Kung-Fu Panda 2 Belonging

In the film Kung-Fu Panda 2, the extended metaphor of “Inner Peace” in the film symbolizes the need for a person to acknowledge their own weaknesses, their past and their faults, which conveys the importance of finding and accepting one’s identity. Furthermore throughout the film, there are various scenes where water droplets are dropping and flowing in slow motion, combined with flashbacks of the past, demonstrates the power of spiritual connections and nature. The importance of belonging and loving your family is also emphasised in Kung-Fu Panda 2.

Through the protagonist, Po’s, exploration of his true parentage, the power of common memories to influence the bonds between people is displayed. It is important to accept who yo9u are as it can affect where you belong and how you feel. When he questions his dad about his true parentage, saying he had a dream about his mother, his adoptive father, Mr. Ping, freezes and looks agitated, showing that he is scared that he will lose Po if the truth is revealed. Whenever Po questions his lineage, sad music is played, making the audience feel sympathy for Po’s turmoils.

Even after all the events that happens throughout the film, Po comes home back to Mr. Ping he says to him “I know who I am now, I am your son, I love you dad. ” While this is happening, there is soft and happy music playing in the background, showing that even though they aren’t blood related, they are still happy together. This is true belonging. Even though they have no blood relations, they are truly happy together and value each other’s company, showing that they belong together. This relates to belonging and accepting yourself.

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The importance of individuality in finding a role in society is emphasised heavily throughout the film. The film follows the growth of Po in his journey of achieving “Inner Peace”. In the film you see Po’s idolization of other Kung Fu legends displays his own inner emotional insecurity and spiritual turmoil. This is also reinforced through the technique juxtaposition, shown through Po’s fatness and Tigress’s hardened self. The need for you to accept your true self in forming meaningful relationships is shown through this.

It is shown through the dramatic irony of Po’s insensitive comment “I have to know, the hard-core wouldn’t understand” directed at Tigress, saying that she is unable to feel both physically and emotionally. The close-up shot of Tigress’s saddened and hurt face combined with the sad; non-diegetic music further incites the audience’s sympathy of Po trying to find out about his own individuality with Tigress stopping him. Throughout the film you also hear the metaphor of “Inner Peace” used excessively.

The phrase “Inner Peace” means to be spiritually and mentally at peace, with enough knowledge to keep oneself strong when under great hardship and stress. Throughout the film, Po is plagued by nightmares of his past and his own insecurity compared to Tigress and the others. In the beginning, Po witnesses Master Shifu moving a droplet of water all over his body without it splashing or breaking its form. When Po inquires how he did this, Shifu responds by saying “Inner Peace”. It is implying that having inner peace allows you to do things that are impossible, which is also shown when Po catches a cannon ball and throws it back.

In the film, having inner peace symbolises that you have accepted yourself for who you are, complete with strengths and weaknesses. By having inner peace, it is saying that you can achieve things that you couldn’t achieve before & to be able to find out where you truly belong. The director of this movie positions the audience to sympathise with Po through the demonstration of the fallibility of one’s memory, which is shown through the flashbacks and dramatic devices used as Po lies to himself. Po couldn’t accept his own self throughout the film, which draws in the audience to feel sorry and sympathise for him.

The differing perspectives of Po and his companions are comically shown through his fights with them. However, the audience is positioned to support Po though the uses of Mise-en-scene, as screen elements’ visual size are diminished whenever Po is in the screen. As Po zooms towards the audience and takes the centre of the screen, it enables the audience to see things through Po’s perspective. At the end of the film, Po is hailed as a hero & feels that he has finally found that he has been accepted by Tigress and the others. He finally feels that he belongs.

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