maulingood

(2013-05-25 01:56:25)

Awesome Movie!!Some of the best Kung Fu action!

This movie was just fabulous.I saw Kung Fu panda and badly wanted towatch the second part and this movie was even better than the firstone.It had a nice mix of laughter and action.The movie had really cool kung Fu stuff right from the start till theend.Even though i would say that the movie was predictable and it was abit similar to the story of "Price Of Egypt" i would still say that youwould enjoy the movie .The animation in this movie is just brilliantand is very enjoyable to watch along with the 3D experience! Kids wouldreally enjoy this movie and so will adults so go with your family forsome fun Kung Fu Action! Overall i feel a rating of 9 suits it.

atakyle

(2013-05-24 13:21:58)

Better than the first, but that's not saying much.

I have mixed feelings for this film. A part of me thinks it was afairly decent family film, but another part of me thinks that this wasunfunny and mediocre.First of all, the characters are very poorly developed (besides Po).Tigress only has a few lines in this sequel, Viper only has 3 or 4lines, and Mantis barely speaks at all. Also, about 3/4 through themovie, we're introduced to 2 new characters named Master Croc andMaster Rhino. What? Who are these guys. Then, Po says "(gasps) It'sMaster Croc and Master Rhino! One of the greatest martial artists ofall time!". They don't get very much of a backstory. Master Croc andMaster Rhino just randomly show up. Secondly, what kind of bothers me alittle is that everyone keeps saying "Becuase of Shen (the villain),kung fu is DEAD, man." What?! That doesn't make any sense! Don't theyknow that they can pass it on from generation to generation?! Lastly,*SPOILER ALERT* Shen's "secret weapon" is a CANNON. Seriously? Youcouldn't come up with a more threatening and more frightening weapon?Honestly, why can't you just demolish it by going all Kung Fu on it? Imean, Po and everyone else had the chance to do so when they werestanding next to it, but they didn't!Also, the action scenes are just ridiculous. I mean, since when doesMartial Arts gives you the power to roll a drop of water around yourhand and throw back a cannonball after it is thrown to you? Also, whenthe characters fight the bad guys, they go super fast and then theystart fighting someone else, and then someone else, and then someoneelse! It makes me very dizzy, and most of the time, I can't tell what'sgoing on!Thirdly, the jokes really aren't that funny. Some kids were laughingtheir heads off, but everyone else around 12 and above didn't evenchuckle at this movie.The thing that really bothers me is that Kung Fu Panda 1 & 2 is givingeveryone the wrong idea. Martial Arts isn't all about the punching andkicking, it's about learning courage, perseverance, self-control,honor, and friendship and giving it to others, and this series does aTERRIBLE job at delivering that message!Overall, it's a good movie for kids, but for everyone else, you may notlike it.

Christian_Dimartino

(2013-05-23 04:56:34)

I liked this movie.

Jack Black and the rest of the Furious Five are back in Kung fu Panda2, a sequel that triumphs over the original. I wasn't fond of theoriginal, but I liked Kung fu Panda 2 because I found myself laughing alot, and it surprised me.Po(Jack Black) is sent to defeat a peacock(the evil Gary Oldman) who isset out to destroy all of Kung fu. But along the way, Po realizes thathe was adopted, and that the peacock is a primal role in Po's past.Kung fu Panda 2 isn't great, but its funny and actually quite touchingin its own way. To be honest, I prefer Rango, but Kung fu Panda 2 is akids movie, so that is probably why. Kung fu panda 2 is fast, fun,funny, and touching. See it.B

aka_4200

(2013-05-22 08:43:57)

