Angelina Jolie’s 15-Year-Old Comedy Is Crushing the Streaming Charts Right Now
Fifteen years after its debut, Kung Fu Panda 2 featuring Angelina Jolie has pounced back into the U.S. streaming Top 10, joined by two more franchise entries as the panda juggernaut takes over the charts.
Here's a little something for anyone feeling nostalgic – or maybe just running out of things to watch with the family. The Kung Fu Panda movies are suddenly a hot ticket on streaming again, somehow snagging three slots in Peacock's movie Top 10. That's right, all three of them, with the second movie – yep, the one with Angelina Jolie on the voice cast – practically leading the pack 15 years after it first hit theaters. Apparently, the plucky panda is having a streaming renaissance.
Kung Fu Panda's Streaming Comeback
According to Flix Patrol's data (April 22 update), Kung Fu Panda 2 is sitting pretty at #2 on Peacock's most-watched films in the U.S. It was even the #1 movie on April 21, so if you logged on then, that's what half the households were watching. Meanwhile, the original Kung Fu Panda is hanging on at #4, and Kung Fu Panda 3 rounds out the trilogy at #5. Basically, it's Panda-mania in Peacock-land right now.
What's the Deal with Kung Fu Panda, Anyway?
For anyone who somehow dodged these movies until now: The franchise centers on Po, a bear whose main skills are eating and goofing off, but who winds up being chosen as the mythical Dragon Warrior. The first film is your classic zero-to-hero story. The wise (and turtle-shaped) Grand Master Oogway picks Po over every actual kung fu expert, and with some help (and tough love) from Master Shifu, Po ends up defeating the fearsome Tai Lung.
By the sequel, Po is finally the Dragon Warrior, teamed up with the Furious Five, and facing a new villain – Lord Shen (a particularly evil peacock, if you like your animal metaphors obvious). Shen's got a weapon that could wipe out kung fu itself. Po also gets a little existential: KFP2 digs into Po's backstory, answering why a panda is being raised by a noodle-selling goose. (Short answer: childhood trauma, but presented in a way that doesn't require therapy.)
The third film brings Po's long-lost dad into the mix. He also deals with General Kai, an undead yak who wants to steal everyone's mystical chi. Because by the third film, we're just rolling with it.
The Star-Studded Voices Behind the Pandamonium
- Jack Black as Po (the panda hero prone to accidental wisdom)
- Angelina Jolie as Tigress (the straight-faced butt-kicker)
- Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu (wise, cranky mentor)
- Randall Duk Kim as Oogway (turtle sage)
- Jackie Chan as Monkey (a monkey who is, well, Jackie Chan)
- Ian McShane as Tai Lung (the original Big Bad)
- Gary Oldman as Lord Shen (seriously, Gary Oldman plays a peacock)
- J.K. Simmons as General Kai (villain with a very distinctive voice)
And that’s just the highlights. If you want evidence that DreamWorks threw serious star power at these movies, here it is.
Could've Been a Spoof, But Got All Touchy-Feely Instead
Here’s a bit of trivia you might not know: The first Kung Fu Panda was originally supposed to be a straight-up parody. But co-director John Stevenson, apparently a big martial arts fan himself, pushed for something more character-driven and heartfelt. So, instead of pure jokes, we got a series that’s as invested in cartoon fisticuffs as it is in grappling with some unexpectedly heavy emotional material for a kids' movie (parental abandonment issues, anyone?).
In Case You Care About Release Dates, Box Office, and Reviews
The timeline looks like this: Kung Fu Panda (the OG) debuted on June 6, 2008. The second hit theaters on May 26, 2011. Kung Fu Panda 3 wrapped things up (for now) on January 29, 2016. In total, the trilogy pulled in a ridiculous $1.8 billion globally.
And critics actually liked them, too. On Rotten Tomatoes, Kung Fu Panda and the third movie both landed at 87% with critics, while KFP2 sits at a still-solid 82%. Basically, most people (and apparently a lot of streamers) are still on board with watching a goofy panda kick some animated butt.
If you haven’t rewatched these in a while, or if your kids weren't born the first time around, maybe now’s the time to see why Po and his gang are trending all over again.