Kung Fu Panda 2 Review

We went to the movies recently and saw Kung Fu Panda 2. The movie is very entertaining and has a positive message. I didn't expect the overwhelming adoption theme that is center stage in the movie. Early in the movie, Po, the Kung Fu Panda, begins to wonder about his story. He asks his adoptive father, Duck, where he was born and how he came to the Noodle House. Duck recalls a story of a little panda tucked into a radish crate. Duck took in Po as his son and raised him. Po is troubled about his past and continues to search for answers. He begins to have flashbacks and realizes that his biological parents loved him, but their lives were threatened and that is why his biological mother placed him in a radish crate on a cart bound for the city, in hopes his life would be spared. Po comes to find peace with his past and embraces Duck as his father.

I wish I would have previewed this movie first before seeing it with my kids! I don't think I would have shown my kids this movie had I known the language in the movie would be so confusing. Po refers to his Panda parents as his "real" mom and dad. He's upset that he was abandoned in a radish crate and left all by himself.

My eldest daughter was very emotional for 2 days after watching this movie, and I wondered how it was affecting her. I decided to sit down and read "Tell Me Again about the Night I was Born" by Jamie Lee Curtis. After reading the book I told each of my girls their adoption stories and how an adoption plan was made and their birth mother(s) chose us to be their parents. My daughters enjoyed hearing their stories and we continued on with the rest of our day. Later in the day, I made a point of telling my eldest daughter that movies are not good sources of adoption information. The next day, all was well again!

When Kung Fu Panda 3 comes out, my husband and I have decided to preview the movie first before taking our kids to see the movie. There was a hint, in this movie that the biological panda father would come looking for Po. I'm curious how the topic will be handled in the movie. I'll be interested in how they handle the topic of biology vs. adoptive family. Will they be balanced- or will there be a bias toward biology as there often is in the media. I know movies are meant to be entertaining, but I wish that they would be respectful when they take on subject matter that is very real to some of their audience members.