Complete Contrast

The first word I can say about this movie is, wow! Now once again Iknow that I enjoy animation movies more than anything but this is oneof my top 5 favorites. Kung Fu Panda 2 when I first saw the trailerlooked like a typical sequel and kind of a corny ending line, "Thiscould be the end of kung fu..." despite the fact that I liked the firstmovie. However, the past tense of my sentence pretty much tells wherethis review is headed, not to mention the stars, but onto the review.I am only going to choose four of the many characters to talk about forunderstandable reasons. Po (Jack Black) obviously going to be the starof the movie has excellently transitioned into the role he played.During the first movie, he was socially awkward and never took kung fuseriously, but in this movie it really makes it feel as if he has beenshown the ropes a little more and he has matured significantly. Forexample he is enjoying himself with the Furious Five rather than tryingto fit in, and he is also more comfortable with his technique, shownduring fighting sequences. Tigress (Angelina Jolie) I feel was a lot more accepting in this movie,which does not necessarily fit her description of the previous movie,but once again maturity comes back into play. On the other hand thoughI feel she is a little too accepting though. I don't know if this wasdeliberate, but she kind of has a relationship with Po unlike any ofthe other members of the Furious Five have. The boat scene is a perfectexample of this because she tries to get Po to open up to her, and forthose who have seen the movie, the jail scene where she gets the truthout of Po. Perhaps Dreamworks did this on purpose, but I guess I willjust have to wait and find out.Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), not really a major character in thismovie, actually he is more of a minor one. Shifu looks like he has ageda lot more and he is trying to feel his inner peace as if his job isnearing completion. Now I added Shifu in here because he did contributeto the movie, as little of it as he was in. Shifu in KFP was a masterto the Furious Five and Po, and only a master, but in KFP2 he is moreof a father figure to them. He gives them the direction that hebelieves is best for them and the valley, and he is no longerintolerant of Po. When Shifu summons Po, Po interrupts Shifu's innerpeace by stumbling and making loud noises, but Shifu just shrugs it offand guides Po to his next phase of training.Now for the final character which made this an excellent movie, Shen(Gary Oldman). Now this character was one of my favorites. In mostanimation movies you can look at the antagonist and he will be able tofit into society and not be a threat unless he/she wants to be, butfrom the very beginning he is just a fearful figure regardless of whathe is trying to do. Shen shows the true antithesis of good by justbeing ruthless, unforgiving, and down right murderous. It does notmatter what is in his way he will destroy it or get his minions to doit. That is one of the excellent things about this franchise, thevillain was truly a villain. Like Tai Lung (Ian MacShane), he wasfeared by the Valley of Peace just by hearing his name, same with thename Shen, it just struck fear into the hearts of the people.These four characters really did add to the movie, but this movie alsohad everything built into it. Not only did it fill the previous holesfrom the first movie, where is Po from? Who are his parents? How didMr. Ping get Po? All of these questions are answered in this movie, itis almost as if this is a prequel-sequel. It is as if the first moviewas a rope with stray ends and the second movie weaved all the endstogether to make it flow perfectly. Normally when I watch a movie I canfind a few things that are just ridiculous, but I brush them off, notin this movie though, it was pure excitement, humor, and enjoymentthroughout the whole thing. If you are debating going to see thismovie, the decision should be to see it, well worth the money and wellworth the time.

Damion J. Rowan

(2013-05-22 12:07:57)

The Hangover 2 of 2012 Animation

I wasn't all that impressed with the first one, so when a sequel cameout, I sort of scratched my head and wondered why they would havebothered...and sure enough, the sequel goes and gets nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Animated Feature.Go figure.Once again, Po is back to overcome a huge hurtle despite his attitudeand his tummy. This time, he has to save all of China! Yeah, it'spretty much the exact same sort of plot as the first one.And people made fun of The Hangover 2.Go figure.Once again, there is nothing particularly spectacular about theanimation, the script nor the voice acting. Really, there is nothingreally noteworthy here at all. So why it has been nominated for anOscar over even Tintin is beyond me.But yeah, if your kids liked the first one, they will like this one. IfYOU liked the first one and you're not a child, well, I will reservethose comments.

TxMike

(2013-05-22 04:48:24)

A fitting follow-up to the first Kung Fu Panda movie 3 years ago.

