Kung Fu Panda 3 Review

            After such franchises as Shrek and Madagascar, the Kung Fu Panda series has proven to be yet another major money maker for famed animation studio Dreamworks with the first movie becoming a surprise hit and its first sequel surpassing it.  But recently, Dreamworks has gone through some massive restructuring with many animators being laid off and many of their movies jumping back and forth between release dates.

            So when this movie finally landed in the dreaded month of January, I (and possibly others) was concerned.  Not that every movie that comes out in January is bad, but the month itself is notorious for being the dumping grounds for some of the worst cinematic dog shit people have to suffer through (I'm looking at you Norm of the North and Fifty Shades of Black).  But, now that Kung Fu Panda 3 has come along, will it carry on the proud legacy of its predecessors or will it be an embarrassment on the same level as Shrek the Third?  Well, let's take a look.

            So Kung Fu Panda 3 follows Po as Master Shifu passes on the mantle of teacher to him, only for him to prove to be terrible at teaching.  Po also gets a surprise visit from his long lost father who takes him to a hidden panda sanctuary.  But trouble is on the horizon as an evil spirit named Kai has broken out of the Spirit Realm after collecting the chi of former Kung Fu masters and it's up to Po to teach his fellow pandas about Kung Fu in order to take on Kai.

            Now it's been almost a full 5 years since we last had a Kung Fu Panda movie and I was really excited to see where the story was going to head after the cliffhanger ending of the last one.  So what were my thoughts on the movie?  It's actually a really great addition to the series.

            The story works out much in the same way that Kung Fu Panda 2 did as it furthers the story rather than just rehashing details that we've already seen before like most other sequels do.  But, at the same time, it also throws in plenty of nods and references to its predecessors that I found to be very entertaining.

            Moving on to the animation in the movie, it is GORGEOUS to look at.  I've noticed over the course of each movie that the animation gets increasingly better with each entry.  They don't even just use CG animation but also incorporate silk screen art and paintings for several scenes.  I also really loved the animation that they used to portray the Spirit Realm it's just too beautiful to put into words.  This movie was a co-production between Dreamworks Animation and Shanghai based company Oriental Dreamworks and the animation really shows the collaboration.

            The action, like in the first 2 movies, is great as usual as well as an important message about being yourself rather than trying to be like others.  The movie even delves into some Eastern teachings regarding "chi" as the life force that flows through living things.  The comedy was well on point as one would come to expect from Kung Fu Panda.  I was laughing well throughout the majority of this movie.

            And finally, the villain, Kai, proved to be a very formidable adversary as an ancient spirit who has the ability to take away a Kung Fu master's chi and summon them as, as Po calls them, "Jade Zombies" or "Jombies".  For my money, I still think that Lord Shen was a better villain overall but Kai was definitely better than Tai Lung from the first one.  I remembered reading from somewhere that the creators were trying to go with a different class of villain for each movie.  The first movie had Tai Lung, the brawler villain, the second one had Lord Shen, the cunning villain, and this had Kai, the supernatural villain.  I feel like this was very intelligent planning on their part.

            However, even with these positive things to say about it, this movie isn't without its faults.  There was one scene early on where, after Po failed with teaching, certain characters were making fun of him behind his back.  I couldn't help but think to myself "Didn't we already get this out of our system in the first one with the Furious 5 making fun of him failing training?  Haven't the last 2 movies proven how great he is?  Why are we going through this again?"  It just seemed very repetitive and unnecessary.

            There's also another moment later on where they use the "Liar Revealed" cliche, which I believe to be the poison of kid's movies, and it is soo annoying to endure.  I would've mentioned this as a spoiler except for the fact that I saw it coming from a mile away and I was just waiting and waiting for it to finally come up and for them to get over it.

            And the last issue that I had with it, and this is really pretty minor, was this message that comes in close to the end about doing bad things as a way of what's best for someone.  I dunno.  Something about that kind of rubs me the wrong way and maybe some others feel pretty similar about it.  Still, I'm not them.

