Kung Fu Panda 2 3D Review

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?"