"Frankly, Kung Fu Panda is just a straight-up parody of Kill Bill. In every way!"
Quentin Tarantino has accused Kung Fu Panda of ripping off Kill Bill.
Directed by Tarantino, Kill Bill was released in 2003 with its sequel Kill Bill 2 following up in 2004. The violent martial art films star Uma Thurman as the Bride who seeks revenge on a team of assassins who tried to kill her and her family.
DreamWorks’ animated film Kung Fu Panda first hit our screens in 2008 with sequels Kung Fu Panda 2 and Kung Fu Panda 3 being released in 2011 and 2016 respectively. The animated franchise centres on a panda named Po, voiced by Jack Black, who turns to be a kung fu master.
In an interview with BBC Radio 1, Tarantino was asked about films referencing his work. When talking about Kill Bill, Tarantino discussed how Tomoyasu Hotei’s instrumental track ‘Battle Without Honor or Humanity’ “became the Kill Bill theme” and how it has since been used in other films. “When they used it for Shrek 3,” he said, “I can’t believe this has passed on into Shrek!”
He then went on to say that Kung Fu Panda was a Kill Bill rip off. “Frankly, Kung Fu Panda is just a straight-up parody of Kill Bill. In every way!” Tarantino said, adding that he actually benefits from it. “They’re doing me a favor. They’re keeping me pop-culturally relevant. Priceless.”
Whilst we will never know if the wuxia-inspired kids’ cartoon had ripped off the R-rated bloodbath slasher, it Tarantino certainly thinks so.
In other news, Tarantino has recently come under fire from Bruce Lee‘s daughter Shannon Lee for his portrayal of her father in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.