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In 2008’s Kung Fu Panda, a pudgy animated panda named Po (Jack Black) learned to have faith that he could become a true kung fu warrior—and I learned to have faith that wacky Jack Black could carry a kids’ movie without making me crazy. Now, in Kung Fu Panda 2, Po and his friends return for a bigger—and even better—kung fu adventure.
Years ago, the evil Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) was banished from his home in Gongmen City. Since then, he’s been plotting to use the power of fireworks for evil—to destroy kung fu forever and take control of all of China. But a prophecy has foretold that Lord Shen will one day be defeated—and Dragon Warrior Po and the Furious Five intend to do whatever it takes to make the prophecy come true.
But facing Lord Shen and his henchmen brings back memories for Po. He suddenly realizes that his dad (James Hong) isn’t his real dad—and he begins to wonder where he came from and why his parents deserted him.
Po’s doubt and insecurity begin to distract him from his important mission. And, in order to defeat Lord Shen and save China, he’ll need to let go of his past and find inner peace.
Kung Fu Panda 2 does exactly what a sequel should do: it builds on the kung fu fun of the original to deliver even more family-friendly action and laughs. The story is perfectly balanced; it’s loaded with kung-fu-fighting action, but it’s also well-written, with a silly sense of humor and a few subtle lessons for kids to learn along the way.
As in the first Kung Fu Panda, though, the supporting characters are underused. The various members of the Furious Five have so few lines that the actors were most likely able to finish the job in a day. It’s a missed opportunity—since each of the characters has a unique personality that could have added a little something extra to the film.
Still, the focus is on Po—and Black once again does an impressive job of voicing a lovably silly character. He may be clumsy and bumbling—and, at times, that makes him frustrating character—but, what he lacks in poise, he makes up for with an extra-large helping of heart.
One major addition to the sequel: the spectacular 3D animation. Yep…you read that right. I’m actually praising 3D animation for a change. Of course, the DreamWorks Animation team does some pretty impressive work to begin with. The characters are drawn with color and personality, and the sets are pretty stunning. They even play around with different animation styles in Po’s dream sequences. But, with Kung Fu Panda 2, they’ve truly added depth to their already gorgeous animation with their 3D graphics. I’ll even go so far as to say that it’s the best use of 3D graphics since Avatar. It’s so good, in fact, that it might actually make the extra fees and those annoying glasses worthwhile.
With its lovably bumbling star, its entertaining kung-fu-fighting adventure, and its eye-popping animation, Kung Fu Panda 2 puts up a good fight for summer animation domination—and it’s sure to be a winner with kids of all ages.
