Kung Fu Panda 2 (DreamWorks)
Almost As Good As the First
The original Kung Fu Panda was released three years ago and became a huge hit thanks to the fanciful animation and the magical voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie and company. Kids took the roly-poly panda bear straight to their hearts and saw the movie over and over. Now there is a second Kung Fu Panda and it is almost as good as the first one, but what was new and fresh then is now old hat. It needs some new tricks and the addition of a lot more action just doesnt quite fill the bill.
In this new edition Po, the Panda (Jack Black), is now the darling of China. He is known as The Dragon Warrior and he enjoys being with his friends who compose The Furious Five. This includes Tigris (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu) and Crane (David Cross). Po also spends time with his father Mr. Ping (James Hong).
It has finally dawned on Po that his father is a goose and he is a panda which means he had to have had other parents. Mr. Ping tells him as much as he knows but this still doesnt solve the mystery. This not knowing haunts Po. Still he is ready to do battle when a peacock known as Shen (Gary Oldman) decides to terrorize and take over China.
The rest of the movie involves Pos battle with Shen and also his quest to learn his parentage. The search for his parents provides the heart of the story and the battles with Shen provide the excitement. The animation is again excellent and the bright colors and loveable characters will once more enchant the children.
The film is a little slow at the start and sometimes the action sequences go on too long. Still kids of all ages will be charmed by the characters and drawn into the story. There should be enough of an attraction to draw a large audience and pave the way for a third Kung Fu Panda movie.
The movie is rated PG for mild violence.
Jack Black gives his special twist on making the character come alive. His voice alone can make you laugh or make you cry. No other actor would be as good at bringing Po to life. His voice is unique to this character. Dustin Hoffman is also very good as Shifu, Pos mentor. Jolie exudes quiet wisdom in her portrayal of Tigris. Oldman is sly and crafty as Shen. Also listen for Jean Claude Van Dammes voice as the Croc.
The animation team at DreamWorks has once again done themselves proud with the beautiful scenes, characters and colors they present in the film. It is an animation delight from start to finish.
Being almost as good as the original is acceptable and kids will be drawn to this amusing and exciting story. The parents will have a good time too.
I scored Kung Fu Panda 2 a bearable 6 out of 10.
