Kung Fu Panda 2

By Steve Kochems

Whether you’re dealing with horror or animation, sequels are inevitably tough to do. For as much as I love the Toy Story franchise, it’s fairly obvious that the second film is the weakest of the three, which is partially because the original was so refreshing and genuine that it was a tough act to follow. I can say the same to some extent for The Two Towers (though my love for Lord of the Rings does not wain).

However, I can say that any doubts or worries I might’ve had for a solid animated film’s spawned sequel were drenched in laughter and kind-heartedness. Kung Fu Panda 2 is really a good sequel period, let alone in the animation genre. Its solid cast amplifies another story that is very simple and never gets too lost or misguided. It’s the same thing that made the first film good in the first place.

We pick up with Po (Jack Black), now the full-fledged Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five (Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, and David Cross) using kung-fu to keep China at peace. At the same time, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) presses Po’s next level of training, a pursuit of inner peace. However, a shadow of Po’s past (Gary Oldman) has vowed to conquer China and destroy kung-fu forever, with a weapon that cannot be reckoned with.

Po grows in this film like the last and his forming arc resembles Luke Skywalker’s. I know, stay with me though.

At first we meet an average Joe (or Panda), who’s name or fate precede them. They learn and train and achieve a goal where all others failed because of their belief in their inner strength (the Force, being the Dragon Warrior). And just like in The Empire Strikes Back, our hero here must learn control and self-discipline to save those he loves.

That comparison isn’t as far off as you might think. A lot of people won’t give either Panda movies a chance because they seem childish and juvenile, a stigma that animation has always had but Pixar has worked to change in the last decade. But if you can drop your adult face for two hours, you might find yourself seriously enjoying Kung Fu Panda 2, and the same can be said for its predecessor.

It’s funny, it’s well paced, and it has heart. I can’t ask for much more in any movie than that.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5