Going to the Movies with 80 Friends

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of going to the movies with about 80 of the Academy’s students, parents, and friends. The movie? An obvious choice: Kung Fu Panda 2. I had seen the original, not as an organized movie trip, but just as a fun trip with my friends (some co-workers) to give our inner 8-year-old a chance to have a fun day at the movies. I wasn’t disappointed with the first movie, and I can happily say that I really enjoyed the second!

These events are always a bit of a struggle to organize. How do you buy 80 tickets along with AMC’s ShowSnacks (we wanted to provide popcorn and drinks to our families), have a sign-in list and manage the logistics of taking care of the dozen or so children whose parents could only drop them off at the movie and couldn’t stay with them? Fortunately, thanks to the hard work of all of the ATK staff, we were able to pull it off with nary a hitch.

The movie itself was awesome. It was humorous, just as the first was, with some slapstick comedy, and some more clever humor for the adults in the audience. The most surprising, though, was the amount of emotional engagement we felt throughout the movie. It’s a great father’s day movie, as the theme throughout the movie is Po (the giant Panda voiced by Jack Black) trying to find inner peace by understanding his origins. From his interactions to his (obviously) adoptive father (a goose), to the mystery surrounding his real father the emotional charge is high. Even at the climax of the movie, emotions threaten to overcome even the most stoic moviegoer.  Or at least that’s what I tell myself to feel better about nearly crying when Po finally defeats the evil Peacock villain, or unlocks his mysterious past. 

All in all it was a really great, fun time. All the kids and parents had a blast, and it was a great positive movie with themes of family, teamwork, friendship, and, of course, Po’s fist ‘hungering for justice.’ Go check it out with your family for a great time! Also, if you're looking for something to do for Father's Day, this would be a good one to see with the family!