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“If you only do what you can do, you will never be more than you are now”
It is a pivotal moment for Dragon Warrior Po in DreamWorks Animation’s latest computer animated film, Kung Fu Panda 3. In the third installment in the film series, Po is challenged mentally and physically to transition from student to teacher in order to defeat villain Kai, who’s sole mission is to steal the chi from kung fu warriors to further fuel his growing powers. Always questioning who he is, Po’s growth as the Dragon Warrior is complicated by the emergence of his biological father. While seemingly inopportune, Po comes to understand that in order to defeat Kai and find out who he really is, he must traverse to where he came from…Panda Village.
Jack Black returns once again as Kung Fu Master Po in Kung Fu Panda 3, infusing humor, heart and life into the film. During a recent press conference, Black discussed how he embraced his inner Dragon Warrior and why the film will resonate with families.
While prominent in the world of film and television, Black also has achieved success as a musician and is currently the lead singer for the band Tenacious D. His versatility as both an actor and a musician, in part, led DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg to approach him to voice Po. Hesitant to give up his “cool rock and roll edge,” animators working on the film put together a mock-up animation of Po using Black’s voice from High Fidelity. The realization that Black didn’t have to “Romper Room” the part was compelling, since he wasn’t required to do a “character voice.” “With this particular character, I was really just being myself…kind of a younger version of myself.”
Part of what makes Po so relatable is the humanity Black brings to his character. Always funny and appealing, Black conveys Po’s enthusiasm, likability and eagerness (Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson). Reclaiming his inner Dragon Warrior was easy for Black, who explains how he revisits his younger self when he’s voicing Po. “I just go back to a younger me, when I was starting my career.” Black sees Po as a young lover of kung fu and while his interests were of the rock and roll, they both share an “unreserved passion.”
In Kung Fu Panda 3, audiences finally meet Po’s biological father when they reunite in the Valley of Peace. One of the unique strengths of this particular film is the distinct relationship between father and son and how integral that relationship is to Po’s evolution as Dragon Warrior. Fatherhood involvement “is one of the great themes of the movie” and the coming together of a community to help Po conquer evil forces in the universe will resonate with audiences on a variety of levels (Black).
Visually immersive and possessing a type of depth not often found in animated films, Kung Fu Panda 3 will delight younger audiences with humor and action while inspiring important discussions about family, community and self-discovery.
Kung Fu Panda 3 debuts in theaters January 29th, 2016.
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