Martial Arts Professional Magazine

BEIJING, CHINA—During its first three weeks in China, Dream-works’ Kung Fu Panda, became the first animated movie to gen-erate more than 100 million yuan in box office revenues, totally 135 million yuan (approximately $20 million USD). A movie with $15 million in revenues is typically considered a big hit in China.

With the movie’s success also came controversy.

Zhao Bandi, a painter and designer who features pandas in his works, filed a lawsuit in Beijing against Dreamworks and Paramount Pictures, the distributor, asking that they make an official apology. He also called for a boycott of the film because it “exploits China’s national treasure and its martial arts.

”The “national treasure” is China’s giant pandas, and he feels the movie has hurt the Chinese people’s feelings because it was released shortly after the devastating earthquake in Sichuan Province, which is also the primary habitat for giant pandas. According to the Xinhua news agency, Kung Fu Panda’s release in Sichuan was postponed in deference to the suffering in the region, although it was shown in Chengdu, the provincial capital, and other nearby earthquake-ravaged cities within a few days. According to Zhao, Po the Panda’s green eyes are a symbol of evil and do not accurately represent a Chinese panda. He also wanted Dreamworks to explain why Po’s father in the movie is a duck, instead of a panda. Many Chinese citizens have accused Zhao of self-promotion, and the real purpose behind his