Kung Fu Panda is back with all our favorite characters, Dustin Hoffman as Shifu, Angelina Jolie as Tigress, James Hong as Mr. Ping and all this rest, but this time around Po (Jack Black) must face a new enemy, Gary Oldman as Lord Shen. Po must also look into his own past and discover where he came from, and (Spoiler Alert) Po learns that he was adopted. As he searches for a way to vanquish his new foe, he must also learn to conquer his fears and confront his repressed memories. He and Lord Shen have crossed paths before, the key to his origins lie in this encounter.
Kung Fu Panda 2 has all the magic of a full-blown Chinese martial arts extravaganza. But as exciting and fun as these action sequences are, what really stood out for me was the animation. In the beginning of the film we are treated to a beautiful variation of ancient Chinese shadow puppets. This traditional and colorful art form sets up our story and then we move into the animation style that we are more familiar with from the first film. But this time around we are introduced to a third style. This appears in all the flash back sequences and I found the animation phenomenal.
I really enjoyed the variation of styles, especially when it imitated Asian techniques. As an adult it gave my mind something to wrap around and appreciate beyond the script. But even the story itself was weighty enough to satisfy a mature mind. Po came from a violent background and his nemesis shares his history. Shen grows up to be a villain bitter, evil and full of hate, whereas Po grows up to be cheerful, loving and willing to risk his life for his village. This is a story about rising above, friendship, and giving of yourself to others. It is a beautiful film both visually and in content. Children will enjoy it, Po is as amusing and funny as ever. And adults will love it too. It is the complete package, beautiful, sweet, funny, and full of action. Luckily for us it looks like Po will be back for more. Kung Fu Panda 3 is in our future.
Rating: First Run A beautiful film both visually and in content
About Me
- Melanie Wilson
- My Reviewer's Philosophy: I believe that every film has its audience. One man’s Citizen Kane is another man’s Texas Chain Saw Massacre. My purpose is to help you spend your entertainment dollars wisely. A bad review never kept me from going to a film I wanted to see, but a good review will sometimes get me to a film I never considered. As a movie lover I want you to go to the movies. When more people go to the movies, the more movies get made. But, I also believe that if you enjoy the films you see, you naturally will be inclined to go more often. So join me in supporting our film industry by going to a movie today. Hopefully I can steer you towards a good one. See you at the movies. Melanie Wilson
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