to get a 5 on the APUSH
Yeah in the commentary for 2 they highlight that he’s skilled but there’s still a bit of roughness to it bc of his unique Po-ness like heaving himself up on surfaces & breathing hard midfight
@@RavenclawDaisy95 nah nah it’s cool man. Apology accepted 👍🏾
When it comes to shen's animation and fighting style utilizing the fact that he is a peacock, my favorite aspect is his tail feathers. He often opens his feathers up quickly in his opponents faces, disorietating them. It also creates a greater sense of movement, which tends to cover up the fact that he is less skilled in kung fu. The metal talons also give him an advantage, since he weaponizes them. His tail feathers bright red makes it even more distracting and eyecatching, and the talons have a distinctive sound, which you can easily associate with him
You can always tell when he's approaching, and the lack of subtlety in his attacks, as well as the distracting feathers, kinda say something about his character
Can you tell this is my favorite kung fu panda? X3
I love the sound he makes when his feathers fluff as well, it’s almost like a snake hissing.
@@nervousneko5119more power to you my brother ❤❤
@@nervousneko5119 You're so valid, and honestly, I'm here for it.
Shen is a fascinating villain and I think you said everything perfectly but I want to remind about the best scene in the entire movie where the wolf leader declines firing at his own men, and Shen kills him. He just kills him immediately, there's no hesitation, no battle, no focus on the camera even. It's just there and it's so chilling and captures his villany so perfectly
The actor for the wolf leader read that line perfectly, the darkness and insistence in the one word, "No.". He looked at Shen and judged him for being willing to kill his own soldiers, and Shen thought "Fine, I'll do it myself." And got him out of the way.
@@butternutcrunch Right?! I always thought that wolf-boy did really well, as he started doubting his leader, and then refused him at the end. It was just a single word, but there was so much there. Weariness, sorrow and loss. Also, he knew he would die, but refused anyway.
@@jonbaxter2254Very powerful overlooked moment.
@@jonbaxter2254 But I read someone's comment a long time ago that the wolf leader deserved to die because he disobeyed Shen for the right reason as if he didn't know why he did it.
Because he's an alfa Wolf and his loyalty only for his wolf pack, expert believe that human can fully domesticated any wild wolf but not a male alfa wolf. Human can brake his spirit and be his master, but if he had to choose between his new human master or his pack...mfs would always choose his wolfpack 😂
Fun fact: The prophecy of Shen being slain by a warrior of black and white possibly wasn't referring to Po. In the end, Shen himself (a black and white peacock) cut the ropes holding the cannon above his raft.
nah, it was supposed to be a Zebra, but shen changed his fate through genocide
@@crisdelgadillo6502MARTY WAS MEANT TO KILL SHEN
As a comment already said, Shen isn’t black and white, he is primarily white with a bit of black.
When she said warrior of black and white, I think she meant that Shen, whose beliefs are all black and white, was the one who would slay himself.
We already see the ‘white and black’ theme when we cut to a montage with Po and Shen covered in different parts of the Yin Yang. Shen being black and Po being white. (It was technically red and yellow but you get my point)
Shen is white and red
I think you guys are too enamored with the idea of coming up with a clever alternate read on the prophecy. It's ultimately more thematically appropriate to the movie overall to simply read the prophecy at surface level, and allow the depth to come from _how_ the chain of events comes about.
To be fair, Master Croc and Ox dont wanna fight Shen because he'd turn his canon to the people of the city, not necessarily because theyre afraid of his cannon
They're just afraid of the cannon by extra steps then?
Plus they just lost their friend Master Rhino from the very same Cannon. (RIP)
The “Secrets of the Masters” short does more to flesh them out as a unit, but yeah in the film they seem a little undercooked narratively
@RisingJay that film also shows how they weren't heroes, they just fell into it, so It makes sense seeing a Canon they stop. They tried to stop vs 3 cats so
I think it’s a mix of both. They’ve convinced themselves that if they resist, Lord Shen will hurt the civilians, and not that they fear the cannon, which is a valid and possible scenario, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t scared of the cannon
19:20 ALSO this "your parents didnt love you" happened RIGHT AFTER Shen let go of the Soothsayer after she said "your parents loved you and it killed them"
Like, I feel like this is Shen, like, projecting his parental issues by saying something that he himself found hurtful? Or something? Idk if thats the right words... I think he went "ur unlovable by your fam" to hurt Po because its something that hurts him?
Ugh. Words are hard.
That actually makes sense, after finding out his parents died of grief after having to send him away broke him, i think you could see his mouth quivering realising all along his parents loved him dearly. He was so far in the rabbit hole it was too late to quit this due to the consequences he'd face, him projecting was probably his coping mechanism to cope with the fact he did everything he did for nothing.
"your story may not have such a happy beginning. but that doesn't make you who you are. it is the rest of your story. who you choose to be. so... who are you, panda?"
as someone who was an adopted kid just like po, that was beyond beautiful
I know 😭 I always cry like a baby because I’m adopted too and have had a lot of health issues over the years. This movie just reminds me that we can have such traumatic backgrounds and memories but what we do with it defines us
Fun fact, the one eyed wolf who is so antagonistic to Po lost his eye to Po’s dad when he struck him with his hammer in the flashback.
Po's dad (Li Shan) did not use a hammer on Boss Wolf, he used a rake, but due to the lighting of the situation, it made the rake look more like a hammer.
I love how obssessed that wolf was with describing how soft Po was tbh
honeslty that makes more sense to how the wolf lost his eye@@AkitoTheVaporeon
@@scylla1772bro was seething at the fact that someone as soft as a panda made him lose an eye 😭😭
He doesn’t even have that many lines but even as a 7 year old I found him to be an incredibly memorable and integral part of this movie
Props to Shen for having one of the HIGHEST kill counts of any DreamWorks Villain.
😂
@@DreLinyard ok
He was so worried about being defeated due to the prophecy, that he committed f****** Panda genocide.
He pulled a Frieza
Death:
23:34 That's not a mast, it's the remains of his own destroyed cannon. Further reinforcing the idea that his downfall was of his own creation.
KFP 2 being a worthy sequel to it's predecessor is a massive understatement. If anything it's the cornerstone of all the movies of DreamWorks
What about Shrek 2 and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish?
My favorite villain line of any movie:
"Oh it’s a parting gift, in that it will part you. Part of you here, part of you there and part of you waaay over there *STAINING THE WALL."*
I always thought that line was a little awkward. It has to jump through some hoops to get where it wants to go.
@@treddox5880 definitely can agree with it being a bit corny. but gary oldman's delivery of it is so damn good that i dont particularly care lol
I felt like that was on purpose, which I think suits the character@@treddox5880
@@treddox5880 Off-topic and I only mention that because I find it funny.
In my language(Polish) the verb version of the word entertainment/fun literally means "to tear something".
The origin of that is probably people using those things(entertainment) to tear sadness/despair.
So yeah this line in my language's dub meant both "I will entertain you" and "I will rip/tear you apart".
I had an assignment in my theatre class where we voice acted a scene of our choosing and that's the one I chose. It was very fun, I got to say that line (one of my favorites too) and I even tried foley by scraping butterknives together to sound like his walking or metal cleaning.
I got a little taken off because I had a hard time differentiating the voices of Ox and Rhino but I had a blast doing it and seeing what everyone else did.
Tldr: I like that line, it is very funny
I got to speak with James Hong at a convention once. He said Mr Ping was probably his most favorite role, and that he really enjoyed getting to play such a loving and caring father figure.
