Ever since we accidentally came across the Kung Fu Panda 3 trailer some time earlier this year, my sons — aged 6 and 8 — have been watching it on loop on YouTube and going ROFL over Po’s antics — from the belly jiggle with his dad to the chit-chat scene with the yak. And, obviously, keenly waiting to catch the full action in the theatres. The latest instalment of the Kung Fu Panda movie lived up to every bit of their expectations, making them go LOL almost throughout the 95 minutes. Here are 10 scenes where they laughed the loudest...

1.The first scene of dragon warrior Po with the furious five — Tigress, Mantis, Viper, Crane and Monkey — and how they land up at Mr Ping’s noodle bar to order food. 

2.Following Master Shifu’s orders, Po’s attempt at teaching martial arts to the furious five and how he fails miserably and the class ends in an epic chaos.

3.Po’s bubble bath scene in which he fits himself in a small tub of soapy water and plays with the action figures. And later his adoptive dad Mr Ping comes and scrubs him with a brush.

4.The dumpling eating competition where Po meets his biological dad. The highs of this sequence: Panda dad’s mouth stuffed with dumplings (he’s the only one around who can eat more dumplings than reigning champion Po and, that too, at one go); the pigs’ reactions when Po discovers his dad; Mr Ping’s insecurity as Po finds his real dad and lastly, the belly jiggle between Po and his dad.

5.Mr Ping hides inside the lunch basket to accompany Po and his dad on their journey to the panda village, just to make sure Po is well-fed there.

6.How Po pauses during a fight sequence so that artist Pig can sketch him in a fighting pose. And on finding that the pose was particularly unflattering, Po asks for a repeat.

7. The panda village and Po’s introduction to the various inmates — his cousins Dim and Sum, the ribbon dancer Mei Mei who at once hopes to hook up with Po romantically, the hugger who gives bone-crunching hugs…. And how they roll instead of walk, to reach anywhere faster. 

8 .Po’s plans to defeat General Kai by forming his own panda army and how he trains them using all their strengths. So the hugger is trained to crush people, the ribbon dancer is trained to swirl weapons like she swirls her ribbons. 

9 .While strategising to prepare for Kai’s attack, Po uses noodles and breadsticks as dummies, which are gobbled up by the pandas pronto, frustrating the dragon warrior’s efforts. 

10.Po going chit-chat-chit-chat on meeting the jade-knife totting General Kai for the first time, before launching the panda army’s attack on him. That’s epic funny!

Smita Roy Chowdhury

 

MEI MEI IS A RIOT

What is not there to like about a film about plus-sized people being rock stars when you yourself are plus-sized and wonder what life would be like were you not judged for the way you look?! 

Kung Fu Panda was about Po realising that being fat and not fitting the bill did not mean he was not awesome, while Kung Fu Panda 2 was about Po accepting that he was fat and despite that, awesome. For me, Kung Fu Panda 3 was all about Po realising that being fat is being awesome. 

Did you see all the awesomeness that was the secret panda village? They used who and what they were to protect their village, rolling and hugging to victory. And Mei Mei? The best ribbon dancer in the world — “She’s amazing! She’s so beautiful” — is the awesomest of them all. If you don’t believe me, go to the DreamWorks TV channel on YouTube and watch Mei Mei talking about being “fit, fab and strong”.

Chandreyee Chatterjee

 

PO REMINDS ME OF MYSELF

As someone who loves animated movies, the Kung Fu Panda films are my favourite. Thanks to Kung Fu Panda 3, for the first time in my life, I got my lazy bum out of bed to catch a first day-first show. And I wasn’t disappointed. While the first two films were arguably better — my fave being 2 — the third has beautiful animation and 3D. All the spirit realm scenes are a visual treat. 
The characters are all so relatable. We all know a Po, a Tigress, a Shifu and a Mei Mei. Po the panda reminds me of myself — his food habits, hatred for stairs, his lack of confidence.... 
The best part about this film is the pandas, in all shapes and sizes. And so many of them! Saying it with humour, Kung Fu Panda 3 teaches important lessons without sounding preachy. That’s a total win!

Deborima Ganguly

 

SUPER FUN!

I love pandas, so much so that during my idle time I keep watching panda videos that make me smile. They are huge, cuddly and super-lazy and cute! 

Kung Fu Panda 3 made me smile ear to ear. I found a lot of it very filmi — be it the reunion of Po with his dad Li Shan, the badass villain Kai to the win of good over evil — making it a dramatic watch. I loved the pandas against the colourful landscapes, Mr Ping made me laugh with his antics, and the baby pandas called Dim and Sum were so much fun! The dim sum factor made such an impact that I ended my night having dim sums for dinner while rubbing my palms and hoping to generate chi. The background score by Hans Zimmer was superlative and Jack Black as the fearless and witty Po was the best thing ever. The 3D was on point too and I can’t wait to take my nephews for a watch.

Pramita Ghosh

 

LAZY YET HEROIC

Kung Fu Panda 3 is delightful because it isn’t just one giant, greedy panda bumbling around, there are many pandas of varying sizes, all so greedy that the volume of dim sum consumed during the course of the film will cause you no guilt for the large caramel popcorn you might be digging into. 
Foodies have an added reason to love this franchise — it never undermines gluttony and the perpetual state of hunger. If anything, Kung Fu Panda 3 reiterates the fact that one can be constantly ravenous, slothful and disorderly and still rally round to save the world. If one tries just a little bit — not all the time, but sometimes — one will be able to master one’s chi. So here I am lazy, dim sum-eating human, hoping to master being me. 

Ramona Sen