Rated PG (Sequences of Martial Arts Action
and Mild Violence)
Running Time: 1 Hour & 31 Minutes
Cast (voice)-
Jack Black-Po
Dustin Hoffman-Master Shifu
Gary Oldman-Lord Shen
Angelina Jolie-Tigress
Jackie Chan-Monkey
Seth Rogen-Mantis
Lucy Liu-Viper
David Cross-Crane
James Hong-Mr. Ping
Michelle Yeoh-The Soothsayer
Danny McBride-One-Eyed Wolf Boss
Dennis Haysbert-Master Storming Ox
Jean-Claude Van Damme-Master Croc
Victor Garber-Master Thundering Rhino
Fred Tatasciore-Po’s Father
Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson
 |
| Po and the Furious Five return for more awesomeness in "Kung Fu Panda 2." |
After viewing the horrid sequel “The
Hangover Part II,” I went into “Kung Fu Panda 2” with a bit of apprehension.
The original “Kung Fu Panda” stands as one of DreamWorks Animations best thanks
to its clumsy, lovable character, its strong, if familiar themes, and the
fluidity of the animation which produced some excellent action scenes. However,
when it came to sequels, they do not have the best track record and I think we
can all agree that the last two “Shrek” films were made from a business, rather
than a creative, standpoint. That’s not the case with “Kung Fu Panda 2” and
with newcomer Jennifer Yuh Nelson (who directed the original film’s hand-drawn
animation scenes) at the helm, this is a bigger, bolder sequel that ups the
ante with spectacular set-pieces, nimbly balancing the child-friendly slapstick
comedy with a darker, more mature storyline.
Long ago, peace reigned in Gong-Men City
under the rule of a family of peacocks, who used fireworks to entertain its
citizens. However, the son of the king, Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) discovered that
the fireworks could be used for destructive means and set his sights on
conquering all of ancient China. The family’s soothsayer (Michelle Yeoh)
foresees that Shen will be defeated by ‘one of black-and-white’ and upon
hearing this, Shen and his army of wolves attack the peaceful pandas of China,
killing many and driving the rest to faraway lands. Horrified by his actions,
Shen’s parents exiled him but he vowed one day that he will return. Back in the
present, Po (Jack Black) is living the dream as the Dragon Warrior, and
together with the Furious Five—Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan),
Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu), and Crane (David Cross)—they protect the
Valley of Peace from any and all threats. A group of wolf bandits arrive to
pillage the small town’s metal resources but Po and his friends arrive to save
the day. However, before Po can knock the one-eyed Wolf Boss (Danny McBride)
unconscious, he notices a symbol on his armor and has a flashback of his
mother. This distracts him and the Wolf Boss manages to escape. The stolen
metal is for Lord Shen, who is using it to construct numerous cannons to
conquer China. He confronts the three kung fu masters protecting Gong-Men City
and kills their leader, Master Thundering Rhino (Victor Garber). When Master
Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) learns of this attack, he sends Po and the Furious Five
to liberate Gong-Men City. However, Po discovers that Lord Shen has ties to his
past and knows of where he came from.
“Kung Fu Panda 2” wastes no time in
getting into the action with a thrilling battle between Po, the Furious Five,
and the wolf bandits but I was afraid that the film would end up being just a
series of fight scenes strung together with a flimsy plot. Thankfully, my fears
were unfounded and the story takes Po on the next logical step of his journey
by having him confront his past. I remember in the original film where Po
remarks that he can’t believe Mr. Ping (James Hong), a goose, is his father and
this prompted a slight hint of guilt on Mr. Ping’s face. It was a nice touch by
the animators that hinted at a larger story and it comes to the forefront here.
Po learns of where he came from and it is laced with tragedy. While it’s not
hard to guess the fate that befell his parents, Po’s journey here is to achieve
catharsis, to accept the past but not let it control him. The past does not
define him, it is the choices he makes here and now that makes him who he is
and it harkens back to Master Oogway’s advice: ‘Yesterday is history, tomorrow
is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present,’
allowing the themes from the original and this film to come full circle.
Returning writers Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger create a perfect foil in Lord
Shen, someone who is so obsessed with fighting fate that he is blinded by what
he has become. It’s amazing that the writers managed to stuff so many themes in
what is an action-oriented animated film and they deftly strike a balance of
not just entertaining kids for ninety minutes but also giving something of
substance to adults as well. There are several touching scenes between Po and
Mr. Ping, who fears that his son won’t see him as his father anymore because he
was adopted but one scene, which is a flashback and reverts to traditional
hand-drawn animation, is really moving and honestly brought a tear to my eye.
You’ll know it when you see it. “Kung Fu Panda 2” does end on a big cliffhanger
but don’t worry, the main story is resolved in the only way Po knows: in epic
awesomeness!
The animation, while it doesn’t set any
new technical standards, is still stunning to behold. The 3D is a nice, if not
significant, enhancement. The action scenes are fluid and it was a visual treat
seeing Po and the Furious Five working in tandem and fighting as one unit. The
main set-piece is a brilliant escape from a collapsing tower in Gong-Men City
as it is being bombarded by Shen’s arsenal of cannons. You can see all the debris
just flying in your face. However, I was a little disappointed with Po and
Shen’s one-on-one fight at the end but Shen is depicted as more of a thinking
man’s villain ala Lex Luthor rather than being physically adept at kung fu like
Tai Lung. Flashbacks are employed using the stylized, hand-drawn animation from
the first film.
The entire original cast returns with a
few notable additions. Jack Black is perfect as the lovable Po and there’s this
great moment that encapsulates everything about him. As he leaps into battle
with his friends and allies, he takes a second to look around and yells in
slo-mo: ‘I LOVE YOU GUYS!’ Gary Oldman, his voice almost unrecognizable, is
excellent as Lord Shen. His voice-work captures Shen’s obsession and pettiness
with fighting the fates. Unfortunately, the Furious Five end up being
underutilized again outside of Angelina Jolie. Seth Rogen does have some funny
lines about the mating rituals of praying mantises though. Dustin Hoffman,
James Hong, and Michelle Yeoh are great as well but I was surprised to learn
that Jean-Claude Van Damme lent his voice as well. He’s easy to miss but he is
voicing Master Croc, one of the three masters that protect Gong-Men City.
“Kung Fu Panda 2” was released on May 26,
2011 in traditional 2D and 3D and competed against the highly anticipated but
hugely inferior “The Hangover Part II.” Reception was positive with a solid 81%
on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics found the story too familiar but agreed that the
sequel ‘offers enough action, comedy, and visual sparkle to compensate.’
Unfortunately, releasing it the same day as “The Hangover Part II” was a
mistake as it was thoroughly trounced at the box office. While its five-day
Memorial Weekend take of $67 million is nothing to laugh at, it trails behind
the original as it made $60 million in three days. With $122 million worldwide
in the pot, it looks like we’ll be seeing “Kung Fu Panda 3” real soon and I
look forward to it. As it was a weekday today and everyone is back at school,
the theater sat almost empty with the exception of a handful of parents with
their kids. “Kung Fu Panda 2” does what a sequel is supposed to do—it delivers
on the same excellent fight scenes but also offers a story worth telling. If
Hollywood is intent on being run by sequels, than at least make them like this
film!
Final Rating: 5 out of 5
“Your story may not have such a happy
beginning, but that doesn’t make you who you are, it is the rest of your story,
who you choose to be. So who are you, Panda?"
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