James Hong, the same guy who played a funny flamboyant noodle dad and a flamboyant asshole who is sexist and wears blue.
I don't watch James Hong all that much but when he was part of the Everything Everywhere All At Once award shows and spoke at the SAG Awards, my head instantly went "Wait, have I hear this guy before?" And holy shit looking at his filmography, he was Mr Ping
James Hong, that one guy who played both a flamboyant and funny noodle dad and a flamboyant and annoying sexist who wears blue.
Awwwww
Tbh his role as Ping more or less defined him for me since I'd never seen him in anything else, so when I saw his role in Everything Everywhere and how that ended up going I felt a lot of whiplash lol
11:34 Overly Sarcastic Productions pointed out in a video that this is a movie that changes genre depending on who's the character in focus. Yes, from Po's perspective it's a comedic Kung Fu film with some emotional moments.
But if you look at it from Shen's POV, the whole thing suddenly turns into Macbeth
Hans Zimmer and John Powell's compositions were absolutely *legendary.* One of their soundtracks 'Po Finds The Truth' perfectly describes trauma, sadness, motivation, and courage. And the duo blended four emotional beats in such a heartbreaking but eventually satisfying way.
God, KFP2 is the *GOAT* for a reason!
As a kid that scene where Po's mother running from the wolves carrying baby Po with Hans and John's music in the background scared the shit outta me. It took me a while to rewatch the movie just because of that flashback scene which was traumatizing to watch
The villain progression of Kung Fu Panda literally went from slightly pissed off leopard to Peacock Hitler to another slightly pissed off bull. 👍
calling Tai Lung "slightly pissed off" while funny in the context of the joke, is also SEVERELY underselling the contempt he had by the time he finally broke free. man's was told from birth, essentially, that he was great, that he would become the greatest, and was trained as such. the amount of rage and pain during his confrontation with Shifu really speaks to how deep this goes with him. "who filled my head with dreams? who trained me until my bones cracked? who denied me my destiny?" Shifu even tries to deflect the blame, claiming it "wasn't his fault", that "it wasn't [his] decision to make".
i REALLY, REALLY hope that KFP 4 is a story of redemption for Tai Lung.
The first two villains were great. Not so sure about Kai but he was at least intimidating
@@KuramenoKai was ok, above average I’d say, but VERY underwhelming compared to the two other amazing villains we had in the first two movies. I guess it’s because he was getting ridiculed quite often in the movie and his background and character wasn’t so developed. If they developed the part of oogway betraying him from his perspective, it may had made oogway a more morally gray character while giving Kai a more built up background and contrast with the way oogway has been presented
@@Dracon350 A Tai Lung redemption arc would be cool, but I think it's frankly unlikely. We got a two second cameo, and then a trailer full of a different supporting character who's obviously going to have a central role, which wouldn't really leave enough time to devote to him. If they're intentionally setting up a bait and switch, I'll be absolutely here for it, but I really wouldn't hold your breath.
@@iker9095Im not sure people are ready to handle the reality Oogway used to be a warmongering warrior as in Omniman or past Iroh if we're using a similarity.
We didn't even see much of Iroh's past and Omniman is a flat out villain.
My favorite moment still has to be when Po was like "I just discovered my father isn't my father." And tigress is like: your father... the goose... must have been tough.
shes trying her best lol
Kinda reminds me of Mr. Krabs’ daughter Pearl being a whale. 😂
I also really love how she doesn't insult him or anything-she recognizes that, no matter how obvious it was to her, it's a shock to Po, and what he needs is comfort right now-not shame or embarrassment.
"You are literally the stupidest person I've ever met but I respect you too much to make fun of you." - Tigress internally
"Thats rough buddy"
23:45 I should mention, Po doesn't just bring radishes because Mr Ping found him in a box of radishes, it's because Mr Ping made a point of mentioning that he'd stopped making soup with radishes after Po arrived and ate them all. It works both as a way to make amends with his dad after leaving without giving him a proper answer earlier in the movie, and I also believe it follows the central theme of the movie, with Po healing and growing (and being mature enough to apologize) by revisiting his past. It's actually really sweet and touching.
Another underrated aspect of this movie is the environmentalism. That lies between the Valley of Peace's natural beauty and Gongmen City's polluted economy. The way this theme is delivered encourages the audience to weigh the pros and cons of innovation and preservation.
About Shen's prophecy of being defeated by a warrior of "Black and White", you can interpret a lot of things with how his actual destiny turned out. You can say that the prophecy was fulfilled, that Po defeated Shen. But you can also say that Shen chooses to choose his own destiny by letting himself be killed by his own invention, thus signifying that his prophecy was wrong. But, my favorite interpretation to Shen's demise/destiny was that he was defeated by a warrior of "Black and White"; himself. Though, he's composed of red, Shen is still colored black and white- a perfect mirror to Po, with the addition that certain sequences always plays them at the symbol of Yin and Yang.
I like that interpretation too. The idea that Shen was his own worst enemy. That his colors reflect the mask his ego casts over the truth. The red colors over his black and white. Where-as Po wears his truth on his sleeves. Dresses quite frankly, in only his shorts, his black and white colors on display. Very brilliant contrasts and layers of irony and tone. Whether intentional or otherwise, it is truly art.
It's also worth noting, Schaff mentions the tones of red that cast over Po a lot, during moments where he doubts himself, when Shen's influence weigh's heavily on Po, even when Po doesn't realize it.
I like that Po isn't necessarily trying to mask his dark truth and traumatic past. Some people don't even realize they have issues until it just...reaches the surface. And Po is forced to deal with this phenomenon, almost relinquishes who he is and forget what is important as a result. This is not only entirely relatable, but it's a very interesting, unique conflict you rarely see anywhere.
Dreamworks has a knack for giving their heroes complex, human conflicts. Not only backed up by amazing, complex villains, but an internal conflict within the hero. It gives these stories timeless appeal. Shrek's insecurities, Po's doubt, Puss's denial, Hiccup's Heritage. It is fascinating characterization. I hope more writers and directors learn from this.
I’ve always loved this interpretation of the prophecy, it’s such a well done piece of writing
You could even go more meta, in that a "warrior of black and white" could refer to someone with black and white opinions. No shades of grey. Which is actually fitting, since neither of them is looking for any philosophical shades of grey. Shen is too self absorbed to see anything as other than helpful or harmful to him, and Po is to philosophically undeveloped to have nuanced opinions of anything.
one can argue that Shen was already defeated by Po several minutes before his death both physically and philosophically, his later death to me is more like the epilogue or aftermath of the defeat, hence why I find the first while the most obvious kinda the more favored interpretation
P.S. ur username of Ms and Binibini made be chuckle, I suddenly remembered that chai tea scene all over again XD
Lol you took this from the shen analysis video by sage rain
Hot Take: Shen is the best Dreamworks villain and i will die on that hill. He gave Po the closest thing to PTSD in a kids movie, fucking has one of the highest kill counts and committed genocide in a film i watched with my 5 year old cousin. Like, the director and writers looked at the first movie, with an extremely strong villain and went like: “interesting, lets ramp it up to 11”.
And also his design is gorgeous but i ain’t talking bout that here because it’ll make me go off on a tangent.
I agree. Shen not only hit Po emotionally and send him to the darkest place possible. When Po tries to stand up to initially, he gets DESTROYED. Shen said "you're inferior to me in every way possible and im going to keep rubbing salt into the wound"
Shouldn't be a hot take, because you're right. No Dreamworks villain comes close, which is insane, because Dreamworks has some of the best villains in animation (and everything else).