            Overall, Kung Fu Panda 3 is another solid entry in the franchise, continuing the story properly while giving us the same great action, comedy, and characters we've come to expect from the series.  I've heard Dreamworks' CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg, say that there are plans to make 3 more sequels to bring the series to a total of 6 films and, if this movie does really well, I'd like to see where they decide to go next.  For those reasons, I give Kung Fu Panda 3 a 4/5 stars.  Don't let the fact that this movie came out in January fool you.  Take the kids, take a date, hell, go see it by yourself if you have the free time.  This movie deserves all the support it can get.

            And that was my review of Kung Fu Panda 3 and, as usual, I'd like to know what your thoughts are about this movie.  Feel free to comment below and stay tuned.  In 2 weeks, I'll be releasing my review for the long anticipated Deadpool movie.  Until then, keep loving movies you guys.  Later.

Couple quick updates.

            Hey everyone.  David here again just dropping in to let y'all know of some new developments as of recently.  First off is that I'm pretty much all set for the Midwest Media Expo this coming April.  My parents bought the 3 Day Pass for me for my birthday as well as giving me some extra money to go towards food, I booked my reservation at the hotel just last month, and finally I booked my flight to and from Detroit a week or 2 ago.  Now all I have to do is wait for the weekend that the Expo finally happens.  April can't come fast enough.



            In addition to that, I have some news on the job front.  Just yesterday, I had a brief phone interview with the manager of one of my local Starbucks' in Springfield and he wants me to come in for a face to face interview tomorrow at 11:00 AM.  Hopefully, this'll end up leading to an actual job.  Any and all prayers would be greatly appreciated at this time.



            Aside from that, the only other thing that comes to mind is that my grandma left for Georgia last Thursday after spending the past several moths with us.  She says that she'll be back sometime around March or April, which I'm definitely looking forward to.  My uncle and his family (who my grandma is currently visiting) are trying to see if he can get time off to come up here sometime in the spring, but as of now there's nothing to report on.



            Anyways, I hope you guys had a great Christmas and New Years and I'll see you on the next blog post.  Later.

My Top 6 Favorite Movie Plot Twists

            What is it about plot twists in movies that fascinates soo many people?  They've been around for several decades and yet, even with some of the more terribly executed ones, people never seem to tire of them.  Why is this?  Because they're constantly both entertaining and surprising, that's why.  They catch you off your guard and cause you to question what you've been seeing this whole time.  This is often why some of the greatest plot twists need to be viewed multiple times to be fully understood and you often enjoy figuring out those small details that you might have missed during the first viewing.



            Like I've said before, not all plot twists are properly executed, but the few that are are too good to pass up.  So, with that said, I'm going to be counting down my Top 6 Favorite Movie Plot Twists.  For this list, I'm going to be focusing on plot twists that I've personally seen so if you don't see one of your favorites on this list, I'm sorry.  Another thing to point out is the fact that some of the more popular twists might be ranked relatively lower, but that is simply on account of the fact that they were spoiled for me before I could see them.



            Finally, it almost goes without saying that these plot twists reveal major plot elements to the stories they come from so if you haven't seen any of these movies, SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!  With that said, I'll reveal the movie title first and then the plot twist itself below the poster.  So with all that out of the way, sit back and enjoy my Top 6 Favorite Movie Plot Twists.







VI.  War Of The Worlds (2005)

Plot Twist:  Bacteria kills off the aliens.



            War Of The Worlds was a movie that I really wanted to see many years ago, but I didn't know it was based off of a popular novel by H.G. Wells.  I ended up reading the book before seeing the movie and I found both entertaining, especially their plot twists.  Aliens, believed to have come from Mars, start a full scale invasion on Earth, attacking its major cities.  After countless days of fighting back against the aliens to no avail, the aliens suddenly start dropping like flies.  The reason for this: their immune systems hadn't developed immunities to the microbes in our atmosphere.  Simple germs that mankind over thousands of years have grown immune to these aliens end up suffering fatally from.