It is hard to believe that it has been 3 years since I saw the firstone, "Kung Fu Panda." I just reviewed my comments from that earliermovie and see that it was not explained how a Panda came to have agoose as a father. This movie covers that quite nicely, as it fits intothe story. Plus, it ends with Po's biological Panda dad realizing thathis son lives, and I imagine that will set up part of the story in"Kung Fu Panda 3." That remains to be seen.Also as I commented 3 years earlier, the animation is just eye-popping,the detail and the movement of both characters and their layers ofcostumes. Jack Black of course is back voicing Po, and a new menace has arisen tothreaten the very existence of ancient China. That menace is aptlyvoiced by Gary Oldman as the peacock Shen. Angelina Jolie again is thevoice of Tigress, and Dustin Hoffman is the voice of the old master,Shifu.The story isn't easy to explain so I will not try. However it involvesShen getting lots of metals to make very destructive canons, and Po,Tigress, and the others thwarting their plans. And we do find out, as a baby Panda Po had to be abandoned for his ownsurvival and Mr Goose found him and raised him, an adopted son.

FatMan-QaTFM

(2013-05-20 19:38:44)

A nicely made kids film

A summer of sequels. A weekend of sequels. After enduring The HangoverPart II, I really looked forward to this 3D Sunday matinée. If you'vepaid attention at all, you know that I love animation. Even somethingas kid-friendly as Kung-Fu Panda gives me the slightest butterflies ofanticipation for what animation marvels I will see.Animation-wise, KFP 2 served up a pretty impressive palate of animateddelights. The intro was a 2D, paper-cutout styled sequence withcolorful versions of the film's 3D characters. All the flashbacks werea traditional 2D animated style that accentuated the dreamy/horror feelof Po's mystery-shrouded past. I appreciate 3D animation as much as thenext person. Wall-E ranks in my top 10 favorite movies of all time. 3Dhas its own artistry, but it's so mass-produced, that I don't enjoy thecreative aspect as much as the realistic (I could see each individualhair!). I love to see creative 2D sequences integrated into a 3D film.Enough gushing over technology! As a children's film, the story reallyrevolves around easy-to-grasp themes like loyalty, trying really hardeven if you don't want to, doing your homework, and… uh… genocide? Thiswill be a bit of a spoiler if you have not seen the film, but it's onlyspoiling the first 5 minutes of the film before the credits. The NaziWhite Supremest Peacock, who SHOULD have been voiced by ChristopherWaltz but was instead voiced by Gary Oldman, plays a cross betweenHerod and Hitler when he takes out his wolves and murders all of thepandas in China when it is foretold that he will be defeated bysomething white and black (and read all over). Kids-in-mind.com, a sitethat has probably promoted searching for nudity in movies more than ithas helped avoid it, lists "discussion topics" as adoption, families,friendship, loyalty, misuse of power, working together, Easternreligions, magic, destiny, revenge, healing. Hmm. Missing mass-murderthere, fellas. This movie is perfect for queuing up the conversationwith little Timmy on why the Jewish kid gets so agitated when he showsup on Halloween wearing his vintage Hitler Youth outfit.The plot drops in without a lot of character development, since we gotall that gobbelty-goop out of the way in the first film, but it doesfill in all the missing blanks about Po's past and continues with hispersonal growth. Overall, it's a nice feel-good movie. Except for themurder, I guess. Pay attention at the end of the film for a niceZionist tip of the hat.If you've got kids, or just need to see something easy after watchingsome terrible R-rated comedy, then head to see this nicely madefeature.

sriramkumarav

(2013-05-20 13:10:24)

Entertaining sequel

Well, Po is already a hero now, nevertheless, he has his moments ofweakness and his frailties which still need to be overcome before hecan teach his new enemy the lesson of his life. Po must come to termswith his strange parentage: how can a panda be the son of a goose; sowhat, if the goose is the best dad in the world.... Time for someflashback and the arrival of the cutest baby panda on screen who makesyou go all gooey with his baby talk. The action sequences of the film, shot in 3D, do form the highlight ofit, but there's no undermining the friendship-and family emotionalsequences...Overall its a pretty sleek sequel which is outrageouslyfunny and holding out a promise for a third part....

andyutd97

(2013-05-19 18:20:00)

Where the Sequel outshines the Original.

