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Kung Fu Panda: Kid see movie, kid do movie
I ran across this odd little story by an Associated Press writer who took his child to see Kung Fu Panda, and - well, what do you know - every little kid in the audience turned into a mini kung fu warrior. Whod’a guessed it?
It’s not exactly news that kids imitate what they see in movies, and I reject the tone of the headline that expresses alarm that the movie may not be for kids. No animated movie worth watching is made solely for kids. I’ve heard it said that if an animated movie is being made only for children, it isn’t worth making at all. I thought Kung Fu Panda, one of DreamWorks’ best efforits, was great fun for audiences of any age.
Besides, the AP writer’s own story eases any fear that Kung Fu Panda isn’t suitable for kids. To reporter Josh Dickey’s credit, he did something that seems to be all too uncommon in child-rearing these days. He decided to actually be … a PARENT.
Instead of merely letting his kid run wild and chucking until he laid someone out flat, Dad took the time to explain kung fu in such a way that it wasn’t just a mindless attack. Therefore, the youngster wasn’t actually trying to hit anyone. Good for both father and son.
Still, we all know that kids are little parrots when it comes to movies. What incidents can you remember when your child imitated a movie - for good or ill? Were there any times when a movie actually taught them something - even if they learned the hard way?
And while we’re at it, I’d welcome any comments on Kung Fu Panda itself. Did you like it as much as I did?
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