Finally, finally, finally I watched KUNGFU PANDA. Can I just say that animated films follow the Blake Snyder beat sheet to a T. Or it seems. And this one was no different.

And yes, as I watched, I picked out all the different elements. #plotnerd Because that’s what I do for fun. My husband even joins in sometimes.

BUT, I walked away from this movie with three lessons.

1. As I watched the training sequence, I understood why last year my sons kept grabbing themselves saying, “Oh, my tenders.” Yup. I totally get it now.

2. I didn’t buy that this obese Panda could become a Kungfu master just because he started to believe in himself. He trained, yes. But I think it was overnight. Maybe if they had showed a season or two passing, I might’ve bought it.

My husband argued that the Kungfu skills were buried deep within the Panda.

What. Ever.

But this fact didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the movie. I’m not a stickler with things like that.

3. I absolutely loved the scene when Po’s father, who is some kind of goose, revealed that there is no secret ingredient to his noodle soup. Po’s face lit up as he realized it was all about what he believed or didn’t believe.

And that was the moment he started believing he truly was the great dragon warrior. For what we believe can truly transform us.

So as a writer, I truly believe that self confidence plays a huge role in writing.

What do you think?