Curtains finally rose on the highly-anticipated 3D animation 'Kung Fu Panda 3', in both China and North America today.
Jack Black, Angelina Jolie-Pitt and Dustin Hoffman team up once again for the third movie in this animated series.
Dustin Hoffman, the English voice of Master Shifu, says he hopes the movie will educate children about one's Chi.
"Now you are doing just an entertaining thing with the pandas and everything and chi, you explain to the kids let's say is your center--is the most vital part of you or and or your essence. And I think that's for me, at the grand old age 78, I think you spend a lifetime trying to find out your real essence."
Also for the first time ever, North America's fans can enjoy their hero speaking in his mother tongue, with a Chinese dubbed version of the movie to be played in several North American theaters.
This Chinese version was reanimated in order to make sure the characters' expressions match the Mandarin being spoken in the film.
It also contains some much deeper Chinese elements.
Fellow Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons, the ultimate villain Kai in the movie, highlights the importance of "finding" one's chi.
"It's a journey. Always looking and hopefully you find your Chi and feel like you are connected and in touch with it but it's not like you are then done. Like you sit back and go 'OK I did it, I found, so now I'm just going to sit here and revel in it.' I think you continue to grow and learn your whole life."
'Kung Fu Panda 3' has already pulled in 6.4 million US dollars in three hours for its advance screening in China on Saturday.