History WesternAnimation / KungFuPanda

** Trying to climb the stairs up to the palace to get to the tournament of the Dragon Warrior. It takes him a painfully long time to climb barely a half-a-dozen steps, forcing him to leave behind the cumbersom noodle cart that was holding him back. And by the time he reaches the top, the tournament is underway and the doors to the palace are shutting.

* BeyondTheImpossible: When Tai Lung escapes, there's a moment where he jumps on falling rocks at a rate faster than at which they're falling, and fighting against gravity. This allows him to reach the prison's stalactites, and the dynamite attached to them. Vachir goes ThisIsGonnaSuck.

--> '''Tai Lung:''' ''Our battle will be '''legendary!'''''

** The Five ambush Tai Lung on the bridge, gang up on him from every direction, tie him up, cut the bridge, and drop him into the gorge. They straight up try to end the fight as quickly as possible, because he's ''that big a threat''.

%%* DeadlyDodging

* DoorstopBaby: Tai Lung was found by Shifu at the door of Jade Palace.
* DoItYourselfThemeTune: Jack Black sings "Kung Fu Fighting" with Cee-Lo Green during the end credits.

* FatalFlaw: {{Wrath}} for Tai Lung. After decades of demanding training from Shifu who assured him that he was going to be the Dragon Warrior, Tai Lung is furious at being denied the Dragon Scroll. Not even years in prison tempered his anger since his only thought upon escaping is to inflict his vengeance on the valley of Peace. Even when [[spoiler:Po pauses in their fight to show sympathy about him not understanding the scroll, he responds in anger rather than face his failure]].

* HandicappedBadass: During a flashback we see Shifu hesitate when attacking Tai Lung, allowing the leopard to deflect his kick and break his leg. Shifu has needed a cane ever since although he's still a capable warrior who fought and defeated the Furious Five all by himself in a training session.

* HitFlash:
** Po gets one when he crashes into the exhibition/ceremony.
** Later, the Furious Five get one when Tai Lung defeats them on the bridge.
* HitStop: The movie loves to use this trope, whether it be playing it straight, parodying it, or [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs doing both]]. Take for example the scene where [[spoiler:Tai Lung and Po are [[StaircaseTumble falling down the]] AbsurdlyLongStairway, and the scene slowing down as when Tai Lung hits his face particularly hard. Becomes a {{Parody}} when the scene, still in slow-mo, shows Po landing ass first on Tai Lung's head]].

** Trying to climb the stairs up to the palace to get to the tournament of the Dragon Warrior. It takes him a painfully long time to climb barely a half-a-dozen steps, and by the time he reaches the top, the tournament is underway and the doors to the palace are shutting.

*** Also, at the start of the escape when Vachir sees that Tai Lung has broken the shell restraining him and screams, "OH NO!"

-->'''Po:''' "''Oh-ho-ho! My tenders!''"

'''[[spoiler:Po]]:''' [[spoiler:No, he didn't. ''[cue Tai Lung's relieved face]'' ''I figured it out''. [cue Tai Lung panicking] Skadoosh! ''[CriticalExistenceFailure ensues]'']]

* FreudianExcuse: Tai Lung [[spoiler:feels his adoptive father turned on him and let Oogway deny him his destiny, after years of love and support]].
* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: Zigzagged. Shifu tells Tai Lung this when the latter calls him out for preparing him for a destiny that he ultimately couldn't have, and allowing Oogway to deny him the Dragon Scroll. Shifu points out that he didn't "let" Oogway refuse Tai Lung; you have to obey your master no matter your personal judgement, and just because your pride is wounded doesn't mean that you betray those who are under your protection. Yet, when Tai Lung retorts that Shifu gave him TrainingFromHell and made him believe he was special, Shifu concedes the point; he says he loved Tai Lung too much to deny him anything.

--> '''Po:''' "''Oh-ho-ho! My tenders!''"

* HitStop: The movie loves to use this trope, whether it be playing it straight, parodying it, or [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs doing both]]. Take for example the scene where [[spoiler:Tai Lung and Po are [[StaircaseTumble falling down the]] AbsurdlyLongStairway, and the scene slowing down as when Tai Lung hits his face particularly hard. Becomes a {{Parody}} when the scene, still in slow-mo, shows Po landing ass first on Tai Lung's head.]]

-->'''Ping:''' We are noodle folk. Broth runs deep through our veins.
-->'''Po:''' I don't know Dad. Honestly, sometimes I can't believe I'm actually your son.
-->'''Ping:''' [''looking sheepish''] Po, I think it's time I told you something I should have told you a long time ago... ... the ''secret ingredient'' in my Secret Ingredient Soup.

* TheStinger: The final shot of the film after the credits is [[spoiler:Po and Shifu sharing a quiet moment with some dumplings -- and a peach tree beginning to grow where Shifu and Oogway had buried the pit.]]