Its always a happy and very rare day when you go to the cinema to watcha sequel and come home believing it to be better than the original.Today was one of those rare days for me.For starters the movie has the return of all your usual characters. Themovie has the same old light hearted humour in it and possibly evenfunnier than the previous one and don't worry just because Po is nowconsidered good at Kung Fu it still doesn't mean he gets much right asyou will see in the film.The only slight disappointment to this movie is the fact that the plotis quite similar to the original. I wont give too much away but theplot is strong yet similar to the original.Due to the disappointment of Cars 2 this year I definitely believe thisis the film to watch this summer especially if you have kids. Wow Inever knew I would recommend Dreamworks over Pixar.A real feel good funny film, I give it a High 8.

bdgill12

(2013-05-19 11:47:20)

Best Animated Film of 2011

Kung Fu Panda 2 reunites the audience with Po Ping (Jack Black), thetubby and somewhat lazy panda bear who has been named the fabled DragonWarrior. He still has much to learn, however, and Po's teacher Shifu(Dustin Hoffman) spends most of his time trying to make Po understandthe concept of inner peace. Things take a bad turn when Shen (GaryOldman), an evil and power hungry peacock who was banished from thecountry long ago, returns to his former kingdom in the possession of adiabolical weapon. Po and his team are tasked with ending Shen's reignof terror before he can take over the whole of China but as theirbattle unfolds, Po is faced with the realization that this is a muchmore personal fight than he ever could have imagined.I didn't see the first Kung Fu Panda until a couple of years after itwas released. Looking back, I'm not sure why I chose to stay awaybecause I really enjoyed it. It isn't up to the level of Pixar, ofcourse, but then again, that is an unfair standard to hold any film upagainst, let alone a kid's movie. KFP is pure, unadulterated fun andcontains just enough brains to make the storyline run smoothly. Thissequel picks up right where the original left off and the two filmswork together in almost perfect harmony. KFP2 jumps directly into theaction and it doesn't let off the gas very often, exactly what you needto keep the attention of the kiddos while simultaneously preventingadults from finding issues to nitpick at. It's one of those films thatwould become tiresome if it was even ten minutes longer but at 91minutes, there's nothing to complain about. This is a very lively filmand (I would imagine purposefully) a bit reminiscent of the betterelements of a Bruce Lee flick, only if Bruce Lee was funny and a bitoverweight. KFP2 has an outstanding collection of talented voice actors, rangingfrom Angelina Jolie to Seth Rogen to Jackie Chan and director JenniferYuh uses them well. I've said this before but one of my pet peeves inan animated film is when a character (or characters) is relegated tosecond fiddle behind the actor providing the voice. I don't want aconstant reminder that "actor X" is the face behind the drawing. Inever had that issue here. In the back of my mind, I knew that thepraying mantis is actually Seth Rogen but it wasn't constantly shovedin my face. And then there's Gary Oldman, of course, who brings abrilliant, villainous tone to the role of Shen. I've often said that ifyou want to make your film better, just add Gary Oldman and you'redone. Shen is a more intimidating baddie than you could reasonablyexpect from this movie and an improvement over the villain in the firstKung Fu Panda. The area in which KFP2 sets itself apart from the average kiddie movieis in the sheer beauty of its animation. This is a gorgeous film thatmixes sweeping landscapes with exquisitely detailed characters andpowerful action sequences. For my money, the Kung Fu Panda franchise isthe most visually compelling of the Dreamworks properties and I almost(almost) think it might have been worth seeing in 3D. All told, this isa highly enjoyable and funny movie that should please viewers of allages. And in a year that is devoid of a strong Pixar entry, I wouldmake the case that this is the best animated film of the year.Please check out my reviews at thesoapboxoffice.blogspot.com andieatfilms.com