And please feel free to go on that tangent. His design is indeed amazingly beautiful, to the point I wish they could have showed him fighting more (but I understand that it was incredibly labor intensive to animate him). Who would have thought a peacock could use his tail feathers as a weapon like that? Almost like a war fan.
Go off I wanna hear your thoughts on his design
Not a hot take, Shen is the best villain in any Dreamworks production, which says something considering how good they are in creating villains
The wolf from Puss in Boots 2 inflicts PTSD as well.
15:13 As an adopted kid, one day you realize you actually have two sets of parents. You have the people who brought you into this world, and you're obviously grateful for it, even if you never learn who they are. You also have your parents, the people who raised you, who taught you how to ride a bike, how to use a knife safely, who covered up sockets and made sure that pan handles were facing away from you just in case you got curious.
You want to meet your birth parents, to put faces to names, to see what you got from your mum and what you got from your dad.
You want to know more about them, and you want to know why they gave you away. I met mine, and I met others like me who had the same experience. They'll tell you why, and they'll insist they always loved you, and you'll wrestle with that knowledge for a while until you finally realize - some people become parents before they're ready, and you wouldn't have the life you have now if they didn't do what they did. It's hard, but it's manageable, and then comes the acceptance.
When people ask me who my parents are, I have an automatic image in my head, and it's my adopted parents. Sometimes I feel guilty about it, I know that my birth parents are just as valid as my adopted ones, but my adopted parents raised me. I am who I am because of my adopted parents, I have my mum's stubbornness and my dad's music taste. I am their daughter.
I’m so glad you touched on the soothsayers and Shens relationship. I always loved the scenes of them talking because they’re not only funny but provide a lot of insight to their relationship. Like I loved how when they were talking the soothsayer would randomly grab his robe and try to eat it and he would just snatch it back from her and continue talking. It really shows you how close they are, especially if you consider what might happen if anyone else were to do that
If kung fu panda 4 is bad i’m going to cry
Yep I think I will be better than 3 but no where near 2 or 1
3 was already a downgrade from 1 & 2.
Same here.
@@LarryWater not by much tho
@@LarryWaterShrek 3 was also a downgrade, but Shrek 4 is pretty good, so ya never know
"One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it" exactly. Even Shifu did so because sending the duck gave the feather Tai lung needed to escape. That was exactly what Oogway was warning him about.
Wasn’t that the whole reason the line was in the first movie? Oogway says it in response to Shifu sending the duck
Shen is literally the Dreamworks equivalent of Frollo from Hunchback of Notre Dame and I'm living for it
Only without the lustful part
@@nicholassims9837 True
17:30 Slight rebuttal about Master Croc and Master Ox being a bit dumb: they were right next to Master Rhino, one of if not the greatest kung fu masters at the time, when he was blasted to bits by Shen's canon. They were probably still grieving and under shock, so even if the whole "hiding is better than dying" bit sounds dumb, I think their reaction isn't all that surprising.
Time and a stern pep talk by Shifu was enough to spring them into action.
23:35 I think it's worth mentioning that the mast only fell because Shen cut the ropes holding it up while he was fighting Po. Once again, Shen's actions directly cause his downfall
Defeated by a warrior of Black and White, Lord Shen was that warrior
also worth mentioning that its not a mast - im pretty sure that since the ship got utterly blasted by po, the frontal cannon was sent into that position. would explain why the whole thing blew up the moment it fell.
the cannon that shen was so proud of was ultimately what killed him.
Its also worth noting that Shen purposely let it happen in the end.
He saw the mast falling and choose to do nothing despite it being very likely he could of got out of the way.
@@jammygamer8961 I always noticed that ever since I first watched the movie, it gave me the impression that in that moment, Shen realized that he had lost everything and there’s no turning back for him, so he just accepted his fate once and for all
Ok yall realize that thats not a mast and its actually one if his cannons right. He was literally killed by the very thing he thought would lead him to greatness.
The relationship between Shen and Soothsayer is one that's always interested me as well, and a few months back I finally decided to look into it.
I can't confirm if it's 100% canon, but it's said that she was his nanny when he was a kid. Obviously, compared to his parents, he's an albino which usually tends to be weaker or sickly in the animal world. So she may have attended to him from time to time and the two developed a bond.
Like a few scenes in the movie and a deleted one, the Soothsayer is seen pushing his buttons but he doesn't really punish her or truly snap at her, the same way she doesn't fear him when he gets agitated compared to his henchmen. It's like a relationship with a family member. They put up with each other. And then the scene where he lets her go further supports the idea of care he has toward her, as well as what was mentioned in the video. Much like Tai Lung’s scene with Shifu, there is a paused look in Shen’s expression as she gets through to him before he basically admits that he must continue regardless.
Personally, I’m holding onto these theories and ideas because it adds more depth between the two, especially with their interactions. Also, Shen is my favourite Dreamworks villain, plus having one of my favourite actors (Gary Oldman) voice him- was just icing on the cake, so I'll take any added lore that makes sense for the feathered psycho.
I feel he's more leucistic due to his deep gray/black beak. Leucistic is basically almost albino but still has some pigmentation.
@@FuryMcpureyOhh, ya that would make sense
It almost feels like a twisted and extreme version of Zuko and Iroh's relationship to me. One where he wasn't able to get through to Zuko and saw him go down this obsessive path until he destroyed himself.
@@FuryMcpureyI think he's supposed to be Albino (The Red eyes are a heavy indicator of this, as only Albinos have red eyes like that) but they thought a purely white character might be a bit plain and boring.
Shen never got closure from his parents' deaths: he throws his father's throne out a window, yet a day later struggles with the fact they "hated" him, which the Soothsayer definitively proves wrong. Yet, rather than double down on the hatred, he simply denies the relevence of the past. Maybe I'm wrong, but there's no reason for him to be so insecure and hurt about his dead parents' love unless he's got baggage. Meanwhile, the Soothsayer does everything she can to convince Shen he was loved, and can still save himself. Tbh everything you said could hardly be "theories," because their relationship is at least that complex.
The decision for Shen to primarily use a variety of bladed weapons was a great move to maintain tension. Po is already established as being nearly immune to blunt force, even from someone as strong as Tai Lung but a very fast precise opponent with a spear and knives can conceivably hurt or kill him.
11:03 The Soothsayer was Shen Nanny and someone he has a familial like bond. If noticed in the Film Shen never lays a hand on her, even despite her plucking his feather or eating his expensive robe, he gets angry at her but never harms her when he can do so easily. It is clearly out of mercy since he still cares for her
And I don’t think Shen knew his Parents still love him, if anything the scene showed he was unaware of this detail and realizes he kinda fuck up but it is kinda too late now as he now too deep in with the goal and there is no chance of redemption or mercy for him
21:50 so something you missed is just before this Shen orders his head wolf to fire the canon. The wolf refuses because it’ll kill their own men, but Shen tells him to fire it anyway. Shen then fires the canon himself, promptly causing the mass destruction and the killing of most the wolves. This shows how Shen is so blinded by his pursuit of power that he’ll ignore the safety of his own men in order to kill his enemy.
Especially since that wolf (and likely many/most of the others) was with him from the start. They stood by him when he massacred the pandas. And then followed him into exile, even though he probably couldn't pay them anymore (at least for a while). They where so absolutely loyal to him that I am certain that they began as his child hood personal Honor Guard. Then he just cuts his loyal second in command down without a second thought.
