Movie Review: Kung Fu Panda 2

YES! Just before midnight I was able to get a review on!

Just got back from the showing and was planning to go right to bed- but I have just enough soda in me to write a review. When I heard that Kung Fu Panda 2 was not doing as good as its predecessor, I wasn’t surprised, it seemed as though by the trailers that the movie was just a repeat of the last-but after viewing it I realized something. I was dead wrong.

Now how would they make Kung Fu Panda 2 as-nay-better that the last? Easy, by adding the same likable characters and throwing them into unbelievable action scenes- epic will not begin to describe the big-bellied “awesomeness” that was put on the screen before me.

Angered by the fact that his parents rejected him after his slaughtering of an entire race, “Shen” the peacock sets out to find “happiness” and he realizes that the only thing that would make him truly happy is not a family, but an iron-fisted rule of China-and Po with his new friends and skills sets out to stop him from doing such. When an animation company finds a movie that becomes a hit their first idea for a sequel is to stick to the formula-make a repeat of the last- but DreamWorks knew that would not bring the crowds in this time. Having Po the same clumsy, food-loving fool as in the last one would not work. So this time they kept his character and his “likeability” but added an air of confidence and ability letting him still be funny and lovable yet at the same time fierce and a master of what he does.

Another thing that made me like this movie even more was further development of the “Furious Five” who are behind Po 100% and believe he can do it, giving them more personality-and as Po puts it- “awesomeness” but none of them was more developed than Tigress-which tells me that there may be a bigger part for her along with a back-story in the third movie (hint-hint).

To sum it up- the best animated film this year so far (although Rio will still find its way into my DVD collection). With intense fighting, a sense of justice, and a further knowledge and love for the characters, this family movie is not just fun-it’s exciting! I hope to revisit the theater soon to have another taste of this dumpling-“Dragon Warrior sized!”

Its like I’ve been saying all along, it’s the STORY and the CHARACTERS that make the movie, not the visuals or the effects (although they were in there and were also breathtaking)-it takes a good story and characters to make you forget your in the theater and to make the Panda pop right off the screen. Though this may cause a problem if he starts eating your popcorn.

I always hate giving high ratings because it seems as though I am not critical enough, but to not give this movie one would be an injustice. Bravo DreamWorks.