Kung Fu Panda 2

DreamWorks Animation truly is a hit and miss company. After missing with both “Shrek Forever After” and their following film “Megamind”, they released a hit in the form of “Kung Fu Panda 2”. The film was great and it is almost as good as the first one. The only reason why is it is not is because it lacks originality but so do almost all sequels. “The Hero’s Journey” story archetype is still utilized and the return of all the cast members add to the enjoyment. The film is funny but includes even more drama than in the first film. The 3D was neat but less amazing than other films I have seen.

As in the first film, there is a reference to Greek tragedy. Just like other modern day tragic characters such as Anakin Skywalker or Voldemort, Lord Shen hears a prophecy and does everything he can to prevent its fulfillment. One cannot help but recall what Oogway said in the first film: “One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it.” I love the opening sequence that tells Shen’s story because it tops the opening sequence of the first film visually and handles the exposition well. I also love the opening fight with the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five. This is something we did not get to see in the original film in that Po is living his dream. We see the progress that he has made and how he & his friends are able to work together. This is important to understand for the rest of the movie. Master Shifu appears to have inherited the much of the role that Oogway had in the first film. “The Hero’s Journey” archetype should not be viewed as a linear narrative with a beginning and end but rather as a journey with no end. Once the hero has adjusted to their new surroundings and life, they are called to face an even greater challenge. This can mean many things but in the case of “Kung Fu Panda 2”, Po now has to become “The Master of Two Worlds” in the words of Joseph Campbell by attaining inner peace. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had to do the same in their first movie. Po must also face issues that were left unresolved in his first adventure of becoming the Dragon Warrior. He always knew that he was adopted but never really talked about it with his adoptive father, Ping. The discussion doesn’t reveal much about Po’s past and thus Po is faced with inner turmoil & how it will come to affect his current quest. “Kung Fu Panda 2” not only contains the conflict of “man vs. himself” but also that of “man vs. machine”. We have warrior heroes who are fighting an enemy that possesses mechanical power. We see this conflict in the climax of “Return of the Jedi” and in “The Matrix”. Another great element of this movie is the strong friendship that is developed between Po and Tigress. I love both the scenes on the boat and in the jail. They reveal that Tigress has a sensitive side. While Po’s antics can annoy her, she cares for him. If Po has father figures in Shifu and Ping, she can be viewed as a mother figure. My favorite joke in the film is where Po asks if there is an evil janitor that can clean up his mess. I also like how it was established silently that Po had his action figures with him and when they meet Shen, the Mantis action figure comes in handy. The scene where Po attains inner peace is quite powerful and this sets up an entertaining climax. I love how even though Po can deflect the cannonballs, he cannot escape his usual buffoonery as his hand lights on fire. This is another example in the franchise of a dramatic moment injected with comedy that doesn’t destroy the mood but rather relieves tension. I feel there was a better balance between comedy and drama in this climax than in its predecessor. I like the plot point of having Shen die by way of his own machine. The same thing happens to Saruman in the extended version of “The Return of the King”. I love the conclusion of the film very much as Po says that he will always be Ping’s son.

I wanted this movie to win Best Animated Film at the Oscars but I didn't have my heart set on it. "Rango" was a good movie too. The animation was wonderful and so was the returning/new cast members. The great characters that we remember are back and the new characters fit right in. As time passes and as more films are added to the franchise, Po as a character is able to transcend his connection to his real life counterpart Jack Black although not as well as Dustin Hoffman's Shifu. All the returning cast members do well, especially Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan and James Hong. Gary Oldman does what he does best: playing a villain. He gives the best vocal performance in the whole movie and the animated performance is also very noteworthy. It was also cool to hear Victor Garber. Sequels rarely live up to their original movies but “Kung Fu Panda” sure comes close and that makes it great. The acting, animation & story were very well crafted and I am glad that both Hans Zimmer & John Powell returned as the composers. The very ending of this movie had me worried a little with an allusion to yet another sequel (We all know what happened to the Shrek franchise). While "Kung Fu Panda 3" was good, it did not equal the emotional power of its predecessors.

4 Stars