"But sire! Our troops!"
that was one of the most brutal deaths in an animated film was shen killing boss wolf. it wasnt cinematic or noted heavily by the movie. just a point blank knife to the chest
@@shiruotakuno28i feel sad for that silly wolf's death
To add a final point. Shen seems to only kill people who can't do their jobs. Seriously, watch the movie he only actively kills people who can't do their jobs. (Technically, Po didn't stop shien the first time in the towers. Thus, not being the main guy and not doing his job.
I think besides Po’s naïveté about being adopted, he’s also been so happy as Ping’s son that he’s never really considered the possibility of anybody else besides Ping as his father.
I saw it as one of those things you learn at such a young age it just becomes an accepted part of how the world works, to the point you don't even question it. It seems like no one else around him ever brought up Po being adopted while he was growing up, so he just always thought of Mr. Ping as "Dad" and never questioned it beyond that due to never being given a reason to.
🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃
Li Shen may be Po's father, but Ping is Po's daddy.
@@wyslanniknewworldorder9525 R.I.P. to Yondu, the coolest Mary Poppins that ever was.
@@LeSpongedeStardust _Meat_
kung fu panda: be you
kung fu panda 2: overcoming the past
kung fu panda 3: Who am i?
kung fu panda 4: LITERALLY NOTHINGG
LMAOOOO
One thing I love about this one is how it uses the 2D animation. It's established in both this one and the first that the use of 2D animation signifies a dream. Every time 2D animation is used is for a dream, except for the flashbacks. They're in 2D, because Po doesn't want to see them as real. He wants to bottle up the trauma, forget about it, write it off as a bad dream. It all culminates in the inner peace scene, where it shifts to 3D animation, Po accepting his trauma, seeing it for the reality that it is, instead of the bad dream it was shown as before
My father is a firm believer that Shen is the most imposing villain in all of Kung Fu Panda. I have to agree.
Shen is the best villain of all of them.
I Will have to add that tai lung is overrated
Gary Oldman's voice for Shen contributes to that quality. He's well written, the humor doesn't take over even so it's hilarious to see him rehearse Po's arrival or his relationship with the soothsayer .. and him welcoming his end just ties the beautiful and grim knot around the tragic tale he wrote about himself.
One thing I’m kind of surprised you missed is a detail in Shen’s death. After so much emphasis on him meeting his own destiny by avoiding it, the way he dies is by cutting the ropes that kept the ship from falling on him. In his final desperate attempt to eradicate pandas, he caused his own death.
and also that it isn't just a mast that falls and causes his death. it's the cannon.
@@FrostFire425 And also... He was not aiming at Po during that last fight. He even intentionally stumbles and looks backward, and then readies himself for it.
He commited suicide. He saw that he could never be like Po and that his scars would never fade away, and went through with it.
@@QuintaFeira12I love the idea he did it as his answer to Poe's question. He realized he's gone too far and could never turn back. Not necessarily because he physically cant but because he realized he would never allow himself to heal. So his answer to Poes' question is to break the prophecy by letting his cannon fall ontop of him that way he wasn't defeated by a hero of black and white but by his own creation. Deciding to destroy the prophecy in his mind and accept his demise in a way that he chose himself rather than one determined for him.
@@raine-master-of-potatos Ironically, Shen has “white and black” features, so you could argue that he still (unknowingly) fulfilled the prophecy.
@Dr.Oofers that would make Po also whatever his eye color is. It says warrior of black and white, not white, red, and a bit of black.
After watching KFP4 (SPOILERS) my biggest impression is that it acted like KFP2 didn’t happen
Lord shen is in the movie but he has no dialogue and is seen twice, but the rest of the movie acts like Po has NEVER been to a city before and that he wouldn’t survive it without the foxes help
My biggest beef is that The Chameleons whole motivation is “I Learner Sorcery Because The Masters Said I Was Too Small And Weak To Learn Kung Fu” as if Mantis’s existence didn’t prove her wrong
I think one of my favorite aspects of Lord Shen is how he manages to be such a difficult opponent for Po despite being much less strong than him. While he is a very competent fighter, it's clear that Po totally outclasses him in all of the scenes they fight in. Yet, Shen psyches him out and gains the upper hand due to the trauma he inflicted upon Po from so many years ago, and has the answers to Po's past to hold over his head in a pinch. It's a really cool way to make a villain intimidating and pull off some wins without simply making them more powerful than the protagonist.
thats honestly my favorite feature about him too and makes him just as good if not better then tai lung, his power doesn't come from strength or technique, hes powerful in strategy, resources and politics, his charisma was so grand and beliefs so powerful that he literally convinced an entire armies worth of wolves to follow and conquer for him.
Its a great way to separate him from other antagonists in the franchise, as you cant just simply "punch harder" then him, you've got to fight through his capacity for absolutely cruelty.
You really wouldn’t expect a movie called "Kung Fu Panda 2" to be as extremely well written and emotionally mature as this movie was. Tackling dark topics like PTSD, and showing Lord Shen literally attempting genocide on Po’s village. Definitely one of the best animated movies I’ve ever seen.
ikr
Thats the third movie, sadly
For real!!!
Honestly just made me realize that Tai Lung is a villan whos a predator animal, Shen... isn't, he's a peacock, and thats like really interesting
Everything was perfect tbh
Something that I just realized is that aside from the color red, shen’s main colors are black and white.
At the end of the final fight with Po, shen is the one who ends up cutting the ropes that let to the cannon falling on him.
If it weren’t for him not accepting his defeat then he might have not been “defeated by a warrior of black and white” (and red)
The red might as well symbolize the blood he shed or his own.
Can we talk about how, despite Po being in the same shot as Shen at 23:34, he isn't covered in red like Shen? That is both amazing direction and yet sad as that redness that covers Shen would never go away even when he had multiple chances to move forward.
The warrior of black and white didn't have to be a panda. It refers not only to the color of their skin, fur, or feathers, but balance. Technically, Shen himself is a warrior of black and white, and if he had chosen the balance symbolized by the black and white yin-yang symbol he would have defeated his own evil ambitions with inner peace, the same that Po eventually achieves.
In a way though, Shen did end up defeating himself. By him, a warrior of black and white, wiping out the Pandas, he ensured that Po would head down the path of the Dragon Warrior. When Po stopped his plans to rule China, Shen had a chance to learn from Po, to allow the scars of the past to fade. His plot was already foiled by a warrior of black in white in both fur color and yin-yang, Po, but he had a chance to end his evil ambitions there as Po was no longer fighting him. Instead he chose to fight Po again, resulting in Shen cutting the ropes that were holding up his cannon, and met his demise beneath it. Shen, a warrior of black and white feathers, led to his own death. An alternate path for his prophecy would've been to take the chance to be a warrior of yin and yang, to defeat his own nature and live.
So Michelle Yeoh was right both times, her prophecy was inevitable _and_ Shen had the biggest choice in his own story. Shen's prophecy doesn't lead to his demise just because fate willed it so or because destiny wrote Po needed to fight him.
Also Tigress softens up because we know she's also an orphan who had issues knowing where she belongs from the first. She trained hardstyle so diligently to gain Shifu's love as a father figure, and to mask her own pain for never feeling it. Allowing herself to be vulnerable, both in the prison and at the end (both after she gets blown up and after Po defeats Shen) were powerful because of it.
Also that "I said that too soon" joke got an uproar of laughter in the theatre, leave Jablinski's humor alone.
"Your story may not have such a happy beginning.....but that doesn't make you who you are. It is the rest of your story, who you CHOOSE to be.
So, who are you panda?"
Just wanna say, as a young adult who deals with severe ptsd, this scene has always and will always stick with me. No matter how haunting your memories are, they don't make you who you are. You have the power to shape your own destiny, to become your own person.