            I was really shocked and pissed off to find out that WatchMojo.com had this plot twist in the "Dishonorable Mentions" category of their Top 10 Worst Movie Plot Twists video (Go read a fucking book you dumbasses).  I thought that it was pretty decent and I didn't see it coming.  The reason why I put it this low on the list, though, is because I was technically introduced to it through the book before the movie.  I know it might be cheating, but this is my list and I'm certainly proud to start it off with this.







V.  The Book Of Eli

Plot Twist:  Eli is actually blind.

            Many of you probably know from past posts that I'm a huge sucker for anything Post-Apocalyptic and The Book Of Eli is no exception.  The plot centers around the titular character (played by Denzel Washington) making his way across the scorched wasteland that is America to deliver the last remaining copy of the Bible to a secure location, fighting anyone who gets in his way with relative ease.  But the villainous leader of a small town named Carnegie (Gary Oldman), is seeking that very book in order to use it to rule over everyone.  He eventually gets his hands on it (getting fatally injured in the process) while Eli continues on to his destination where he has someone transcribe the entire Bible which he had memorized.  And Carnegie?  Well, after finally opening the Bible he stole, he discovers that it's written entirely in Braille.  That's right.  Eli was blind this whole time.



            This is a twist that I found particularly interesting as I feel like it brings up a lot of questions about faith, particularly about walking by faith and not by sight.  It was definitely something that I never expected.







IV.  Unbreakable

Plot Twist:  Elijah Price (AKA Mr. Glass) is the villain.



            M. Night Shyamalan has certainly been the butt of many jokes for quite a while now (although there are many who believe he's returned to form with his recent movie The Visit), but many people forget how great he used to be back at the turn of the millennium and Unbreakable is a very good example of that.



            Bruce Willis' character is the sole survivor of a train crash, walking away without a scratch.  Filled with questions about what happened to himself and why he was the only one to walk away unharmed, he meets Elijah Price (Samuel L. "Mothafuckin" Jackson), a man who suffers from a rare condition that causes his bones to break easily, earning him the nickname "Mr. Glass".  He reveals to Willis that he lives in a world of heroes and villains and that he has abilities (super strength, invulnerability, and the ability to sense when people have committed crimes through physical contact with them) and even a weakness (water) much like any other superhero.  Elijah serves as his mentor throughout the film until the end where Willis touches his outstretched hand and discovers the shocking truth:  Elijah was the cause of many disasters, including the train crash Willis was in, resulting in the deaths of countless innocents in his attempt to find the indestructible hero, the yang to his yin if you will.



            Unbreakable was a movie that I didn't end up seeing until around 2006-2007, years after it came out and I'm surprised that I managed to go that long without having the ending spoiled for me.  Even people who have mixed feelings about the movie in general can't deny that this was a very cleverly put together surprise.







III.  Wreck-It Ralph

Plot Twist:  King Candy was Turbo this whole time.



            Of all the movies to have a plot twist in them, a Disney movie was the one I was least expecting.  But we got a doozy of one with Wreck-It Ralph.  When Ralph "game jumps" in an attempt to get a medal, the term "going Turbo" is brought up by several characters.  It's soon revealed that the phrase was coined when a video game character named Turbo, the hero of racing game Turbo Time, abandoned his game to try to take over another racing game that stole his thunder, resulting in both games and himself being put "Out Of Order"... or so everyone else thought.  During the race in Sugar Rush, glitch Vanellope ends up in a fight with King Candy, who it was revealed took over Sugar Rush after attempting to delete Vanellope's code (as she was originally a racer) resulting in her becoming a glitch.  During the fight, Vanellope touches King Candy and starts glitching out, which results in the revelation that King Candy was actually Turbo.



            Unlike most movies on my list, this one I had the pleasure of enjoying in a theater.  The first time I actually saw it, I took my then 6 year old brother to see it with me.  When the twist was finally revealed, I accidentally just blurted out "Holy Shit!!!", completely forgetting that I was in a theater with other young kids, but no one else seemed to notice so I guess it all worked out in the end.







II.  The Sixth Sense

Plot Twist:  Dr. Malcolm Crowe was dead throughout the film's majority.