* SuperSenses (Hearing): Shifu, presumably a riff on his large ears.

* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler:Upon meeting Po for the first time, Tai Lung laughs and says, "What are you gonna do, sit on me?" Cue Po literally ''sitting'' on Tai Lung's head during their stairway tumble seconds later]].

** There is no bad students; only a bad teacher.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Then there's the scene right after Po falls out of bed and wakes up from his ParodySue DreamSequence. He tries to get up, but has trouble due to his weight, causing a lot of banging. When Mr. Ping later demands to know what he was doing, Po has to explain, rather uncomfortably, that he was having a strange dream.

* FiveManBand: The Furious Five, as of the first portion of the movie where they don't accept Po as one of theirs, form a team of five (as their name states). Tigress is considered by all of them to be a leader-figure who works with the four others -- Monkey, Crane, Mantiss, and Viper -- and their vastly different fighting styles and skillsets.

* FingerPokeOfDoom: Comes in two flavours - the Wuxi Fingerhold for Shifu [[spoiler:and Po]] and a paralyzing nerve strike for Tai Lung and Oogway.

* FiveManBand: The Furious Five, as of the first portion of the movie where they don't accept Po as one of theirs, form a team of five (as their name states). Tigress is considered by all of them to be a leader-figure who works with the four others - Monkey, Crane, Mantiss, and Viper - and their vastly different fighting styles and skillsets.

** Oogway briefly mentions [[spoiler:that he feared he wouldn't live to see the Dragon Warrior selection day. He does, luckily, but later dies - as in, ascends to the Spirit Realm in a storm of petals]].
** Shifu mentions that the key to kung fu is turning your opponents' strength against him - foreshadowing how in the final battle, Tai Lung's blows cause Po to bounce back and hit him with equal force.

* SecretIngredient: The "Secret Ingredient Soup" [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope doesn't have one]] - the only secret ingredient is its maker's skill.]]

--> '''Oogway:''' "You eat when you're upset."

* WhenYouSnatchThePebble: The ending of Po's TrainingMontage has Shifu serve Po a bowl of dumplings and tell him that he's free to eat - only to repeatedly snatch them as Po tries to eat them, eventually going through ten in just two seconds. It's after a few dumplings that Po realizes his training isn't over just yet, resulting in a FightForTheLastBite.

* WilhelmScream: The last Rhino Guard on the bridge makes one as Tai Lung throws him into another guard.

* FiveManBand: The Furious Five.
** TheLeader: Tigress, who is stern, levelheaded and gives the orders.
** TheLancer: Monkey, who is laidback and goofy.
** TheBigGuy: Mantis, the strongest of the group ([[PintsizedPowerhouse Oh, the irony]]).
** TheSmartGuy: Crane; perhaps "mature guy" is more appropriate.
** TheChick: Viper, who is sweet-tempered and wears flowers on her head.
** SixthRanger: [[spoiler:Po, by the end.]]

* EnthusiasmVsStoicism: The fact that Po is so ''enthusiastic'' about learning kung fu, combined with his self-esteem issues keeping him from actually making any headway, leads TheStoic Tigress to assume he's treating everything as a joke, [[SadClown when the truth is far more somber]].

* ElephantInTheRoom: Po's father is a goose, but it's never even acknowledged by any of the characters in the first film. It's subtly referenced at a scene near the end: Po says he sometimes "can't believe I'm really your son!" because they're such different people. There's an awkward pause, and his father tells him there's "something he should know"... and it turns out [[spoiler: he's just telling him the secret ingredient of his secret ingredient soup]]. It is a plot point in [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2 the sequel]], though.

*** In a more minor example, when Shifu sends Zeng the goose to Chor-Ghom, Zeng briefly hits a pillar and a few feathers fall off showing that he is molting. [[spoiler: Tai Lung uses one to pick the lock of his imprisonment.]]

* HitStop: The movie loves to use this trope, whether it be playing it straight, parodying it, or [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs doing both]]. Take for example the scene where [[spoiler: Tai Lung and Po are [[StaircaseTumble falling down the]] AbsurdlyLongStairway, and the scene slowing down as when Tai Lung hits his face particularly hard. Becomes a {{Parody}} when the scene, still in slow-mo, shows Po landing ass first on Tai Lung's head.]]

* MentorOccupationalHazard: [[spoiler: Played straight for Oogway, who ascends and leaves Shifu in his place, and deliciously subverted for Shifu himself.]]

* TheParalyzer: Tai Lung's nerve strike, which he learned from Oogway. [[spoiler: Thanks to Po's {{Kevlard}} nature, it doesn't work against the Dragon Warrior, only succeeding in tickling him.]]

* SecretIngredient: The "Secret Ingredient Soup" [[spoiler: the only secret ingredient is its maker's skill.]]