I am Po...and I'm gonna need a hat.
This is pretty similar to the message of the Perks of Being a Wallflower: “We can’t choose where we come from, but we can choose where we go from there.”
That quote honestly relates to literally every protagonist in cinema history. A main character losing someone he or she loved and now they choose to rise up and fight against evil hear's some examples:
Luke Skywalker
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Harry Potter
Megamind
Bruce Wayne/Batman
Avatar Aang
Katara and Sokka
and many many more.
@@Mario_001 True, but it's not necessarily about losing anyone. It's about allowing your past to be a part of you, but not be a part of who you are. It's about accepting the pain and letting go of it.
*A couple of alternative perspectives on the video:*
*1.* The soothsayer being freed can also be one last middle finger from Shen as he disproved the prophecy, or at least up to that point.
*2.* The two masters who didn't show up until the end probably gave up after seeing their superior get one-shot'd .
*3.* Mr. Ping is still the best character of the trilogy.
2. and 3.: yesss
1: that peacock viciously gloats at everyone he possibly can, there's no way he couldn't have thought up a better clapback than "the past is in the past" if he was doing just fine. Especially since his only confidant just challenged his entire worldview. But, as a villain enjoyer, I'm super biased.
Especially 2 because Rhino was known as having the kung fu style that made him the pinnacle of defensive combat… and he got one shot. Like, if your friend and mentor who you consider a superior is so easily one tapped, what can you do?
Couple things to add to shens character:
-the reason the wolves followed him, despite his attempted genocide, banishment etc, was that because being wolves they were feared/mistreated by the rest of the city and shen was the only one to view them as equals and as friends. Which is why when shen ordered them to fire on their own, the wolf leader felt betrayed/refused, because he now sees Shen no longer saw them as friends but merely expandable tools to be used.
-part of the reason he decides to take over all of china despite him already taking his thrown back is because, in his own twisted way, he believes that if he doesn’t then his massacre of the pandas would have truly been a meaningless slaughter. In some level he is aware of the horrors he’s committed and feels this conquest of china is the only way to give said killings purpose, a reason for existing at all.
I love how you did the editing at 14:19, implying that Po is:
1. In the middle of a fight with civilians on the line
2. Sees the symbol
3. Just fucking turns around and leaves
Hi adopted kid here, this film remains as one of my favorites and certainly one that I resonated the most with as an adoptee. I remember when this film came out, I was still relatively young, but even then it resonated with me as an adoptee especially as someone who had just found out that they were adopted. One of my favorite scenes is on the boat with Tigress when Po tells her that his "dad isn't really his dad" and Tigress incredulously says "your dad the goose". I laugh because Po is definitely me in this situation, I am Vietnamese and pretty dark. Both my parents are white and my sisters are pretty pale, yet for quite a long period of my life me being blood related to them was just obvious to me. So finding out that I was adopted was quite shocking to me and it took a significant amount of time for me to come to terms with that, just like Po did. Adoption is a hard process that is typically quite traumatic for all involved, but it is still so worth it to find a family.
And to anyone who needs to hear this adoptee or not, blood has nothing to do with family. Even today I get questions about where my "real family" is. My real family are the people who raised me and the ones who continue to support and love me through thick and thin. Take it from someone who knows, family are the ones who love you unconditionally and family are the people YOU choose, it has nothing to do with blood.
My birth parents didn’t love me. I was passed from guardian to guardian because no one felt like raising me. If family is not defined by blood, then I have no family.
@@TumblinWeeds Are you staying with anyone now? If you are, and have been for the longest time, then aren't they your family? (Also, sorry if this comes off as insensitive, I was intrigued by your statement.)
I’m really sorry to hear about ur experience like that, but I also think it gets better. On one hand, yeah not having a place in the world is really difficult, and that is entirely a failure of your biological family. On the other hand, I personally wouldn’t want to be connected-blood or otherwise-to people who treat me like that. Clear them out to make room for the family you choose ;). And I think that OP’s comment doesn’t invalidate or oppose your upbringing, if anything they’re two sides of the same coin. For all we know, their biological parents also didn’t care for them. Hope you find somewhere, best of luck
i’m not adopted but my mom is, my grandparents couldn’t have children biologically and my mom was surrendered by her bio parents at a young age. i still forget constantly that my grandparents aren’t blood related to me because they love and care for me and my mom unconditionally. they raised me better and continue to do more for me than my dad who i am blood related to.
@@tanoak_matsutake I’m in university now. I worked for a year and on summers to afford school. Hoping to build a life away from my family when I graduate.
When I was a kid I stayed with each guardian for about a year before they sent me off to the next one. They had legal liability for me (joint custody), so they couldn’t throw me out, but they damn well didn’t want to keep me. My mom would ask my dad for compensation because he didn’t feel like doing his half of the custody, and she felt cheated. She didn’t feel spending the money on me either. I was sent to aunt and uncles and grandparents and I overstayed at every friend’s home that my parents would treat like daycare. I saw each friend’s parents more than I saw my own mother. If she couldn’t find a caretaker, I’d be home alone while she went out with friends. She taught me to cook when I was 7 to earn my stay. Whenever I was hungry or needed anything she’d bark at me to do it myself. There was rarely food in the fridge, and my mom would hide any snacks or leftovers where I couldn’t reach it. I went to school myself, and no one ever showed up for parent teacher meetings.
I was reminded often that I ruined their lives. My dad could’ve gotten a research opportunity if he wasn’t stuck with me one summer. My mom could’ve held down a job if my dad hadn’t sent me over to her when he got sick of dealing with me. My dad says they got divorced because of me. Says every argument was because of me. Says my mom was so full of life before she gave birth. My mom says I was a mistake, a hole in the condom. My mom wanted an abortion, and she considered killing me as a baby when I came out. My dad wanted a boy, but I came out instead.
I’m 22 now, and they report being so much less stressed now that I’m gone.
I love how shen was the only succesful villain in the trilogy, his goal was to change his destiny, which was to die in the hands of a panda, and in the end, he died by his own
Still by a warrior of black and white (and red)
One could argue that his actual goal was to conquer all of China and wipe out Kong Fu with his weapons, plans he couldnt execute if a warrior in black and white kills him.
And he changed his destiny by accepting it. It ties back into the theme that you often meet your destiny on the way to avoid it. In his final moments he closed his eyes rather than trying to escape, actually changing his fate.
I thought his destiny was that he will be DEFEATED and STOPPED by a warrior black and white?
Still defied his destiny by accepting death and defeat
17:10 I like to think that the other masters stayed in the cell due to witnessing the power of the explosions firsthand. Imagine being completely unfamiliar with the concept of a manmade explosion and then seeing people around you, possibly even people you know (like master rhino at the beginning of the film) blown to bits.
I think a really underrated moment of this movie is the Wolf Leader standing up to Shen. He's taken his shit the whole movie, and when Shen's spoiled sociopathy tells him to shoot everyone, their own men included, the Wolf Leader refuses. And, with NO FANFARE, gets immediately kills. That's it. Shen stabs him and he's firing the cannon himself. This secondary antagonist we've seen throughout the movie as mostly pretty goofy, and had quite a bit of banter with Po, gets killed the moment he shows a sign of possible good in him. Never seen or mentioned again. It does a lot to highlight both Shen and the Wolf Leader in the span of like, 10 seconds.
Also, surprised you didn't mention how Shen essentially killed himself at the end. He cut all the ropes that led to the cannon falling on top of him. And after his failure, he closes his eyes and accepts it. He doesn't really get humiliated like Kai and even Tai Lung at the end of their fights. He goes out getting a cut on Po, and just quietly accepts the death he pretty much brought upon himself.
