Review: Kung Fu Panda 2

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Kung Fu Panda 2 screenshot

I'll admit first off that I really liked Kung Fu Panda when it came out a few years back. Therefore, it's not that big of a surprise that I loved Kung Fu Panda 2. This sequel, helmed by Jennifer Yuh in her film directing debut, comes the closest to Pixar heart than any other Dreamworks animated movie I've seen, but still keeps the laughs coming.

A colorful shadow puppet tale kicks off the movie. In this prologue, we learn the story of Lord Shen (Gary Oldman), a peacock who becomes so obsessed with firepower that his parents kick him out of their kingdom. Then we join our cuddly protagonist Po (Jack Black) and his Furious Five friends as they play with dumplings and fight Lord Shen's underlings, who are stealing metal from poor villagers.

Lord Shen forges the stolen metal for a cannon he uses to take out one of Po's kung-fu heroes, Master Thundering Rhino (Victor Garber!), when he refuses Shen entry into his childhood home. Po and the Furious Five must travel to protect this city from destruction, spouting silliness along the way. Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) warns the group that Shen's weapons could mean the end of kung fu. Po replies, "But I just got kung fu!" This main plotline may seem somewhat predictable, but it's handled in such an enjoyable fashion that it didn't bother me.

The kicker for Kung Fu Panda 2 is Po's discovery of how he came to be adopted by his goose father, Mr. Ping (a delightful James Hong). Baby Po is so doggone cute, my sister and I giggled adoringly during his scenes. This secondary storyline packs an emotional punch. I can't have been the only one who had tears in her eyes during the exposition near the end -- I suspect the middle-aged man next to me was wiping tears away. There's some nice relationship building between Tigress (Angelina Jolie) and Po as well, but it seems almost like an afterthought.

The voice characterization is a treat; added to the bunch from the original film, we now have Master Oxen (Dennis Haybert, whom I kept expecting to spout, "You're in good hand with Allstate"), a wise soothsayer goat (Michelle Yeoh), and of course strange Lord Shen, voiced by Oldman. It's so rare for Oldman to speak in his native accent in movies that I didn't even recognize his voice.

Kung Fu Panda 2 is in 3D, and is the first feature-length animated film I've seen that actually makes wonderful use of that technology (sorry, Toy Story 3). The landscapes are flawless and the water sparkling. The fur on Po and Tigress appears so soft you want to reach out and pet them. The martial arts sequences bounce off the screen. For kids and adults alike, this movie is worth the extra money it costs to see a 3D film in the theatre.