            This is the movie that everyone recognizes as the first in a long line of Shyamalan movies that would incorporate plot twists and I believe many would say that it definitely kept plot twists going as there would be many other movies in the following several years that would make use of them.  The first Shyamalan movie to star Bruce Willis as the lead before Unbreakable, The Sixth Sense centers around child psychologist, Dr. Malcolm Crowe, who, early on in the movie, is shot by one of his former patients before said patient turned the gun on himself.  About a year later, Crowe takes on another case involving a young boy named Cole (Haley Joel Osment) who can "see dead people".  Crowe tries to help Cole all while his marriage appears to be falling apart as his wife seems distant from him.  But at the end, the shocking truth is revealed: Crowe died from the gunshot wound that night and has been lingering as a ghost this entire time.



            I saw this movie for the first time about a year or so before seeing Unbreakable and, once again, I was lucky that I managed to go all those years without anyone spoiling the twist for me.  This is definitely a movie that benefits from multiple viewings as you get to pick up on those little nuances and realize that Cole is the only one who interacts with Malcolm because he's the only one who can see him.  Malcolm even wears the exact same shirt the entire time as the one he wore when he was murdered.  It's fun little things like that that make this one of the great plot twists of all time.







            Before my favorite plot twist is revealed, let's take a look at some Honorable Mentions.



Honorable Mentions:







Star Wars Episode V:  The Empire Strikes Back

Plot Twist:  Darth Vader is Luke's father.

            The Empire Strikes Back is often noted as the greatest Star Wars movie if not one of the greatest movies of all time.  Many great series' have at least one movie that people will refer to as the "Empire Strikes Back" of the series and with good reason.  It had great writing, great action, great romance, and one of the more famous twists where Darth Vader reveals to Luke that he's Luke's father.  Unfortunately, this twist was spoiled for me before I could see the movie, but it was still iconic and lead to the most famous "NOOOOOOOOO!!!" in movie history from Luke.  I don't care that WatchMojo.com had Darth Vader's "NOOOOOOOOO!!!" from Revenge Of The Sith as #1 on their list of Top 10 Movie "NOOOOO's".  As far as I'm concerned, WatchMojo.com can have my sincerest "Fuck You's" in the ass.

Planet Of The Apes (1968)

Plot Twist:  The planet is actually Earth in the distant future.

            This is another movie that I had the plot twist spoiled for me.  This time by my mom after she recorded it and said that I couldn't watch it at my, then, young age.  Still, this is very easily one of the first movies that comes to mind when people talk about great plot twists as Charlton Heston's character collapses on the beach in despair upon seeing the ruined Statue Of Liberty and realizing that humanity destroyed itself through global thermonuclear war.

            The 2001 reimagining by Tim Burton would try something similar, but ended up failing when it gave us "Ape-raham Lincoln".  Though to be fair, I give Burton's version credit that it was trying to stay close to the book with its twist ending.  It's just that the original movie was soo iconic and revolutionary that there was really no way to top it.  WatchMojo.com listed "Ape-raham Lincoln" as the #1 Worst Movie Plot Twist ever and I was like "Really?  I know it wasn't great, but you honestly put it at #1 instead of something like that dumbass plot twist in The Happening of the plants killing people off with airborne toxins which never even made the list much less the 'Dishonorable Mentions' category?  Fuck you, bitch!!!  The only plot twist that should be #1 on a list like that is a Shyamalan plot twist."  O.K. O.K. I've really gotta stop making fun of WatchMojo.com, but they make it soo easy.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Plot Twist:  Judge Doom is a "Toon"

            This is a movie that I mostly enjoyed for spectacle over story.  I mean, in what other movie are you going to see a piano duel between Daffy and Donald or see Mickey Mouse share screentime with Bugs Bunny?  This is just a very surreal movie as you get to see a lot of your childhood cartoon favorites interacting in the real world.  Unfortunately, the story isn't necessarily the strongest as it's pretty obvious that Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd) is the villain.  To quote The Nostalgia Critic from his Fantastic 4 review "His name is DOOM!!!"