I always forget about the wolf captain until I watch the movie again, and I'm so glad they added that character moment for him. It adds depth that wasn't necessary at all, but it just adds extra spice and flavor to the movie. Great decision to have that scene
2 things
1: Tigress was about to say she was adopted as well (it was shown in Secrets Of The Furious Five)
2: at the end just before he gets crushed Shen seems to accept it.
Omg tsym 😭 I had always wondered what Tigress wanted to say in that scene, I can’t believe they never brought that up again in the movies
yea Shen is really the only villain to have any sort of arc in his film which was him being in denial of Po defeating him and the prophecy but ending with Shen accepting it.
Yeah Shen made no attempt to avoid the falling cannon, only to close his eyes and accept it.
more people need to watch those Secrets specials, they're really good for expanding on the side characters (even the Ox & Croc from this movie!)
That's how I always interpreted Shen's final moment. Not a dramatic *"NOOOO"* or *"CURSE YOU!!"* but with acceptance.
it was fine as a trilogy… i’m so scared for kung fu panda 4
it's not good
One interesting thing I heard about Shen is him continuing his path after the Soothsayer confronts him not just because of his ambitions, but because he knows he has done far too much to back down now. I don’t remember exactly where I heard it, but someone said Shen is pressing forward despite his doubts because he’s terrified of all the pain he’s caused having no justification in the end if he just abandons his plan, which would make all of the deaths have no meaning. I don’t have anything to back this up as what the writers intended, but I liked it so I’m going to say it’s canon anyways.
It was never said that Shen only Tried to wipe Out the Pandas. There is the theory that Shen did the Same to the snowleopards and because of that Tai lung was left at the Jade Palace.
It's amazing how this movie can make a peacock of all animals so scary. I've always considered Lord Shen the closest thing DreamWorks has to Scar, one of Disney's best villain. He's cold, calculating, his past directly ties in with the protagonist's, and there's so much depth to his character, plus Gary Oldman's performance is impeccable. I also love Po's struggle to find his true self and inner peace, and that "Po Finds the Truth" sequence in the panda village is so beautiful, yet so heartbreaking.
One of the greatest animated villains of all time.
5:24, I've seen some theories that Shen may have also been responsible for Tai Lung being a possible orphan and being adopted by Shifu because snow leopards are kinda black and white too and he may have tried to cover his bases with other Chinese animals, especially since Tai Lung and Po are around the same age. What do you think?
Edit: I just remembered about Tai Lung's nephew and the other snow leopards we saw in Legends of Awesomeness but let's just assume that they, like the panda's, survived and came out of hiding.
I think frolo is their best villian because the lion king is mostly a reimagining of Macbeth
@@greedgod5827 ummm, there's a lot wrong with what you said though. Frollo is a Disney villain.
@@InevitableOption-ic2vx he said scar is Disney's best villian where I was responding to that
A cool fact is that the first 3 movies villains/ acts talk about the body, mind and soul. Really smart storytelling
Yet Kai was lucklaster
@@fredy2041Kai had the ingredients to be just as good as Tai Lung and Lord Shen, but the execution really did leave something to be desired. I think if they had focused more on his relationship with Oogway and played his frustration with being forgotten by the world straight instead of as a recurring gag, it could’ve added more depth to him
@@pigglesgoomshby7249 pretty much.
@@pigglesgoomshby7249 I can agree with that. But you gotta admit his theme was a banger!
@@pigglesgoomshby7249 He was just toned down really. Completely fair reaction after how dark the 2nd film was.
Heck, Oogway was supposed to be shown in 3 as this warmongering warrior when he was younger. Like Omniman or past Iroh levels of past he is not proud of.
I love how the series also reflects Oogway's quote about past present and future. Tai Lung lingers on the past, Shen "must tend to the future", and Kai really reflects the present. Especially his quote about being "ready for a rematch now". The Kai one is a bit of a stretch but I still think it's a reasonable connection to make.
An edit to support why Shen is future and not another character all about the past:
He laments over how his parent's promised him the throne would be his in the future.
He's always terrified about his future because of the soothsayer.
He doesn't play by the rules, doesn't fight fair. His plan is to create a future where Kung Fu does not exits by creating guns and cannons.
Speaking of self fulfilling prophecy shen is in fact a warrior of black and white
“Finally! A worthy sequel! This movie will be LEGENDARY!”
Kung Fu Panda 1:A Body-powerful Masterpiece.
Kung Fu Panda 2:A Mind-Brilliant Sequel.
Kung Fu Panda 3:A Heart-Spirited Threequel.
Kung Fu Panda 4:(we'll see soon)
Yet on the third movie it felt flat on its spiritual aspect
@@bauloprete3905 fax. 3 is the weakest of the trilogy. Too much comedy. I still loved the conclusion.
KFP3 will be regarded as the Shrek the Third of the franchise
@@dogswifty7800 There were many problems with that film. The villian, who is suppose to be the most threatening, it was the most lackluster and dissapointing. The kinda seriouness tone of the 2nd film is replace on the 3rd with childish whatever, is even far more kids movie than it was before. We have a complete full village of panda, aka fat people stereotype. Yes, all of this pandas behave exacly like Poe, not only destroying is invidiuality but also being a little racist to Pandas. Like if all of them behave and are like Poe? How? Alsothis was the spiritual aspéct of this movie was also very lame and not presented on a satisfactory level. All Pandas just had Chi power. Thats it. Another aspect, is that this movie was a waste of Time, an hour of this movie, was Poe tring to learn how to be a Panda, meaning waky panda goofy things right? Only that at the end, all was a waste. Poe's dad lied to him. Making that hour of a movie a waste of time.
@@dogswifty7800I don't think it was THAT bad, still definitely the weakest of the trilogy but unlike Shrek the Turd it wasn't a complete cash grab with no soul, you can definitely tell that there was passion poured into Kung Fu Panda 3, even if it was bogged down by issues that stick out more than its predecessors.
Most pure evil villains: start out genuinely calm and collected until the final act where they have their third act breakdown
Lord Shen: has been in a constant state of third act breakdown since even his origin story
In the new film, Po’s father (the panda) is in the same place in the finally and clearly sees Lord Shen. Not a single word is spoken about that. SUCH WASTED POTENTIAL.
Ikr
"See that's the thing Shen, scars heal"
"No they don't...wounds heal"
"Oh yeah, what do scars do? They fade i guess?"
“I don’t care what scars do…”
Do scars actually heal? I’m quite curious. Or they don’t?
@@KingGojiEditsthey don’t heal as scars are left after already healed wounds. they fade overtime though sometimes not entirely
Honestly, they do whatever they want. I've had a few surgeries, and some scars are nigh invisible @@KingGojiEdits
Scar from the lion king: are you trying to insult me, peacock?!
We seriously don't talk enough how good Gary Oldman was in voicing Lord Shen
A perfect blend of intimidating, cruel, arrogant with a pinch of childishness.
He was splendid✨
@@omarmansuri7099 It actually took me a while to recognize the voice when i first watched because i didn't know how Gary was at the time this movie was released and of course as you might expect, the first movie that i watched with his name on it was Harry Potter so i used to call Shen as Sirius Black guy voicing a peacock in a DreamWorks movie lol
@@omarmansuri7099'Part of you will be over there, STAINING THE WALL!!!'
