Kung Fu Panda
Directed by Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
TheoScope Rating
Worldview · content · moral framework
Plot
It's the story about a lazy, irreverent slacker panda, named Po, who is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around...which doesn't exactly come in handy while working every day in his family's noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po's dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five -- Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey -- under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it's up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality? Po puts his heart - and his girth - into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths.
Discern Score Breakdown
30%
30%
25%
15%
Audience Suitability
Kids
Under 10
Teens
10–17
Adults
18+
Family
Mixed ages
Content Flags
Kung Fu Panda is a well-crafted animated adventure that affirms perseverance, humility, and inherent worth through an entertaining and emotionally resonant story. Its worldview is broadly positive but grounded in Eastern philosophical tradition rather than Christian or even theistic values, making it a fine film for families who engage it critically. It carries no objectionable content of significance and stands as one of the better family films of its era.
Pastoral Take
Kung Fu Panda is a genuinely enjoyable and largely wholesome film that families with children of nearly any age can watch together without concern about objectionable content. Parents of younger children (under 5) should know that Tai Lung's prison break and a few intense battle sequences may be briefly frightening. The film's biggest conversation opportunity is its spiritual framework — it teaches children that the source of greatness is belief in yourself, which is a very different message than the gospel's teaching that our worth and strength come from God; that's worth a five-minute conversation after the credits roll, and this guide's discussion questions are a good place to start.
Discussion Points
- 1When Master Oogway tells Po 'There are no accidents' and later says the Dragon Scroll's power comes from believing in yourself — do you think that's true? The Bible says our worth comes from being made by God and loved by Him (Psalm 139). How is that different from what the movie teaches, and does it matter?
- 2Tai Lung trained his whole life to be the Dragon Warrior, but his pride and hunger for recognition destroyed him in the end. Can you think of a story in the Bible where someone's pride led to their downfall? What does the Bible say about where pride leads (Proverbs 16:18)?
- 3Po's dad eventually reveals that the secret ingredient in his famous noodle soup is 'nothing' — that the secret is believing it's special. Po takes this lesson to heart. But as a family, what do we think actually makes a person special — is it something inside us, or something outside us, like how God sees us?
- 4Master Shifu blamed himself for Tai Lung's choices because he didn't raise him well. Do you think a parent is responsible for the bad choices their grown-up children make? What does the Bible say about forgiveness — both forgiving others and forgiving yourself?
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Cast
Jack Black, Ian McShane, Angelina Jolie
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