MovieChat Forums > Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) Discussion > Just watched the film for a second time ...

Just watched the film for a second time and the ENDING/SPOILER

posted 14 years ago by Slickguy2000
19 replies | jump to latest

Hey,

At the very end, when there show the Panda and Po's father, I am fairly certain it was an afterlife/heaven. I did not originally believe this, but someone on the board suggested it. I watched again, and they show the camera zoom far far away, and then a beam of light, and then Po's father speaking. I truly believe Lord Shen terminated them, but they live on peacefully in a heaven. If you watch it again, I think you will think this was the true ending, b/c this did not even occur to me the first time, plus it makes no sense that they escaped.

DS

[–] That-Minty-Freshness 14 years ago

Wow, I honestly never thought of that 0.0 I love how the IMDB boards help me see concepts in films I otherwise would of missed :)

I think I actually prefer that particular interpretation to the idea that they actually are alive, because Po has now accepted the fact that he's adopted and is very happy with the life he has. When I saw that cliffhanger with Po's father I thought that the film makers were making a mistake doing it, as its only going to cause complications in Po's life later on. I really hope that them being in heaven is 'the true ending'.

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There's something that doesn't make sense. Let's go and poke it with a stick!

[–] Slickguy2000 14 years ago

Hey,

Thanks for the response, and again, I did not originally believe/see this, but it was someone's interpretation on the board. I also concur with you, it will further complicate Po's life, and dragging the past/father issues out is a lousy idea. I felt it was all resolved really nicely in this film, assuming his biological father and Pandas were in a heaven like place. Assuming this conclusion, it is just perfect in my opinion.

DS

[–] MrPink08 14 years ago

wow thats a really good way of looking at it. the one thing i can see against is that if this was the afterlife wouldnt Po's father be with Po's mother?

In Brightest Day...In Blackest Night
Green Lantern
6.17.11

[–] Slickguy2000 14 years ago

Hey,

I suppose the father would be with the mother, but I am assuming the mother was somewhere else in the heaven like place.

Honestly, I think they left it opened ended. If fans took to the Po father storyline, they would have based the next movie on it, but if people just wanted something new, they would have produced new material. This is all contingent on if there is a third movie, and we all know the movie, for lack of a better word, struggled domestically, so time will tell. I think the film was just underrated, and lousy marketing caused it to struggle a bit. I also felt MegaMind was underrated, or maybe audience and critics are just starting to expect to damn much!

DS

[–] OneFilmLover 14 years ago

It's a very smart idea.

BUT..... since Dreamworks has some asinine idea of making SIX Kung Fu Panda films (with 2 underperforming though I would not be surprised if Dreamworks dropped the Mega-Franchise concept, especially since each film is only going to be more expensive than the last) I can promise if they do make another sequel it will be Kung Fu Panda 3: The Search for Po's Parents.

There. It's on the Internet. Thus it's official

[–] tony419 13 years ago

But if the dad is in heaven, why would he just realize at the end of the movie that, that his son was alive? Why then, why did't he know all along? But again, HOW did he know his son is alive, who told him in that far away place? I guess we'll just have to wait for the sequel to find out.

Now that we know who you are, I know who I am. - Mr Glass (from one of the best films ever made!)

[–] Bmfstunner 14 years ago

I read your post about Po's dad in heaven and as much as I like your creatitivty I can't help but disagree.

For the most part, people tend to overthink the most basic of concepts. If Po's Dad was in Heaven, then why did he think his son was dead? And why wouldn't Po be there with him, if he thought he was dead? We see the Father telling the Mother to go, but we never see him die, we do see the mother put Po in the radish crate and bait the wolves and Shen.

The easiest and most probable plot-line is that the Mother died and the Father thought they both perished by the wolves and Lord Shen thus he took the remainder of his people and seeked refuge far away to help his people prosper.

[–] Russell_Reyes 14 years ago

wow. that actually makes it a whole lot sadder. but, in a beautiful way. i think im going to believe that his bioDad really was in heaven until the threequel comes out. :')

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mpae 13 years ago

No, just no.
People these days look for a twist in absolutely everything. This is Kung fu Panda mate not Inception. Its a fun, easy to watch kids film with bits for the adults not some pseudo-intellectual thriller.
Someone has been watching too much Lost.

[–] strikebowler585 13 years ago

It's a kid's movie (mostly). If it were heaven, they would have made it really, REALLY obvious. I did notice the slightest bit of white at the last scene, which could signify heaven. However, it would have been completely obvious (maybe with a Harp musical cue and very white edges around the screen).

I also think it would have been mentioned that his father died. iirc, they showed the mother die when she left baby Po on the last flashback.

There also is the problem of how the father knew his son was alive. The future could be predicted in this movie, so the father knowing about his son being alive can be equally possible. There's also the problem of how he only knew from that moment on that his son was alive. I think it's connected to Po finally accepting the dad that adopted him. It could be a spiritual thing in the afterlife, or it could be the spiritual thing that connects live souls. I don't know. It could be the plot of the third movie (which they should make).

If it were heaven, I bet the father would know instantly that Po was alive. Just sayin'.

I only watched this movie once, so it's hard to draw conclusions.

[–] miruleyall 13 years ago

Its hard to tell if they will make another KFP.

I personally hope they dont, but hay while the goings good.

Insert @V@T@R

[–] adamsmo 13 years ago

The cloudiness sort of did make me think of some "heaven" idea, but also sort of not (since that is usually there in places like that)... I don't think he would have just realized his son had not died if that were case.

[–] Evaporatedcanejuice 13 years ago

Why would there be farmers tilling rice fields in the afterlife? The better explanation is that the surviving pandas (including Po's father) had escaped to some hidden valley nestled in the Himalayas like the fabled Shangri-La. The snow-capped mountains above the clouds made it pretty clear, and it's also consistent with Chinese geography.

[–] sadfilmophile 13 years ago

The dad's not in heaven,
(a)' cause they would've made it much clearer, as it is a children's film (as someone else has already said)
(b)' cause if Real Dad's dead then Real Dad would know that his child is alive - as Po wasnt also in this so called heaven (again, as someone else has already said)

Why did it only just occur to him that Po is alive? Well, the story of Shen being defeated by a Panda had only just now spread through the provinces. It makes sense that the way this Panda/Dragon Warrior saved Kung Fu and the way he defeated Shen caused his fame to spread very quickly, very far.

Why does the dad think this lone Panda/Dragon Warrior is his son? Possibly a painting/poster of the Dragon Warrior reached the village where Real Dad lives. They seemed to go out of their way to show Po in paintings and posters in this movie - leaving the door open for a poster/painting/children's novella to feature a likeness of Po. And Real Dad (being Real Dad) recognised Po from the 5 distinctive dots Po has around the moustache area...

Problem solved.

[P.S. People who've seen Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon,also set in China, will remember Michelle Yeoh's character talk about how novellas romanticised the life she and fellow travelling warriors lead.(Travelling warriors isnt the right term but I cant think of how to put it.) I got the impression the ballads/novellas were accompanied with illustrations. Do correct me if I'm wrong. (This is IMDb so, I'm sure you'll let me know if I'm wrong)]

LATE EDIT: just checked on google and the baby doesnt have those 5 dots like growup Po. OK, so when Real Dad says My son is alive he's being wishful and hopeful - in which case you dont even need him to find a picture of the lone Panda, just hearing the story could've made him all tingly with hope. Notice how they show him strighten up from a crouching position: that way we dont know what's on the other side and what prompted him to say what he says. (I honestly thought he was looking down at something in print.)