Gavin Cresswell

(2013-05-19 12:18:41)

Compelling Voice Acting + Darker Story + Great Animation = Excellent Follow Up To A Good Movie

Well, it's been two months since I last saw this sequel in cinemasbefore I saw Pixar's Cars 2 (I'm one of the few people who liked thatmovie). Let's just say I enjoyed the predecessor that hadgroundbreaking animation, an amazing voice cast, spectacular actionscenes, hilarious comedy, and Hans Zimmer's and John Powell's beautifulmusic score.So, I like when Dreamworks Animation makes very successful thatcaptures the magic of the original. That's why we get Kung Fu Panda 2,a satisfying sequel to an amazing movie even though it's not amasterpiece. It captures the magic of the first movie that makes itvery entertaining to watch.The voice acting was as amazing as the first movie's voice acting, theaction scenes were intense as ever, the animation was lovely, andwouldn't you know it, and even the music score from Hans Zimmer andJohn Powell was emotional and epic.The story was actually darker than the first, but that's not sayingmuch. Po and Master Tigress were given some development while the restof the characters weren't given enough screen time. Sorry. It was justthat, they were still very cool, but I would just like to see morelines from them.Tai Lung from the first movie was far more sinister and veryfrightening. In here, it was very hard to be terrified of a peacock,but the animators did their best to create an even more menacingvillain as Lord Shen himself voiced by the magnificent Gary Oldman.The only problem that I do have with this movie was the script. It wastoo predictable, but not as clunky as the predecessor's script.Although, Kung Fu Panda 2 may not be a masterpiece, but it's anexcellent follow up to a really great movie and it's worth checkingout.I'd be excited if they make a Kung Fu Panda 3 because this franchise isabout as good as the Shrek series.9/10

Skadoosh11

(2013-05-18 21:33:34)

