Hero's Journey

Kung Fu Panda

     Po is chilling in his Ordinary World  living in day dreams of kicking kung fu butt and pretending to love the family business of noodle making when his Call to Adventure  sounds, in the form of a gong that announces the choosing of the Dragon Warrior. It could also be argued that Po's call to adventure is when he is chosen as the Dragon Warrior. Po was eager and willing to accept the call to the Jade Palace but before he left he did Refuse the Call to be completely open and honest with his father. (Later in the movie Po refuses the call to fight Tai Lung because the scroll was blank) Once Po gets to the Jade Palace he Meets his Mentor, Shifu. Shifu is his Kung Fu Master that is to make him into the Dragon Warrior. Po then is left alone to explore a part of the Jade Palace which I consider to be his Crossing the Threshold. Soon there after he is then Tested to see what skills he has or, more accuratly, what kung fu skills he lacks. Within that first day he finds Friends like Master Oogway and learns of Enemies that include Tai Lung and the enemy of his own struggles with Kung Fu.
     After Po learns that Tai Lung has escaped prison he rededicates himself to learning the martial arts. I see this training as his Approach. Shifu announces after many days of hard wark that Po is ready to obtain the scroll. It is quite the Ordeal when Po finally unreels the scroll and it is completely blank having only a mirror-like gold sheen and no words or magic spells attached. Po then feels that because he doesn't have the special dragon warrior power he thought he would that he cannot beat Tai Lung so Po returns to the city to help the people evacuate so they won't be hurt by Tai Lung's rage. Shifu is left to hold Tai Lung off for as long as he can. In the midst of all this Po realizes that it isn't some secret that gives you power it is believing in something that makes it special. This is his Reward. Po's Road Back could be thought of as either his trip back to the Palace the first time to fight Tai Lung or his second trip to help Shifu. After Po kicks Tai Lung's sorry butt he remembers that Shifu is still back at the Palace and when he finally reaches Shifu's side he finds Shifu apearing to be dead. The Ressurection  is when Shifu bolts upright and yells at Po "I'm not dead!..." The Elixir in this story is the lesson that Po learns about self-esteem.