Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Screenplay Genre: Animation / Action / Adventure

Movie Time: 92 minutes

1. INCITING INCIDENT

Po (Jack Black), martial arts fanboy and heir to his father’s noodle hut, dreams of one day becoming a kung fu master. Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) decides that a new Dragon Warrior must be chosen when he learns that the dangerous villain Tai Lung (Ian McShane) has escaped from prison. Po arrives at the Jade Palace just as the doors are closing. Realizing that he will not get to see the impressive feats of the Furious Five kung fu masters, one of which is destined to be chosen, Po knocks on the door, climbs the walls, and finally—as his only option left—attaches firecrackers to a chair and shoots himself into the stadium. When he comes to after crash landing, he finds himself in the middle of the stadium with Master Oogway pointing at him. To the disbelief of Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and the Furious Five, Po has been chosen as the new Dragon Warrior. (00:15:00)

2. LOCK IN (End of Act One)

After failing miserably in his first day of training and overhearing the Furious Five joke about what an “impressive” Dragon Warrior he is, Po feels defeated. Master Oogway tells him, “Yesterday’s history, Tomorrow’s a mystery, but today is a gift—that’s why it’s called the present.” Po, realizing that only he can decide his future, gains a new resolve to continue.  (00:30:30)

3. FIRST CULMINATION (Midpoint)

Master Shifu, who has been trying to get Po to quit, argues with Master Oogway that Po was the wrong choice. Oogway tells Shifu that you cannot control the choices of the universe, but you can guide them into what they were meant to be. He has Shifu promise him that he will believe in Po, no matter what. Shifu promises and Master Oogway ascends into the heavens, gone from this world.  (00:45:00)

4. MAIN CULMINATION (End of Act Two)

After realizing that Po’s true motivation in life is food, Shifu uses it as a means to teach Po kung fu. When driven by food, Po is agile, flexible, powerful, and fast—a thousand times better than his first day. Under Shifu’s intense training, Po becomes a kung fu master. (00:58:21)

5. THIRD ACT TWIST

Shifu has decided that Po is ready to receive the Dragon Scroll and become the true Dragon Warrior, but when Po unrolls the Dragon Scroll, written upon it is—nothing. As a result, Peace Valley is evacuated, leaving Shifu to face Tai Lung alone. During the evacuation, Po’s father, Mr. Ping (James Hong), reveals the secret ingredient to the family’s Secret Ingredient Soup recipe. The secret ingredient is—nothing. Po, realizing there is no secret ingredient to being the Dragon Warrior either, rushes back to the Jade Palace in time to fulfill his destiny, defeating Tai Lung and bringing peace back to Peace Valley. (01:09:07)