A Sequel With Heart

To be honest, I've always like the sequel to every single Dreamworksmovie that had a sequel more than the original. For example, as much asI loved Shrek, I loved Shrek 2 more. I hated Madagascar but foundMadagascar 2 pretty enjoyable to watch. And it's no exception that Iactually liked Kung Fu Panda 2 more than Kung Fu Panda (which I thoughtthat although it was good, it was a tad bit overrated).Kung Fu Panda 2 talks about Po (Jack Black) teaming up with the FuriousFive to defeat their new enemy, a peacock by the name of Lord Shen(Gary Oldman), who created a weapon that could destroy kung fu and thewhole of China. The problem now is "how can kung fu stop something thatstops kung fu?" That and Po has some daddy issues.But after watching Kung Fu Panda 2, I realised what makes a sequel sogreat. Just like Toy Story 2, they never made their characters go tolevel zero again and learn everything from the start. Po can kick buttright from the beginning of the movie. Like he is a total pro which isvery cool since a lot of movies tend to make their main character whothe main character was in the first film. Instead, they move on to thenext level and answer some unanswered questions in the first film orbring up some new questions for the viewers to ponder over. And, thisis by far my favourite sequel out of all the Dreamworks movie in termsof a sequel (I still liked Shrek 2 more). It was a vast improvement ofthe original in terms of heart, story and visuals.Po is still as likable as ever. Jack Black did a surprisingly fantasticjob at the dramatic scenes. I actually forgave him for that horridmovie that my friend dragged me to watch "Gulliver's Travel". I mean,that movie was just terrible! But I learnt that Black is a pretty goodactor if given the right script. I enjoyed his presence. He made Po sofunny and energetic but so vulnerable at the same time.Gary Oldman as Lord Shen was as good as I predicted it to be. That manis fantastic in everything he does, that's all I need to say. I foundShen to be a very interesting villain. He has his sad backstory and youfeel for him. You don't root for him but he's basically a Tai Lung fromthe first movie. He's a three-dimensional character and I wasappreciate a villain that's 3 dimensional Beside Tigress, the FuriousFive didn't have much lines but really loved their team dynamic in thisfilm. Team Furious Five and Po! And Shifu and Mr Ping are as awesome asthey are in the previous movie I loved the Tai Lung/Shifu backstory.That was the reason why Shifu was my favourite character in the wholeKung Fu Panda series (even though he made a very brief appearance inthis movie). However, though it made me feel for both characters, Inever felt the urge to cry. Heart-wrenching as it was, it never pushedyour emotions any further. KFP 2 is different. When you find out whathappened to Po (though the story was, admittedly, not original), youcan't help but feel your heart being punched a thousand times and yourtears are just threatening to fall down (and that's not good since Iwas watching it in 3D, which was superb and I would get on that lateron). On the last note on the story's heart, loved Po and Mr Ping'srelationship.Visually, it was.... stunning. I mean, it's Dreamworks. Althoughthey've got a bad record of making terrible movies (which I didn'tthink were THAT bad), their animation has always been very impressive.And they just keep improving with every single new film. Kung Fu Panda2 is no exception. 3D: It wasn't dark and it was effective. I recommend3D but it'll be fine if you don't watch it in 3D too.Take note, though, that the humour in this movie was not as good as thehumour in the first. Mostly because they replaced the humour withheart. Fortunately, this movie is well-balanced out between the humourand the emotional point of the story. And not one part funny and thensad and then funny again.Now here's a very interesting part to this film: The climax was just...wow. You would expect some big bad explosions with Po fighting offthousands of evil bad guys. But, no. The climax was nothing like that(though he does fight off hundreds of evil bad guys in the film forthose who really want to see that happening). The climax wassurprisingly.... a character moment. They never tried to do anythingbig (okay, to a certain extent, i guess it was pretty "big"). Theclimax was really all about Po and what he had learnt. And it wasreally really satisfying. I was just sitting there going, "Wow.... ILOVE this movie" And it really proves to me that this movie never triedthe "bigger is better" ploy. The climax was basically what the wholemovie was about: The main character and the emotions that he wasstruggling with and I really respect the filmmakers for such a wisedecision.And I am really looking forward to the 3rd movie! (but, DW, PLEASEdon't make 6 movies unless you have it all planned out like HarryPotter)

Gordon-11

(2013-05-17 23:49:09)

A lacklustre sequel

This film is about the Kung Fu Panda's journey to find who he reallyis, and along the way he saves China from evil forces."Kung Fu Panda 2" tries to appeal to adults by be emotional elements,but this searching for roots business backfired. It is neither engagingnor entertaining. The is not much fun or adventure, and just havingJack Black repeating the word 'awesome' in its various grammaticalforms does not make it awesome. We are not that easily brainwashed."Kung Fu Panda 2" is a lacklustre sequel. It is way below myexpectations. Judging from the ending, if there is a "Kung Fu Panda 3"then it will not go in the direction I would like, so I hope thisfranchise stops here.

richnieh

(2013-05-17 09:00:49)

Hardly worth the money

Well, the story is just dull. I simply find it as normal as it gets andtotally predictable. The fact that Po just simply find a way to realizethe marshal art by 'thinking' about it and call it destiny isnone-sense. For any marshal art, the worriers need to practice andmaybe in older age, they will find inspiration so they can realize thetrue arts and have the break through. Otherwise, you are some kind ofgenius and very suitable to practice marshal art and learn somethingfrom special scroll or something, then you can learn the true art. Inthe first movie, at least ShiFu somehow find a way to train Po so hebecomes strong in the end. Still ridiculous but acceptable. In thesecond story, that part of the story is just so thin and Taichi justsuddenly fall in onto the lab and he becomes the master of it… OK, ifyou just simply for a laugh and try to watch the cute panda, it is OK.However, what you have not seen in the second movie that is not in thefirst one? The story is not funny anymore, Panda is the same as beforeand the whole thing really just rushed all way to the end. Theparents-son relationship is pretty thin as well. I really enjoyed thefirst movie and now I find the second one a disappointment. Again,watch in big screen may give the movie a few positive point and reallyno point to watch it again on small screen.5 points for the average effort.