            But what many people didn't see coming was that Judge Doom, a character who wants to completely destroy all the Toons with his nefarious substance known as "Dip", is actually a Toon himself.  Doesn't that make him kind of like the Hitler of this movie in the sense that Hitler was a Jew who tried committing genocide on all the Jews much like how Doom is a Toon trying to commit genocide on all the other Toons?  But not only was he a Toon; he was the same Toon that killed lead Eddie Valiant's (Bob Hoskins) brother by dropping a piano on his head years earlier.  Not to mention his high pitched voice would be sure to give you nightmares for plenty of nights in the future.

And finally...

Psycho (1960)

Plot Twist:  Norman Bates was "Mother"

            This is considered by many to be the grandfather of movie plot twists as we're introduced to the character of Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), the owner of a motel who's socially awkward and has an unhealthy obsession with his mother, Norma.  You don't know what to think of this guy as something about his happy, cheery demeanor seems a bit off.  The movie continues as Norma apparently murders Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), in the infamous "shower scene", and a private detective.  It's later on revealed that Norma has been dead for 10 years, murdered by Norman along with her lover, after which Norman developed a murderous personality based off of "Mother".  Sadly, this was another plot twist that was ruined for me, but it's still worth mentioning nonetheless.

            So I've gone through some pretty big plot twists both on the list and in the "Honorable Mentions" category and you guys are probably wondering "What could he possibly get to top this?"  Well, the answer just might surprise you.  So without any further adieu, my #1 Favorite Movie Plot Twist is...

I.  Frozen (2013)

Plot Twist:  Hans is a backstabbing traitor.

            Another Disney movie, I know.  I'm just as shocked as you guys that I have 2 Disney movies on this list.  But I feel like this movie really deserves to be brought up when talking about great movie plot twists as absolutely no one saw this one coming.



            Early on in the movie, after being locked away in the palace for most of her life, Anna leaps at the opportunity to meet someone after the gates are finally opened for Elsa's coronation and she quickly falls for the handsome Prince Hans of the Southern Isles.  Though only knowing him for about a day, she decides she wants to marry him, which doesn't sit well for Elsa, leading to an argument where her powers are revealed to everyone and she runs away to the North Mountain.



            After Anna goes after her, with help from ice merchant Kristoff, his reindeer Sven, and magical snowman Olaf, Anna accidentally makes it worse for Elsa resulting in Elsa accidentally losing control of her powers and striking Anna in the heart, which it's soon revealed by head rock troll, Grand Pabbie, that only an act of true love can save Anna.  Believing this to mean "true love's kiss", Kristoff brings Anna back to Prince Hans so that he can kiss her.  But when the 2 of them are alone, just as he's leaning in to kiss her, Hans pauses and with an evil smile states "Oh, Anna.  If only there was someone out there who loved you." before revealing his true intentions to take over the throne of Arendelle.



            Like Wreck-it Ralph, this was another movie that I had the pleasure of seeing in theaters, except this time I got to see it with my mom, most of my siblings, my aunt, 2 of my cousins, and my grandma on opening weekend in a packed theater, so when Hans spoke those 2 lines, everyone in the theater (including me) gasped.  Absolutely no one saw this coming as Hans seemed to be a pretty stand up guy up until that point.  He seemed to genuinely care for Anna's well-being and, when she left him in charge of Arendelle in her absence, he was shown to have great leadership skills as he tended to people's needs, passing out blankets and such.



            One of the reasons why this twist caught soo many people off guard mostly has to do with a scene early in the movie where, after Anna and Hans met for the first time and Anna had to leave to make it to her sister's coronation, Hans' horse accidentally caused him to fall into the water, but when he came back up, even with Anna having long since left, he was still smiling.  CinemaSins pointed this out as an error in the programming where his real reaction should've been much angrier now that Anna was out of sight.  Still, this was a very well executed twist, catching everyone off guard, which is why it's my #1 Favorite Movie Plot Twist.







            And that was my Top 6 Favorite Movie Plot Twists.  I hope you enjoyed it and, seeing as I'm sure to have left some major plot twists out, comment below what your favorite movie plot twist is and I'll see you on the next blog post.  Later.