I feel like the whole “those two fighters have completely given up even after they were presented with hope” is a testiment to how deep Shen got into their heads. And may I remind you that this is was the first time they’ve ever encountered a cannon, I’d be pretty traumatized too
Personally, Kung Fu Panda is better than the first one for me because of how emotionally compelling the plot line is. Honestly I could not tell you much about the first film, but because of all the issues that 2 touched on, I remember it better.
Now one thing that does skew my bias is that I am adopted from China, so I definitely related more to this film. The fact that Shen committed genocide which lead to Po being given away, is reminiscent of the One Child Policy and that children were given away due to outside pressure. And I will say that line about Shen telling Po that his parents hated him, while a reflection of Shen's situation is also something that is a fear of adopted children. Many people will say "be grateful that your parents gave you up", or use terms such as "abandoned" and that creates conflicting feelings.
I will say though that I don't think that Po ever really considered Mr. Ping "not his real father". For many adopted kids, its more so this sense of not truly belonging (especially in cross-racial adoptions). You act like a person in the country you grew up but they don't like you cause you look different, but where you were born doesn't like you because you don't act like them or know their language. You don't look like your parents, and without familial connections, do you even have a right to your culture? Most adoptees want answers, rather than to find their parents. That what I think Po was really looking for. "Why was I given up?", "When was my birthday?", "Do I have siblings?" etc. And while Po find his answers and is able to come to term with himself, and that sense of belonging, its because he remembered. On the other hand many of those adopted will never know. Adoptees will feel like their adopted parents are there own, but unlike Po, more often than not never get the chance to find the answer that makes them feel like they are completely one within a cultural community.
16:50 I feel like Tigress’s empathy also comes from the fact that she used to be an orphan as explained in one of the special shorts. Which tbh makes it all more heartfelt
I've seen it. And it all the more made me tear up a little for her.
I also love that they gave her and Po a brother-sister dynamic. It shows her growth quite well
She understands what it's like to be alone, then a failure, have your destiny taken from you, then accept all three of these (see her short, Tai Lung's backstory, and all movie 1). Her moments of character development are compact, but extremely well told. What a great character ;-;
It’s way more then a worthy sequel. I love this sequel more then the original
Same!
Absolutely I love kung fu panda 2 way way more than the original
Same i watched the sequel way more than the first
Me too.
Same. And I thought the first film was alright.
Day 20 of asking Schaff to give Nimona the analysis it deserves
Shen will deny this, but he clearly saw Soothsayer as a parent figure that he never had. Given the job, Soothsayer probably took care of him when Shen was little. She's firmly in the trope, "Even evil men love their mama". Seriously.
I find Shens death to be subtly cool that I didnt notice as a kid. It's that when the cannon is about to fall on top of him, he closes his eyes and begins to accept his demise.
Shens fixation of defying his fate throughout his life got to a point that if he's going to die at his lowest point, it won't be by the hands of the warrior in black and white. His final act was death by his own creation, his own doing, his final act of defying his fate.
I saw another comment I loved that summarized was 'he was able to defeat his fate by accepting it' he was able to choose his own way to go out. Even in the 'fight' hes not aiming for Po and probably even purposely steps back before looking up. He didnt defeat his fate by fighting it which only brought it closer but by accppeting it and choosing to change it.
A neat detail that's overlooked on Shen's fate? Keep in mind the color pallette of his character design, it's accentuated with striking reds but is also predominantly *black & white* too!
Poetically? The warrior of Black & White might not have just been Po, but Shen himself fighting the threads of destiny itself.
PO-etically
Kung fu panda 2 is just worthy because shrek 2 is the perfect sequel
22:09
This is the exact moment when shen finally realized "oh snap, this panda really IS the chosen one!"
Nothing but pure fax.
Public opinion on All the Kung fu panda movies
Kung fu panda 1 - One of The best origin stories, Great introduction, Amazing comedy, Roller coaster of emotions
Kung fu panda 2 - Greatest back story of a character, Thriller, Heart racing at times, Great comedy, A bit serious, Really beautiful cinematography, Good casting
Kung fu panda 3 - Great Introduction to The missing piece of Po, A bit serious at times, kidesh comedy, Low hanging jokes, Decent comedy, Amazing introduction to the past of Oogway and Kai, one the most beautiful final battle, Good conclusion to a character arc, Not the best of the movies but worthy enough to not ruin a trilogy.
Kung fu panda 4 - ???
crossing fingers here
Kunfu Pnada 3 was never seerious. At all. There was not decent comedy. You call the fat stereotype jokes comedy? Not only destroys Poe's unique personality, but also is comes of as a bit racist. Implying that all Pandas behave and act like Poe. It was not a beautifull final battle, there was nothing special there. It had no character arc.
@@fredy2041 did you not watch the movie? Everything you said was factually wrong
@@pitbowl how so? Your welcome to prove me wrong
@@fredy2041 Saying that the fat jokes towards Po and the panda species is so far fetched and ridiculous that it feels like borderline nitpicking. And saying that there was no character development is just flat out wrong. Po goes from being content with his life while both Shifu and Oogway see more to him. Po learns to pass down the knowledge that allowed him to be the best he can be: "There is no secret ingredient". Po goes through other struggles like trying to fit in the panda village which leads to the character development of Mr.ping and Li shan which also affects Po
5:24 actually a cool thing about that prophecy is that it could not be talking about Po at all. Lord Shen is also a warrior of black and white, so it could’ve meant that his list for power will lead him to his downfall. Especially since Shen ends up dying not by Po’s hand, but by his own cannons.
Shen ironically caused the fate he desperately wanted to avoid.
For all we know, the "warrior of black and white" line could've been purely symbolic. It could've just meant a warrior who has mastered inner peace, as we now know leads to physical and mystical power from both Kung Fu Panda 2's ending and one of the core themes of Kung Fu Panda 3. Peace with oneself gives tangible power that can destroy Shen. It didn't have to come from a panda specifically.
@damonlam9145
That's basically how any good classic tragely with a prophecy works.
Love it!
Also, if we think about it, even if Shen succeeded at hunting down all pandas and even conquering a whole China with his armade, the prophecy would've still been true. Due to the fact that Shen himself was that "warrior of Black and White" at the end, after conquering China and *obviously not finding the inner peace and happiness even after all that,* he would've most certainly took his own life out of despair.
The prophecy for Shen was basically "if he won't stop hurting others, he will end himself" all along.
the MAD cartoon parody of this movie highlights this by having various black and white things challenge Shen & fail, including Reshiram & Zekrom from Pokemon lol
There's one thing about KFP 2 that makes it better than the first IMO (as amazing as the first one was): it maintained the threat and intensity of the villain throughout the entire movie. The fight scene with Tai Lung and Shifu in the first was by far the best in the whole series, but literally 7 minutes later, Po is crushing Tai Lung with his ass and sending to the stratosphere with his flexed glutes. This always kinda lessened the impact of the previous scene for me. Shen, however, is always intimidating, never reduced to butt jokes, and maintains a really intense tone throughout, which just makes this movie more impactful for me.
one of the things i like most sbout shen is that the way that peacocks actually intimidate others by fanning out their feathers was also included in the way he fought, it's always cool to see movies about animals actually incorporate their behaviours
Also notably, Shen's figure and clothing contains a decent amount of black on its own, so ultimately there's the added ambiguity of how he could be the "warrior of black and white" that wound up defeating him. His actions were the catalyst for Po going to the valley of peace and becoming the dragon warrior, his only act of mercy was to allow the soothsayer that later healed Po to walk out, he killed his right hand man and much of his army to get through the harbor, and ultimately it was his own attacks that broke the ropes and allowed his mast to collapse onto him. Everything that happened to Shen was because of Shen, and Jennifer Nelson went above and beyond with the emphasizing of the film's theme by making Shen's entire destiny self-fulfilled on the roads he took to avoid it.