mamosh17

(2013-05-17 09:42:28)

Kung Fu Panda 2

Kung Fu Panda 2 was produced by Dream works Animation Co. The streamline of the movie is about the relationship between Po (panda) and LordShen (peacock). On one side Shen has the dream of making a deadlyweapon using which he can take over China and on the other side Po, whowants to be the best Kung Fu warrior, realizes Shen was responsible forhis loneliness. Thats it!These days most animations have the same story. Most of the time thereare black and white sides and the whole story is about one sideovercoming the other. Nothing new! I myself am sort of getting bored bythese kinds of scenarios. Dream works should seriously look for richercontents. Animations like Spirited Away (A masterpiece animation fromJapan) could be a very good shinning model for Dream Works AnimationCo. to retain their audience appeal. They seriously need to follow suchartistic works with richer and more powerful content if they want tomake things work again or else they can try to continue with theirolder better productions like Chicken Run(2000).Above said, there is however one very nice and emotional scene in KungFu Panda 2 which I like the most, and it is when Po remembers hischildhood and the way he lost his parents. Such eye-catching visualeffects and dreamy colors were used in these scenes.

MosH

(2013-05-16 19:04:34)

An emphatic return with a darker story; great movie with lots in it for the adults as well

The question that has been floating around about Kung Fu Panda 2 is ifit is Shrek 2 or Toy Story 2 of animated sequels? Well, I'm happy tosay it's Toy Story 2 kind of animated sequel - a genuine good moviethat takes risks and succeeds rather than rehashing the first movie.Po isn't as much of a gastro-kung-fu fighter and fanboi from the firstmovie but has grown in his personality; he's less the Jack Black as apanda and more of a character that stands on it's own. However, Po isnow the tragic hero in a Greek style prophecy which foretells of awarrior in black and white who would defeat a certain Lord Shen who hasinvented a new weapon that could spell the end of kung-fu. As Po learnsthat he is adopted, he struggles to find out about his past and thestrange symbol from his nightmares. The heavy subject matter doesn'tweight down the movie and is continually and cleverly able to escapeinto funny moments without losing gravitas. It successfully weaves thetopics of fatherhood, friendship and family into a colorful story thateven though we know how it will end, it gets there very veryemphatically.I'm really glad that Kung Fu Panda 2 didn't go the route of being apurely children's movie and didn't go the route of being built on jokesof Po's eating and Po's weight. I suppose the fortune cookie philosophyof master Shifu is slightly missed but purely a small quibble in a goodmovie. As a final note, maybe it's because of my eyesight with a weakerleft eye, I barely noticed the 3D at all. Highly recommended movie.

ChristianUnchained

(2013-05-15 21:17:10)

An adept sequel to one of my favorite Dreamwork's series

Seems like we have another case of SEQUEL-itis this summer, and most ofthem are garbage. Kung Fu Panda 2 dares to shake that trend, and succeeds and improvesupon its predecessor in every way. Some may deem it childish, but thisis an animated film with polish and directed with such expertise thatis rarely found in animated films (nothing comes to mind except therecent RANGO and Toy Story 3). The AWESOME(ness): Fantastic casting and voices. This movie would benothing without the voice of Jack Black. Other characters are greatthough. Amazing action for a kid's movie. The first film had action formore a comedic affect, but this time around huge set pieces driveforward huge brawls and battles. The fights are also extremely wellchoreographed and I never was confused about what was going on.Visually stellar. Animation has come a long way and this is the movieto further justify the credibility of the team at Dreamworks. Theanimation is smooth, and the visual effects are stark and vibrant, andcolors pop off of the screen. Also, the 3D is fantastic, serving moreas an extra layer of depth rather than cheesy Spy Kids pop-out effects.The soundtrack and sound mixing is also fantastic. Great story andoverall sequel. With an original film that was so well received how doyou make a great sequel? By answering those lingering questions andthrowing a ton of action right at the viewer. Don't worry, it still hasthat Jack Black brand humor. And it's excellent. The Bad: The pacing of the entire film is very fast, and at a runtimeof only 80 minutes, it's over surprisingly quick. I would've liked tosee more character development here and there, and a break from theaction sequences, but then this movie would lose its charm. It's soblitz paced, making Kung Fu Panda 2 incredibly entertaining, but alsomaking me hungry for more substance.Kung Fu Panda 2 is just a great sequel. It's fast, surprisingly actionpacked, filled with hilarious situational humor, and tells a wonderful,if a little too fast paced, story and is visually stellar.It is easily the one of the better sequels Dreamworks has ever dishedout, and is a must see if you are a fan of the original.