* UnimpressiveProgressReveal: One scene has Po climbing the stairs to the temple. The scene cuts to the sun overhead shifting in the sky, then back down to Po who collapses exhausted on the stiars. Then the camera zooms out and reveals he's made it up about a dozen steps.
* UnlockingTheTalent: Shifu believes Po is a worthless martial artist at first, especially when he sees how poorly disciplined and comes in at ''level 0''. When he is forced to believe in him and train him as the Dragon Warrior because of his promise to Oogway, it occurs to him the problem may actually be his own fault. He begins training Po in a way that works, and Po goes from a lazy, self-loathing panda to an competent kung-fu fighter in very little time.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Vachir's own arrogance in the security of his prison leads to Tai Lung escaping. When Vachir boastfully slaps Zeng on the back, it causes a feather to fall loose that allows Tai Lung to free himself from his shackles.

* WhatTheFuAreYouDoing: Po, in the first parts of the movie. While he actually ''does'' know what he's doing, as he's a fanboy who obsessively researches the subject of kung fu, he's too uncoordinated and out of shape to pull off the advanced techniques that more experienced masters can do.
* WhenYouSnatchThePebble: "''You are free to eat.''"
-->'''Po:''' AM I?!\\

* EarlyBirdCameo: Master Rhino shows up in this special [[spoiler: the same character who was only in the second movie for mere minutes before Shen killed him]].

* AnimalThemedFightingStyle: The Furious Five are a more literal case of this, as they are anthropomorphic animals whose fighting styles are based on real life animal form martial arts. Tai Lung, who is a snow leopard, uses the leopard style.

* ArcSymbol: Oddly enough, ''stairs.'' It's a fitting visual illustration for Po's entire character - he's so out of shape that it takes him a hilariously long time to get up any set of stairs, but he ''[[{{Determinator}} always]]'' reaches the top somehow. Each time Po has a major scene on a stairway, it marks an important milestone in his CharacterDevelopment:
** Trying to climb the stairs up to the palace to get to the tournament of the Dragon Warrior. It takes him a painfully long time to climb barely a half-a-dozen steps, and by the time he reaches the top, the tournament is underway and the doors to palace are shutting.

** Finally, he climbs the stairs again in the climax to rescue Shifu from Tai Lung. He's ''still'' badly out of breath this time - [[spoiler:but he wins the fight with Tai Lung anyway, because at this point he's learned that becoming a master of Kung Fu doesn't rely on physical strength alone.]]
* ArcWords: "There are no accidents".

** Tai Lung has too many incisor teeth
* ArtisticLicensePhysics: Mantis seems to be given SuperStrength as he is shown performing feats of strength that would be impossible for a human sized kung fu master, let alone an insect only a few inches tall. However, the biggest license is taken when he supports the bridge during the fight with Tai Lung. Regardless of his level of strength, he simply does not have the mass to be able to hold the bridge aloft.

'''Zeng:''' ''[after watching Tai Lung barrel his way through all of Chorh-Gom's security measures and guards and landing right in front of him]'' NOW can we panic?\\

'''Vachir:''' What's he gonna do? I've got him completely immobilized. ''[Deliberately stomps on Tai Lung's tail and laughs it off]'' Oh, did I step on the widdle kitty's tail? Aw.

-->'''Zeng:''' ''[after watching Tai Lung barrel his way through all of Chorh-Gom's security measures and guards and landing right in front of him]'' NOW can we panic?\\

'''Vachir:''' ''[tiny voice] Yes''.

* VileVillainSaccharineShow: Downplayed. While the "Valley of Peace" is not a SugarBowl world, it does represent the calm, tranquility of Chinese rural life. Tai Lung's escape casts a pall of dread over the valley as they await his return. Notably, his background music and motifs are dramatic and in a minor key.

---
'''Zeng:''' ''[after watching Tai Lung barrel his way through all of Chorh-Gom's security measures and guards and landing right in front of him]'' NOW can we panic?

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: Mantis seems to be given SuperStrength as he is shown performing feats of strength that would be impossible for a human sized kung fu master, let alone an insect only a few inches tall. However, the biggest license is taken when he supports the bridge during the fight with Tai Lung. Regardless of his level of strength, he simply does not have the mass to be able to hold the bridge aloft. Justified, however, in that this is an AffectionateParody of kung fu movies, so a master can perform seemingly impossible feats through the power of [[RuleOfCool being a badass.]]

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: Mantis seems to be given SuperStrength as he is shown performing feats of strength that would be impossible for a human sized kung fu master, let alone an insect only a few inches tall. However, the biggest license is taken when he supports the bridge during the fight with Tai Lung. Regardless of his level of strength, he simply does not have the mass to be able to hold the bridge aloft.

* VictoryByEndearance: Po's main method of fighting against Tai Lung is to let Lung merely tire himself out with his fruitless attempts at injuring him, unable to paralyze Po due to his excess body fat and having every direct attack bounce back at him.