save the cat! kung fu panda beat sheet · save the cat! ® page 1 of 10 ©blake snyder enterprises,...
TRANSCRIPT
SAVE THE CAT!®
Page 1 of 10 ©Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC 2008
Kung Fu Panda Beat Sheet
Opening Image
Po dreams of being a Kung Fu warrior. In reality, he is the adopted son of a noodle maker.
Theme Stated
Mr. Ping, Po’s dad, tells Po that we all have our place in this world. Mr. Ping’s place is in the noodle restaurant, and Po’s is in tables 2, 5, 7 and 12.
SAVE THE CAT!®
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Set-Up Master Shifu trains the legendary furious five – Mantis, Viper, Tigress, Monkey, and Crane – Po’s idols.
Master Oogway warns Shi Fu that Tai Lung, the vengeful kung fu criminal, will escape from prison and return.
Only the chosen one, the Dragon Warrior, who will be entrusted with the secrets of the Dragon Scroll, can defeat Tai Lung.
A ceremony to choose the Dragon Warrior among the Furious Five is announced.
As Po excitedly heads out for the Jade Palace to watch the ceremony, he is told by his dad that the ceremony is a great opportunity for Po… to sell noodles and dumplings (stasis=death moment).
Po struggles with his noodle cart and is locked out of the ceremony. Hard as he tries to get in the Jade Palace, he fails miserably at each attempt. As he’s about to give up, he straps himself to some fire
crackers and blasts into the air and falls right in the middle of the ceremony as Master Oogway is about to choose the Dragon Warrior.
Catalyst
Po is chosen as the next Dragon Warrior, much to everyone’s surprise.
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Debate
Po tells Master Oogway he is just there
to watch the ceremony. But Master Oogway insists he is the chosen one. Shi Fu disagrees with Master Oogway’s choice, calling it an accident. But Master Oogway tells him there are no accidents.
Break into Two
Po is carried into the Jade Palace by the villagers as the Dragon Warrior.
B Story
Shi Fu promises Po
that he will make him regret being chosen by Master Oogway.
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Fun and Games
Po’s first attempt to be trained by Shi Fu is a complete embarrassment. The Furious Five make fun of Po and Tigress tells Po he is a disgrace to Kung Fu and should leave.
Po tells Master Oogway that he should just quit. Master Oogway tells Po not to think of the past or future, just the present. Tai Lung escapes from prison, defeating 1000 guards.
Po surprises Shi Fu and the Furious Five by showing up early at the training facility the next morning.
One by one, the Furious Five and Shi Fu beat up on Po, in hopes he will quit and leave the Jade Palace. But Po tells Shi Fu a real warrior never quits.
Po learns that Shi Fu had trained Tai Lung, not just as a student, but as a son. But Master Oogway always saw a dark side in Tai Lung and never gave him the Dragon Scroll.
As Tai Lung tried to take the Dragon Scroll by force, Shi Fu couldn’t bring himself to defeat Tai Lung, forcing Master Oogway to take down Tai Lung himself.
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Midpoint
As news of Tai Lung’s escape reaches Shi Fu, Master Oogway, with his dying words, makes Shi
Fu promise him he will believe in Po.
Shi Fu stops Po from leaving the Jade Palace and asks Po to trust in him, despite how he’s treated him in the past. Po questions how Shi Fu
can change him before Tai Lung arrives. Shi Fu has no answer.
Bad Guys Close In The Furious Five leave the Jade Palace to stop Tai Lung against Shi Fu’s wishes.
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Shi Fu learns the way to train Po is through his stomach and begins Po’s training towards turning him into a Kung Fu master.
The Furious Five face off with Tai Lung but are no match against him and his nerve attack.
They return to Shi Fu and Po defeated.
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Their only hope now is in the Dragon Scroll and the secret within it to turn Po into the Dragon Warrior.
All Is Lost
The Dragon Scroll is blank. It holds no secret.
Po and the Furious Five are forced to evacuate the villagers to safety. Shi Fu will stay behind to hold off Tai Lung.
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Dark Night of the Soul
Po returns to his dad, who welcomes him back with open arms. As Mr. Ping tells Po that his destiny in the noodle world still awaits him, he confides in Po that there is no secret ingredient in his famous noodle soup. To make something special, all you have to do is believe it is special. Po looks at his reflection in the blank Dragon Scroll.
Break into Three
Po returns to the Jade Palace in time to stop Tai Lung from killing Shi Fu and dares Tai
Lung to take the Dragon Scroll from him.
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Finale Using what he’s
learned in his training with Shi Fu, Po thinks of food to stay one step ahead of Tai Lung. But Tai Lung is still able
to wrestle the Dragon Scroll away from Po.
Just like the others, Tai Lung is disappointed to learn that the Dragon Scroll is empty. Po tells Tai Lung there is no secret. Tai Lung
doesn’t get it and takes his frustration out on Po but his nerve attacks have no effect on Po’s fat.
Po fights back and finally defeats Tai Lung with the dreaded
Wushu Finger hold.
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Final
Image
The whole village celebrates Po’s victory. Mr. Ping brags to all that his son is a Kung Fu
warrior. The Furious Five call Po master and everyone bows in respect to him. Shi Fu acknowledges that Po is indeed the Dragon Warrior and is grateful to Po for finally bringing peace to the valley and to him – as long as Po can remain quiet while he rests.