23:24 it's not a mast, it's the remains of his canon.. his very tool to conquer and control with that crushes him
I remember seeing this movie when it came out in the cinemas. I was eight years old, but at that point I had just gotten out of a dark chapter which, simply put, saw me struggle with the fact that I was adopted. I was hurt, angry, and was internally screaming for help and not only had I dealt with this pain in the worst ways possible, but I was given some of the most messed up treatment you could ever think of. I do not wish to elaborate.
I am 21 years old now, going on 22. Between now and 2011, whenever I watch this movie, I can't help but cry internally whenever Po mentions his adoption to Mr. Ping. I find my seven to eight-year-old self again in Po and wishing I could have said everything he said to my Mum and Dad, but then again, I was a child. So when Mr. Ping tells Po: "You're my son" and Po realises that and returns those words to him at the end, I literally want to cry. My parents are my Mr. Pings, and I love them forever.
Although I am too shy to do so, I would thank Dreamworks enough for making this movie, let alone release it when it did, even if that is a coincidence. I would also thank and applaud Jack Black for giving heart and depth in voicing Po. This movie, and Po in it, are the first form of representation I ever have, coming from an adoptee.
PS. Just because my face and eyes don't cry doesn't mean I don't cry in my brain.
Shen has a better send off then Tai Lung. As the cannon falls on Shen, he doesn't scream, doesn't complain, doesn't say a word, he just closes his eyes and lets it happen: death was the only thing that could give him peace.
Tai Lung death is played out as a joke.
I feel like Death from Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was a perfect blend between Shen's evilness and Tai Lung's intimidation level.
But death was not nearly as evil as Shen. Shen committed genocide and made weapons of war. Death was just kinda annoyed puss was being arrogant and messed with him
The irony there is Death is inevitable so it's not really evil and is just a fixture of everyone's lives, but he's just so pissed off at Puss being selfish with his other eight lives that he felt more evil.
@@InevitableOption-ic2vxDeath also overstepped his bounds by saying that he was going to “do them both a favor and take the last life early”. One of Puss’s last lives even says that this is cheating. This helps keep Death from being “just a guy doing his job”.
death is more neutral than evil,death does not nothing good,but is not selfish on his actions
@@foxtoons1999 to be honest puss literraly pushed his own luck in that regard, he was once again playing with live
From an adult's pov I think the second one is more of a well rounded movie than the first... the first is definitely great, don't get me wrong, but it's also far more focused on the comedy factor + some occasional Oogway wisdom. (I'd assume most children would prefer the first movie)
The sequel is still genuinely funny but more than that it's really emotional when it matters, doesn't shy away from violent deaths and trauma, has a darker villain presence overall, plus it builds nicely on the first movie e.g. with the Tigress & Po friendship dynamic.
(honestly, I'm so glad they didn't make her jealous or bitter in the sequels)
Surprisingly, it's the opposite for me. As a kid I preferred the second film. But now as an adult I find myself kinda waiting through a lot of filler, like the chase scene or the stealth-mode segment, to get to the really emotional parts. The first film, however, I highly enjoy throughout and find myself picking up on a lot of the subtleties that went over my head as a kid. To each their own, though.
im 15 now but ive always loved 2 more as a kid, 1 is good but i feel like it feels weak in comparison(fight scenes were definitely crazy tho)
Kung fu panda 4 was ass I can’t wait for the review
Not only is the villain good imo but he weilds a Krissed Swordspear. It's beautiful
Krissed weapons are goated
The scene at the end where Po comes home with crates full of radishes and the stuffed toy he had as a baby is a really nice touch. A perfect symbol of him accepting his past and also embracing the life his adopted father gave him
I like the detail that Shen doesn't fly in the movie, we only see him glide, cause Male peacocks can't fly since their tail feathers are so long.
You asked WHY the warrior of black and white was a panda.
Heres what I think: It wasn't. It was himself. He's an Albino, from what I can tell. His feathers have no pigmentation, and his eyes are read. Which are typical of Albino animals. Personally, I think he painted the red spots of his feathers well.. Red. So he'd be more intimidating and to spite the whole warrior of black and white prophecy.
He is a warrior. And his main colors are black and white, no matter how much he tries to refute that fact. And who was it that paved the way for his end? Himself.
It’s not a falling mast that crushes Shen, it’s the destroyed cannon. The weight of his own karma.
I’m surprised you didn’t have more to say about the look of peace on his face when he dies, actually.
16:32 The bond between Tigress and Po is wonderful in this movie and very much enhanced by the canon bonus content we have on Tigress.
From Secrets of the Furious Five, we learn Tigress was an orphan. She grew up in an orphanage fully ran by herbivores and only herbivores as her peers. She was ostracized and demonized as a child for years, growing up without parental guidance and in an environment where she was the only one of her kind.
Her empathy for Po goes far beyond caring deeply for him; she empathizes with him on a personal level. She knows how difficult it is growing up without birth parents that know you and your origins, your story. It’s really touching, also considering how little Tigress has been able to open up to others on this level, not even to the others in the Furious Five. It makes complete sense she’s terrified to lose him.
That does fuck with the scenes in the first movie showing Shifu finding and raising her (although his trauma from Ty Lung meant he was not a very good father overall).
@@hanzzel6086 Sorta, but not really at the same time. He goes to the orphanage to train her (she had uncontrollable strength) and when she completed the training he adopted her. But yeah, in that training he seemed much more patient with her than in the first movie flashback.
@@annemeikerutter6613 Actually there's a chance that Tigress met Tai Lung before he went on a rampage. There's actually a Kung Fu Panda game that plays during the first movie, and there are extra dialogues. Tai Lung says he remembers her briefly when she was a kid. Not the best source, but that's not a random dialogue and I feel like there was some input there from the writers.
@@lucylu184 Oh wow, so that’d imply they were adoptive siblings for a short period of time.
Actually sorta makes sense judging by their interactions in the bridge scene from the first movie, the tone in which they speak has this “skip the formalities” vibe, in the sense that it seems that this isn’t the first time they meet.
Imagine if megamind 2 had the same amount of depth and effort as the first one like the kung fu panda series
We got out hopes up for nothing😔💔
meanwhile chameleon: I can transform into ANYTHING even the culmination of every Kung fu master and the scariest thing I did in my film was pushing a fat bear down the stairs
Fun fact about the three Kung fu masters, Master Ox, Croc, and Rhino: there was a short that Dreamworks made about them where they meet for the first time as teenagers. In the short they defeat three people called the Wu sisters, and become best friends afterwards. It came out after Kung fu Panda 2, but it's a really cool glimpse into the past of these characters, and it really expands the world and lore. Anyway, in 2 they seem a bit older, obviously. A lot of time has passed. That means they have been best friends since then. They were also living together in the palace, which is another attest to how close they were. At this point they're practically family.
My theory for why they didn't help at first is not because they thought they were helpless against Shen solely because of the weapon. They were also mourning the loss of their best friend/brother, who they saw as one of the greatest Kung fu warriors in history. They even mention it in the dialogue when Master croc says "the only hero here is the dead one."
They weren't stupid, just grieving. Shifu probably understood this when he convinced them to join the fight at the end. Probably inspired them by telling them to avenge their friend. Which is also kind of hinted at when master croc says "vengeance is served" during that battle.
Anyway, that's just my theory on it. And I recommend the short! It's quite good!