'Kung Fu Panda 2' - Movie Review

The original " Kung Fu Panda " broke the streak of pop culture conscious films that DreamWorks had been cranking out since they hit it big with " Shrek ." It marked a return to strong story and characters over parodies and low brow jokes. It's a path that is serving the studio well, with the success of " How to Train Your Dragon " following in same vein. Now " Kung Fu Panda 2 " has arrived in theaters. Thankfully it maintains the emphasis on story, characters and plenty of action that made the original such a strong film.

As "Kung Fu Panda 2" opens the heavy set panda named Po (voiced by Jack Black) has become firmly established as the Dragon Warrior and along with the Furious Five they fight for justice throughout the Valley of Peace. However beyond the valley something is stirring. Lord Shen (voiced by Gary Oldman,) a royal peacock previously banished and disgraced has returned to his home to reclaim power. He doesn't just seek his own ancestral throne, he has his eye set on conquering all of China, and to ensure victory he has an army of wolves and a fierce new weapon at his command. A weapon that even the greatest masters of Kung Fu are powerless to stop. Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) sends Po and the Furious Five off to combat and defeat Lord Shen before he destroys Kung Fu itself. However there is something very personal at stake as well as Po finds long lost memories beginning to stir. Memories of a life before the one he knows, and of parents who he never met. In his quest to save the land Po may also discover his own origins.

Everything that worked in the first "Kung Fu Panda" still works in this lively sequel. The jokes are still character based rather than being pop culture references, the animation is lovely and the action scenes are terrifically laid out. Po may no longer be the bumbling fanboy he was in the first film, but it's really only the bumbling aspect that he's shed. The character maintains his raw love and enthusiasm for Kung Fu, to the point that even as he and his comrades leap into battle he takes a second to look around himself and get fanboy jitters over whose fighting at his side. It's worth noting that while Po can definitely fight in this entry he's not some ultimate warrior. His destiny as the Dragon Warrior had more to do with the fact that his strengths were the perfect counter-balance to the villainous Tai Lung from the previous film. Po has a great deal that he can do now, but he's still learning. In fact there's a nice emphasis on the notion that Kung Fu is a journey, not a destination and that even the other masters in the film are still learning.

The biggest difference between this film and the original is that it is much more of a group film. The first movie was focused very squarely on Po's training, which meant most of the movie was Po and Shifu together. The first time around the Furious Five felt underdeveloped just because they weren't given all that much to do. This time Shifu isn't used as much but the Furious Five are given the chance to shine. In truth they all have probably the same amount of screen time as they did the last time around but they feel much more essential this time, and that makes all the difference. Watching Po and the Five work together and use each other's differing styles and strengths in combat gives the film a fresh feel. Most of the combat in the original was one on one, this time it's almost all group battles. While there isn't anything quite as unique as the chopstick fight from the first film the combat scenes are none the less extremely well choreographed and a ton of fun.

The other major shift from the original is with the villain Lord Shen. In the original Tai Lung was a practitioner of Kung Fu himself, and underneath all his rage his only goal was to be the best. Lord Shen is a different beast, for while he can hold his own in a fight he's no Kung Fu master. Lord Shen has a literal army at his command, and he's not about being the best, he's about winning. And he is more than willing to cheat to win, as demonstrated by his devastating and balance tipping use of weaponry. Lord Shen is a bit more of a stereotypical villain than Tai Lung was but he's given little glimpses into what would pass for his heart that gives the character at least a hint of dimension.

The returning voice actors all do work just as strong as they did the first time. The surprise stand out of the original cast though it James Hong voicing Po's adoptive goose father, Mr. Ping. Mr. Ping was a bit of a one joke character in the first film, but he's made impressively poignant this time around. Another stand out is Michelle Yeoh voicing a goat soothsayer. She has a great delivery that sells the mysticism of the character but also works as deadpan humor. Watching her annoy the heck out of Lord Shen is endlessly fun. The other new voices aren't particularly memorable but they all work well enough.

The one notable issue with "Kung Fu Panda 2" is that it feels very much like a middle chapter in a larger story. This mainly has to do with the story aspect revolving around Po's birth parents. While there's some resolution to this story it's made very clear at the end of the film that there's much more to come. It's a clear set up for where things will go if there is a third film and it feels unnecessary and even a bit annoying. The teaser shown just before the credits roll actually undermines the moment the immediately precedes it.

Despite feeling more like it's moving things along rather than being its own complete adventure, "Kung Fu Panda 2" is a solid sequel. Any fan of the original will find plenty to love, and any lover of martial arts films who hasn't yet gotten into this series should do so. Despite being cartoony at times the action scenes are still among the best and most inventive that movie goers will see all year. It's clear that DreamWorks hopes to have at least one more film in this franchise (and there's been rumor of up to six total) and if they can keep them as strong as this it'll be worth going to again.

Final Score: 4 out of 5