We’ve watched Kun Fu Panda in the theater and recently at home on DVD. It’s fantastic both times. If you are a fan of Jin Yong kung fu novels, you will enjoy it even more. The extremely well-placed jokes were fresh and hit at the right times which surprised the audience, maximizing the effects.

There were ample connections to common themes found in Jin Yong kung fu novels, such as:

• the teacher-disciple feud (Shifu and Tai Lung),
• the supreme secret manuscript that everyone goes after,
• the ultimate kung fu truth of no-form wins have-form.
• But most notable is the theme that someone at the bottom of the kung fu ladder can jumpt to the top if they are honest and find the right ways (often unintentional or coincidental) to unearth their hidden talent.

And if you don’t know, the names of some of the main characters are just common nouns: Shifu means a (kung fu) teacher, and Oogway means a tortoise.

My favorite quote: There is NO secret ingredient.

My favorite sequence? the ham bao training session between Po and Sifu.

My favorite jokes: the acupuncture scene, with the climax of hitting the wrong acupuncture point.

My most heart wrenching moment? When Tai Lung, with flame in his paws, leaping at his teacher and adopted father, roaring: What I ever did, I did to make you proud! TELL ME HOW PROUD YOU ARE, SIFU!