The original Kung Fu Panda was a film that has managed to evade me for quite some time now. I think every film buff or critic has a short list of blockbusters and “culturally relevant” films that he or she just never saw. People often scratched their heads in amazement when I told them that I never saw the film about a giant panda who is constantly eating while trying to master the art of kung fu, which was generally well received and went on to become one of the highest grossing animated films in recent memory. I had never actively avoided watching it, nor did I particularly try very hard to seek it out. I just figured I would get around to it eventually. Sadly, by the time it came to watch and review Kung Fu Panda 2, I still had not seen the original. I didn’t really feel the need to see it since I already knew the basic story and I went in to see the sequel without high or low expectations. In fact, they were kind of blank expectations. I expected a movie where some stuff was going to happen. Maybe even some things. I couldn’t have possibly gone into this film any more impartially.
I can now safely say that despite not knowing anything of the original film in any great detail, that Kung Fu Panda 2 is an excellent film in it’s own right. From start to finish a wave of wonder and pure enjoyment washed over me that felt distinct and unique from anything I had previously experienced. I dare say that Kung Fu Panda 2 outshines the last three Pixar films. While Wall-e, Up, and Toy Story 3 are all great emotional tearjerkers and well made films, Kung Fu Panda 2 manages to put an equal effort in to convey an entire range of emotions instead of focusing on a somewhat narrow minded sadness and a fear of mortality. The laughs, the tears, and the thrills are very well balanced and I was left in a perpetual state of awe. Animated filmmaking when it reaches these heights of near perfection is truly something to behold.
The film rejoins the protagonist of the first film, a portly, wisecracking panda named Po (Jack Black) as he continues his training as a martial arts master. I can’t speak for the character in the first film, but he is a lot less of a lazy doofus than I expected which seems to mean a pretty developed character evolved between films. Into his life a new villain has emerged, a peacock with Freddy Krueger-like talons named Shen (Gary Oldman) who is determined to reclaim his birth home after years in exile before eventually taking over all of China thanks to his invention of the canon as a weapon of mass destruction. Such modern weaponry was designed by Shen with hopes of putting an end to the need for kung fu once and for all. Making things tougher for Po is the fact that Shen was exiled by his own family for killing every last remaining panda on earth except for Po. It is up to Po, his master (Dustin Hoffman) and the Furious Five (Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, David Cross, and Lucy Liu, all returning) to prove that kung fu is still relevant.
First time animated feature director Jennifer Kuh has created quite possibly the most gorgeous visual palate for an animated film in years, and considering the advancements made in the field of animation, that is high praise is something that Yuh earns and is not applied merely for the sake of hyperbole. There were times when it felt as if I was watching actors openly emoting and interacting with their environments instead of incredibly well animated animals. The characters on screen move and fight like living and breathing entities even in the most ridiculous situations. As for the 3-D conversion aspect that I have long lamented, I can also happily say that this film actually knows how to use the process. The depth of the animation is astoundingly enhanced and it is never noisy or overly dark. The 3-D conversion work here even surpasses the similarly lauded work DreamWorks previously performed on How to Train Your Dragon last year.
The script from Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger is tight and compact with an appropriate amount of plot swerves derived from the Shaw Brothers martial arts epics that they seem to know and love so much. It also deftly balances light comedy and action with some decidedly darker material. Both Po and Shen have some serious daddy issues and Shen seems determined to make sure that Po goes through the same amount of pain and suffering that he went through. It is a great portrait of neglected children and the different paths they can take without having a nurturing background. Aibel and Berger seem to have studied the early works of Don Bluth and George Miller’s Babe: Pig in the City and Happy Feet. Kung Fu Panda 2 manages to get quite dark in it’s second half, but it never cops out like Bluth or gives in fully to misery like Miller.
The voice work on display is also something to behold that goes hand in hand with the great script. Black seems to have toned down the zaniness a few degrees and plays Po as someone who is quite confident in their abilities, despite being a fun loving everybear that is now wresting with a deeper existential crisis. Oldman plays Shen as the most loathsome animated villain since Jeremy Irons in The Lion King and the impression this character leaves will doubtlessly be felt by generations of kids for years to come. There are great moments from each of Po’s cohorts and some good turns from new cast members Michelle Yeoh, Dennis Haysbert, Jean Claude Van Damme (!), and particularly from a scene-stealing Danny McBride as the head of the literal wolfpack employed by Shen.
There are two problems, however, that I can’t overlook that keep Kung Fu Panda 2 from achieving a perfect score. The film’s propensity for using slow motion gags ceased to be funny or amusing after the third time they tried it. According to people who I talked to at the screening who saw the first film, this process is actually decreased in the sequel to quite a great degree. It still isn’t all that funny. Also, the final scene of the film feels a bit like a cop out and makes one wish the film were longer than 87 minutes and a whole bunch of credits..
I might never get around to seeing the original Kung Fu Panda. My interest has been piqued by the sequel, but now I am afraid that the original will not be able to compare to this film. It is the first time I have ever seen a sequel that so effectively raised the bar that the original now holds what might be somewhat unrealistic expectations. While I can’t vouch for the quality of the original, I would safely recommend and defend this film to anyone and everyone.
Rating: 
Rated PG
Voices of: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman
Directed by: Jennifer Yuh
Top image: A scene from Kung Fu Panda 2. Courtesy Paramount Pictures.
