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Kung Fu Panda 3 Parents Guide: To Skadoosh or not to Skadoosh?

Posted by Andrea Updyke

on Feb 03, 2016, Updated Feb 16, 2023

We’ve been looking forward to Kung Fu Panda 3 for quite some time now, so when the day finally came to see the movie, my boys and I were out the door!

Now that the first month of the year is officially behind us, why not take a break with the kiddos and head out to the movies?

We had a nice long chat after the movie was over and I am excited to share what we thought. So grab some popcorn, sit back and enjoy!

Kung Fu Panda 3 – Updyke Family Review

Moviegoers: Mom (37), Oscar (7), and Calvin (4)

Family faves: Our current favorite movies are Night at the Museum, The Brave Little Toaster, and Star Wars. Pretty much any combination of humor and adventure is right up our alley.

Fave movies for grown-ups: Jerry and I love The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Zoolander for the same reasons. We like to laugh while we save the world. What more can I say?

About Kung Fu Panda 3

Po is back with his team of Kung Fu masters who must team up to stop a new foe that returns from the spirit realm to take over China. Newly reunited with his long-lost father, Po travels to the secret panda village to find himself in his roots. The plot is adventurous, fun and full of positive family messages.

What parents may like about this movie: As a mom of two, I’ve seen a ton of kids’ movies and the ones we keep coming back to are funny and heartwarming. Kung Fu Panda 3 is both of these with beautiful animation and an overall message that it’s better to find your own strengths than try to copy someone else’s.

What kids will like: Both of my boys loved Kung Fu Panda 3. The action scenes were exciting without being scary or sad and the laughs were plentiful. I asked Oscar (7) to share what he wanted people to know before seeing the movie and he said, “Nothing! I don’t want to spoil it.” But he did tell me his favorite (new) character was the Chicken Warrior. Beyond that, you’ll just have to see for yourself.

Calvin (4) had a lot to say about the movie. At his age, I really wasn’t sure how much of it went over his head. But when it was over, he retold several scenes that made him laugh. Younger viewers like him will probably latch on to the scenes in the panda village, which were cute, funny and quite silly at times.

Violence/scare factor: My boys were not scared but if you have little ones who are very sensitive, they may jump at some of the louder scenes. Kai, the villain, has glowing green eyes.

Concerns: The focus of this movie was a little bit more spiritual than the other two. There is some time spent in the “spirit realm” which may or may not go over your child’s head. But the bottom line is that the bad guy wants to take what makes each warrior special and keep it for himself and the good guys have to rely on what they bring to the team and work together to defeat him. Overall, it’s a good message.

Positive themes: As Po meets his real family, the father who raised him has to come to terms with it. It was a great little side plot about how more love is more for everyone. That along with the messaging of not comparing your strengths to others made for a very family-friendly film.

Sex/Romance: Nothing that stood out to me.

Bad language: Mild to non-existent.

In short, Kung Fu Panda 3 is a solid movie that is fun for the whole family. For more views on King Fu Panda 3, check out Angela Hoover’s Mom’s Movie Minute and Tara’s Fandango Family review.

Have you seen Kung Fu Panda 3? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Skadoosh!

This post is part of a collaboration with Fandango Family. All opinions are my own. Check out more of our reviews on my entertainment page.