Elle Andrews

(2013-05-15 16:00:36)

AMAZING. Better than the first one.

I don't usually like sequels because they fail to capture the magic ofthe original. Kung Fu Panda 2, however, was INCREDIBLE--or should I sayAWESOME? It's even funnier than the first movie--but that aspect Iexpected. What I didn't expect was for it to be as emotionally movingas it was. It's embarrassing, but there were portions that had metearing up as much as the five-year-old next to me. Overall, the sequellives up to the first movie and even manages to exceed it in terms ofthe level of depth of its message. True, the kung fu parts (which areeven more abundant in the sequel) are a big portion of Kung Fu Panda'sappeal, but what makes it memorable is the message it's trying toconvey. I'm going back to watch it again as soon as I'm done with thisreview.

delightful-life

(2013-05-15 01:09:50)

Japanese visuals meet Hollywood!

The visuals were so good that it reminded me of some of the mostbeautiful Japanese movies (The Girl Who Lept Through Time, Totoro,etc.) this movie is that GOOD!! And this movie merges those visualswith the traditional Hollywood feel good factor. :-)..................Hope you have already read the official story line. Don't worry if thestory seems a little cheesy, you will love it when you see it. I thinkits not even the story that matters much. Everything is done sostylishly, its like a Matrix movie in Panda style. Each sceneindividually is a treat to watch.They have avoided most of the clichГѓВ©s, and places where you feel thatyou are going to see one, it surprises you with a simple and eleganttwist, which almost always left me grinning or laughing.Is this movie recommended? YES, VERY. Whatever age you are, it willmake you happy. :-)........... But do remember to see it in the highestresolution you possibly can, else you may miss out on a lot of thismovie's beauty.Cheers!

Austin Takahashi

(2013-05-14 21:06:28)

Kung Fu Panda 2 - 4 Stars

I like Po's commitment and enthusiasm. He has gone from mopping floorsand serving plates at a noodle bistro to being declared as China'sultimate protector, The Dragon Warrior. In this worthy sequel, the callis clear for The Dragon Warrior's skills as China is faced with a newthreat. With a joyful spirit and an active appetite, it is of greatnews that Po is ready for another adventure. Foes should be fearful.Once they hear the first echo of a rumbling stomach, they should startrunning away.A new villain rises as Lord Shen, a depraved peacock, plots to end kungfu and take control of China. He has created a special mechanism thatshoots fiery balls of fire and metal. So in short, he has made a verypowerful cannon. Lord Shen comes off as a more dangerous villain thanthe one in the first installment because he is accompanied by a vastarmy of wolves. The structure of the animal kingdom here is interestingin a way that a peacock is able to command these wolves without endingup as breakfast. I guess this is okay, since it would be harder toimagine an evil wolf in charge of a legion of peacocks.Anyway, while Lord Shen is busy constructing ammo for his weapons, Pois advised by Master Shifu to learn inner peace. But Po is distractedby involuntary flashes from his past, making him wonder about his trueorigins. Only now does Po really think about how he, a panda, could befathered by Mr. Ping, a goose. Such questions bother our hero, butthose will have to wait; Lord Shen and his wolves need to be stopped.Read more here: http://localmoviereview.com/kung-fu-panda-2/