Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) voices Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan directed by Jennifer Yuh Movie Review

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)   4/54/54/54/54/5


Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) voices Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan

Po-Boi

Having become one of the heroes he had for so long idolised Po Ping is enjoying his life as the Dragon Warrior and protecting the Valley of Peace. But news arrives that Lord Shen of Gongman City plans to take over the valley with a new weapon which could wipe out Kung Fu for ever. But as Po and his friends set about defeating Lord Shen Po begins to have dreams and visions of his past which lead him to question who he is having been adopted as a child.

I was pleasantly surprised by the first "Kung Fu Panda" but that didn't stop me feeling sceptical about a sequel as so many animations ends up churning out inferior sequels because a young audience is easier to please. Fortunately when they made "Kung Fu Panda 2" they got it right. Yet ironically they got it right by doing just two things and that starts with the storyline. Like with the first movie the writers have gone to grown up movies to find the basic storyline, so we have that familiar story of a man learning about the past which haunts him except with the character of Po rather than a man. It is because of this sticking to a grown up theme that makes "Kung Fu Panda 2" feel like a movie which has been thought about rather than just churned out.

The other reason is that they stuck to what worked the first time around so whilst we have amusing dialogue and characters the entertainment is really in the animations, the more grown up look and so on. Nothing about "Kung Fu Panda 2" has been dumbed down or feels rushed and it adds to that sense that this was a sequel with a purpose other than playing on the success of the first movie and the innocence of children who wouldn't be so disappointed by a weak sequel.

What this all boils down to is that "Kung Fu Panda 2" is another surprise as it is an animation sequel which hasn't been churned out purely to capitalize on young children. Basically the word consistent comes to mind as everything that "Kung Fu Panda" was "Kung Fu Panda 2" is.


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