The script potential of Kung Fu Panda 4 estimated from its PLOT structure is 130 – 177MM (actual 192MM)
The Plot structure will appeal to 3.41 – 4.73% of the population
Ideal Plot structure would have generated ~300MM in the domestic market
Kung Fu Panda 4 is an animated martial arts film from DreamWorks Animation. The story is about the dragon warrior teaming up with a bandit fox to take on the challenge of an evil sorceress. The plot structure of Kung Fu Panda 4 interweaves the quest of Prometheus with the conflict of Circe and Odysseus.
Evaluation of Kung Fu Panda 4’s Plot Structure
Mythological tales are stories that reflect our collective subconscious desires. Each tale represents a quest to fulfil a fundamental human need. By studying these tales, we can identify the various quests that make up a story, and the interplay between them creates the plot structure. The plot structures of blockbuster, hit, and flop movies over the years has revealed a code for crafting engaging stories. By applying this code to a movie's plot structure, any gaps in the script can be identified.
Kung Fu Panda 4's Plot Structure has been extracted using 3 universal quests which account for 85% of events in the script.
Adherence to the Mythosis Code
All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Kung Fu Panda 4 borrows from the three quests of Idealism, Tranquillity & Power
In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. In Kung Fu Panda 4, Po mirrors the quest of Tranquillity. Zhen mirrors the quest of Idealism. The Chameleon mirrors the quest of Power.
Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. In Kung Fu Panda 4, the depth of all quests is below the threshold. Zhen borrows 19% of the quest of Idealism. The Chameleon borrows 26% of the quest of Power. Po borrows 24% of the quest of Tranquillity.
Blockbusters interweave different quests to create a tight plot structure. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Kung Fu Panda 4’s quest interweaving score of 0.67 is above par. Here is an example of interweaving the quests of Po & Zhen:
Estimation of Kung Fu Panda 4’s audience appeal
The Mythosis Code reveals multiple facets of a story’s plot structure. For example, the relevance of a story is measured by the number and depth of quests used. Character consistency is measured by the number of quests they mirror. The depth of mirroring reflects character complexity. Story cohesiveness by the extent of the quests interweaving with each other. We measure the facets of the plot structure to ascertain the script’s audience appeal and potential revenue.
KUNG FU PANDA 4 has an innovative plot structure that interweaves the universal quests of tranquillity, power and idealism. However, it suffers from shallow character arcs since the depth of each quest is below the threshold.
The potency of the existing plot structure is 0.12 whereas Blockbusters has a score of at least 0.64. Based on the plot structure score, KUNG FU PANDA 4 will appeal to 3.41 – 4.73% of the population. Our estimate of the movie’s revenues from its audience appeal is 130-177MM in the domestic market.
Unlocking the potential of KUNG FU PANDA 4’s plot structure
Every mythological tale has 5 major arcs culminating in a mega event. Mapping a character’s quest to the relevant tale reveals the gaps in their quest. The ideal Plot Structure can be constructed by plugging these gaps with the missing events. These events strengthen each character’s journey and weaving of quests without altering the story.
Deconstruction of Kung Fu Panda 4’s plot structure using mythological tales:
Quest 1: Po mirrors the universal quest for Tranquillity
Po’s desire for Tranquillity stems from the need to be in secure surroundings. The tale of Odysseus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Tranquillity.
Quest 2: Zhen mirrors the universal quest for Idealism
Zhen’s desire for Idealism stems from the need for fairness & justice. The tale of Prometheus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Idealism.
Quest 3: The Chameleon mirrors the universal quest for Power
The Chameleon’s desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Circe from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Power.
Ideal Plot structure reconstruction
The ideal plot structure enhances the existing quests within the scope of the story. For Kung Fu Panda 4 it introduces the "Hermes ploy" wherein Hermes forewarns Odysseus and guides him to defeat Circe. The additional events from the "Hermes ploy" rectifies the character arc of Po as well as deepens Zhen's quest in the 4th arc.
The potency of the ideal plot structure is 0.27 which will appeal to 7.78 – 9.5% of the population. Our estimate of the movie’s revenues from its audience appeal is ~ 300MM in the domestic market.
Tags:2024, Character Arcs, Circe, Darren Lemke, DreamWorks Animation, Glenn Berger, Idealism, Jonathan Aibel, Mike Mitchell, Mythology, Odysseus, Power, Prometheus, Screenwriting, Story plot, storytelling, Tranquillity, Universal Pictures
